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Residence: If either of
the applicants is a resident of the State of Georgia, the marriage license
may be obtained from the Probate Court in any county in the State. It
is not required that the license be obtained from the county of the legal
residence of either applicant. If neither applicant is a resident of
the State of Georgia, the license must be obtained from the Probate Court
in the county in which the ceremony is to be performed.
Blood Tests: As of July 1,2003,
premarital blood tests are no longer required under Georgia law.
Proof of Age: Both applicants
must be 18 years of age or older to apply for a marriage license
without parental consent. Proof of age (birth certificate,
driver’s license, baptismal certificate, certificate
of birth registration, selective service card, court record,
passport, immigration papers, alien papers, citizenship papers,
armed forces discharge papers, armed forces identification
card, or hospital admission card containing the full name
and date of birth) must be presented by every applicant who
does not appear to the judge or clerk to be at least 25 years
of age. If either applicant is 16 or 17 years of age, a license
may be issued only with the written consent of the parent
or parents of the underage applicant. No license may be issued
if either applicant is under the age of 16. As of July 1,
2006, the pregnancy of a female applicant no longer authorizes
the issuance of a license to a 16 or 17 year old without consent.
Proof of Dissolution
Of PriorMarriage:
If either applicant has been previously married and the marriage was dissolved
by divorce or annulment, a copy of the decree of divorce or annulment
must be presented at the time of application. (Applicants who have been
married and divorced more than once need only provide a certified copy
of the decree dissolving the last previous marriage.)
Proof of Citizenship or Lawful Presence: Applicants who were born outside the United States (except foreign-born U.S. citizens) will be required to show proof of citizenship or proof of lawful presence in the United States.
Fees:
The fee for a marriage license is $51.00, which includes the
application fee of $35.00 [O.C.G.A. §15-9-60(k)(14)],
a fee of $15.00 paid to the State Children’s Trust Fund
[O.C.G.A. §15-9-60.1], and a fee of $1.00 for recording
the marriage with the Department of Human Resources, Vital
Records Division [O.C.G.A. §31-10-21(f)]. In addition,
there is a $6.00 charge for the certified copy of the marriage
license, which is mailed to the applicants after recording,
and a $5.00 fee for the certified copy of the license application
for the Social Security Administration. The total for these
services is $62.00 payable at the time the
application is made.
However, if the couple presents to the court at the time of
making the application a certificate of completion
of a premarital education program pursuant
to Code Section 19-3-30.1, the $35.00 application fee is waived,
and the total for all services will then be $27.00,
instead of $62.00. In order to qualify for the reduced fee,
the premarital education program: must have
been completed within 12 months prior to the date of the application;
must have been taken by the couple together; must have included
not less than six hours of "instruction involving marital
issues, which may include but not be limited to conflict management,
communication skills, financial responsibilities, child and
parenting responsibilities, and extended family roles";
and must have been provided by (1) a professional counselor,
social worker, or marriage and family therapist licensed in
Georgia, (2) a psychiatrist licensed in Georgia, (3) a psychologist
licensed in Georgia, or (4) an active member of the clergy
when in the course of his or her service as clergy or his
or her designee, provided the designee is trained and skilled
in premarital education. The court has a form for the
certificate if the provider does not have a form.
There is an additional fee of $1.00 for the notification to
parent(s) when an application is accepted from a pregnant
female or a couple who are the parents of a living child.
(If the parents of both applicants must be notified, the $1.00
fee applies to each set of parents.)
Getting Married at the Courthouse
The judge of the probate court does not perform weddings, except by appointment and after a meeting with the judge about the ceremony.
Magistrates in the Magistrate Court often perform weddings. However, it is best to make an appointment in order to assure that a magistrate is available to perform the wedding. There may be times when there is no judge or magistrate in the courthouse available to perform a wedding. Do not assume that there will be a judge or magistrate to perform your wedding when you come in to obtain the license. The telephone number for the Magistrate Court is 478-621-6505.
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