Applications for a marriage license are accepted between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. This office is closed on standard holidays.
License Application Process
To get married in Minnesota, you can apply for a license in any county in Minnesota. The license does not need to come from the county you will be getting married in.
Marriage license applications for Houston County need to be started at: Marriage License Application Both applicants must be at least 18 years of age. If either person had a previous marriage; termination type (death, divorce or annulment), the date, city, state and county of termination must be provided on the application. Once that application has been completed, please contact our office to schedule an appointment (507) 725-5813. Applicants must appear in person to complete the application process within 90 days. *When arriving for your appointment, you will need to present proof of age and provide your social security number. Proof of age can be established with a birth certificate, driver’s license or other identification card issued by a government entity. The fee for a marriage license is $125 or reduced license fee is $50. To qualify for the reduced license fee, you must provide a properly completed Educator’s Statement at the appointment. You will receive your license the day of your appointment and it will be valid for 6 months.
Applicants that have a felony conviction will not be able to change their name through the marriage application process. If a name change is desired, it must go through the court name change process. Minnesota Statute 259.13, subd. 5 allows a person with a felony conviction to apply for a name change through the district court for no fee if the person files the action within 180 days after the marriage and a certified copy of the marriage certificate is submitted to the court. For non-Minnesota residents, contact the district court for your county of residence for further guidance.
Reduced Fee Marriage License (M.S. 517.08 Sub. 1(b)(b))
The marriage license fee for parties who have completed at least 12 hours of premarital education is $50. In order to qualify for the reduced fee, the parties must submit at the time of applying for the marriage license a statement that is signed, dated, and notarized or marked with a church seal from the person who provided the premarital education on their letterhead confirming that it was received. The premarital education must be provided by a licensed or ordained minister or the minister’s designee, a person authorized to solemnize civil marriages under section 517.18, or a person authorized to practice marriage and family under section 148B.33. The education must include the use of a premarital inventory and the teaching of communication and conflict management skills.
Marriage Records
Minnesota marriage certificates are a county specific document, meaning you can only obtain the document from the county the license was received from. Please visit Marriage Records Search to find the information for the record you would like to obtain. The fee for a certified copy of a marriage certificate is $9. Houston County marriage records begin in 1854.