Central Wedding Laws

KANSAS
You do not have to be a resident of Kansas to get married, and there is a 3 day waiting period. The presence of both parties is not required when applying for the license, but all documentation must be provided for both parties. A social security card and a photo ID are required.

Proof of nullification of previous marriages is required and you may need to wait 30 days past that final decree to get remarried. Once issued, the marriage license is good for six months. Common law marriages are recognized in Kansas, but same sex marriages are not.

Judges of a court record or any ordained minister may perform ceremonies, and the two parties themselves may wed by mutual declaration, without the presence of an authorized officiating person.


NEBRASKA
You do not have to be a resident of Nebraska to get married, and there is no waiting period. Necessary documentation must be provided for both parties, and includes picture ID, social security numbers, names of both sets of parents and their birthplaces.

Proof of nullification of previous marriages is required and you may need to wait 6 months past that final decree to get remarried. Once issued, the marriage license is good for one year. Common law and same sex marriages are not recognized in Nebraska.

All judges and any ordained minister may perform ceremonies, and they are not required to be residents of Nebraska. Two witnesses must be present at the ceremony.


NORTH DAKOTA
You do not have to be a resident of North Dakota to get married, and there is no waiting period. Necessary documentation must be provided for both parties, and includes picture IDs and social security numbers. Birth certificates are acceptable replacements for driver’s licenses.

Proof of nullification of previous marriages is required, and must be in the form of either a certified copy of the divorce decree or a plain copy of the death decree. Once issued, the marriage license is good for 60 days. Common law marriages are not recognized in North Dakota, and same sex marriages are banned by constitutional amendment.

Any ordained or licensed clergymen, and justices of the peace may perform ceremonies.


OKLAHOMA
You do not have to be a resident of Oklahoma to get married, and there is no waiting period, unless you are a minor. Necessary documentation must be provided for both parties, and includes picture IDs and social security numbers.

Proof of nullification of previous marriages is a good idea and you may need to wait 6 months past that final decree to get remarried. Once issued, the marriage license is good for 10 days, may be used anywhere in Oklahoma, and must be returned to the Court Clerk within 5 days of use. Common law marriages are only recognized if they occurred on or before November 1, 1998 and same sex marriages are banned by constitutional amendment.

Any ordained or licensed clergymen, and justices of the peace may perform ceremonies. Non-residential clergy need to register with the county Court Clerk where the wedding is to occur.


SOUTH DAKOTA
You do not have to be a resident of South Dakota to get married, and there is no waiting period. Necessary documentation must be provided for both parties.

Proof of nullification of previous marriages is required, and must be in the form of either a certified copy of the divorce decree or a plain copy of the death decree. Once issued, the marriage license is good for 20 days. Common law and same sex marriages are not recognized in South Dakota.

Any ordained or licensed clergyman, justices of the supreme or circuit court, magistrates, and justices of the peace may perform ceremonies.


TEXAS
You do not have to be a resident of Texas to get married, and there is a 3 day waiting period. Waiting periods may be waived for active duty military personnel. Necessary documentation must be provided for both parties, and includes picture IDs and social security numbers.

Although not required, premarital education courses at least 4 hours in length are strongly recommended. These courses must be completed within the last year preceding application for a marriage license.

Proof of nullification of previous marriages is required and you may need to wait 30 days past that final decree to get remarried. Once issued, the marriage license is good for 30 days. Common law marriages have specific guidelines for qualification, and same sex marriages are not recognized in Texas.

All judges and any licensed or ordained minister may perform ceremonies, as well as justices of the peace.