How To Get Married In Alabama Changes Thursday

August 28, 2019

Effective Thursday, getting married in Alabama no longer involves a license, just filling out an application, having it notarized and taking it to the local probate judge’s office.

“The new law removes the need for a marriage license to be obtained in advance. Additionally, while couples certainly may have a ceremony if they wish, a ceremony will no longer be required,” according to the Escambia County (AL) Probate Office.

Persons wishing to marry will no longer file an application for a marriage license with the county probate court, and the courts will no longer issue marriage licenses. Probate judges will instead accept notarized forms completed by couples as official records of marriage.

Once the probate court records the completed marriage certificate form, the marriage is legal. A wedding ceremony may be performed, but a ceremony will no longer be required for a recognized marriage in Alabama. The elimination of marriage licenses will not affect any other aspects of marriage in Alabama, including divorce, spousal support, child support and child custody.

The marriage certificate form can be downloaded at the Alabama Department of Public Health’s website.

A recording fee established by each county probate court must be paid to the court at the time the form is presented for recording. In Escambia County (AL), that fee is $75.

The probate office must receive and file the original form, but a certified copy will be provided to the couple for their personal records. The effective date of the marriage is the latter of the dates of the signatures of the spouses.

Comments

7 Responses to “How To Get Married In Alabama Changes Thursday”

  1. Rational on August 30th, 2019 9:24 am

    No AL, you have it wrong. You need it to be harder to get married; now you’ll have people who marry, have children and then walk away from each other leaving children with one or sometimes no parent because it sounded like a good idea to get married at the time and it was easy too! Good Lord!

  2. David Huie Green on August 29th, 2019 10:35 pm

    Most traps function by making entry easy, exit difficult.

  3. chris on August 28th, 2019 5:44 pm

    Should help to keep the family together in Alabama

  4. Matt Rimony on August 28th, 2019 2:30 pm

    @bob in baker

    Are you planning on getting married in AL anytime soon?

  5. Anon on August 28th, 2019 9:17 am

    Do you have to be an AL resident?

  6. bob in baker on August 28th, 2019 7:00 am

    Some of the information required on the form appears to be a bit invasive and should not be necessary for the purpose of getting married.

  7. Whisperjet on August 28th, 2019 6:49 am

    ..well…kinda makes it pretty simple , sort of…good luck…