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Information on Marriages in Oregon

Marriage in Oregon

To get married in Oregon, couples must apply for a marriage license at any county clerk’s office. Most counties prefer that you complete the marriage license application online. They can also provide you a paper application upon request. Visit this website that lists Oregon’s counties, search for the county clerk department and then look for marriage licenses.

A couple does not need to hold their ceremony in the county in which they obtain their license, but they do need to get married in Oregon. The fees and process may vary from county to county. Please read the guidelines carefully and pay attention to the deadlines, as the license does have a time limit.


Resources

The following documents provide guidance to couples, county clerks, and officiants when filing the Oregon Application, License, and Record of Marriage Forms.

Eligibility to Get Married in Oregon

To get married in Oregon, a person must meet these requirements:

  • Must be 18 years old (Those who are 17 may get a marriage license with a signed consent form from either a parent or guardian. Parent or guardian must be present when the license is purchased.)
  • Cannot be currently married.
  • Cannot be in a registered domestic partnership with anyone other than the person they wish to marry.
  • Cannot be first cousins or any nearer of kin to the person they wish to marry.


After the Ceremony

Once a couple has been married and the Application, License, and Record of Marriage form has been registered with the county and state, a couple can get a copy of the record in several ways.
  • Many counties offer certified copies as proof of marriage. This certificate can be used as proof of marriage for most situations but may not be accepted by all organizations (for example, Certified Records of Marriage from the County are not sufficient for U.S. passport applications).
  • Oregon Vital Records issues official certified copies of the marriage record. This certificate has a state file number and is printed on special security paper. It may take several weeks for a couple’s information to be fully registered with the State, so typically, an official marriage certificate is not available from Oregon Vital Records for approximately one month from the date the paperwork was submitted to the county.


​The term “marriage certificate" can be easily confused for two different types of documents: the Commemorative Marriage Certificate and the Certified Record of Marriage.

Counties may provide you with a Commemorative Marriage Certificate.


This is a decorative certificate meant for display. It is NOT a legal document. Completed by hand, there are spaces for you to record the names of the bride/spouse and groom/spouse, date and location of the ceremony, name of the officiant, names of the witnesses, date of the marriage license, and name of the county clerk who issued the license.​

The Certified Record of Marriage is a copy of the Application, License, and Record of Marriage form that was submitted after the ceremony. Many counties offer certified copies immediately or shortly after the final paperwork is submitted to the county clerk's office. 

This certificate can be used as proof of marriage for most situations but may not be accepted by all organizations (for example, Certified Records of Marriage from the county are not sufficient for U.S. passport applications).​

Oregon Vital Records issues an official certified copy of the marriage record.

 Marriage Certificate (Blank) Sample Image.jpg

This certificate has a state file number and is printed on special security paper. It may take several weeks for a couple's information to be fully registered with the State, so typically, an official marriage certificate is not available from Oregon Vital Records for approximately one month from the date the paperwork was submitted to the county.

​The Application, License and Record of Marriage has the following options for sex designation. Each Party has the option to choose Female, Male or X. X, indicating nonbinary, is for individuals who are not exclusively male or female. ​