Getting a Marriage License in Clinton County
A marriage license in Clinton County is issued by the County Clerk, Stephanie L. Dush, whose office sits in Suite 2600 of the courthouse at 100 E State Street in St. Johns. The clerk serves as the county registrar of vital records, so the same counter that files circuit court cases also starts the marriage process. Michigan law under MCL 551.7 sets the residency and application rules the clerk follows.
You apply in the county where one of the two applicants lives. If both applicants live outside Michigan, you apply in the county where the ceremony will take place. Either partner may fill out and submit the application, so both do not have to appear at the same moment, though both must provide the required identification and information. A license issued here is valid for 30 days from the date the clerk releases it, so timing the application to the wedding date matters.
The county publishes its marriage license details online. You can review the requirements and office rules on the county's marriage license page before you visit. That page also explains the identification and waiting-period rules described below.
The screenshot above shows how the clerk frames the license as the first legal step toward a wedding recognized in Michigan. It reinforces that the license, not the ceremony, is the document the state actually issues.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
Applications are taken in person Monday through Friday, from 8:00 to 11:30 in the morning and from 1:00 to 4:30 in the afternoon. Gathering documents before you arrive keeps the visit short. Both applicants need birth certificates, a current driver's license or state ID, and Social Security numbers. A birth certificate written in a foreign language must be translated into English, and any witnesses to the ceremony must be at least 18 years old.
- Confirm that at least one applicant resides in Clinton County, or that the ceremony will be held here if both live out of state.
- Bring birth certificates, a driver's license or state ID, and Social Security numbers for both applicants.
- Complete the marriage worksheet with names, birth details, residence, and prior-marriage information for both parties.
- Pay the license fee at the clerk's counter, plus the waiver fee if you are requesting one.
- Wait through the three-day period, then return in person on your scheduled pickup day to collect the license.
Michigan sets a three-day waiting period between application and release. The clerk uses a fixed pickup schedule tied to the day you apply, and pickup is always in person at the office in St. Johns.
| Day You Apply | Day You Pick Up |
|---|---|
| Monday | Thursday |
| Tuesday | Friday |
| Wednesday | Monday |
| Thursday | Monday |
| Friday | Monday |
The waiting period can be shortened for good cause. A waiver costs an extra $20 and is granted at the clerk's discretion, not automatically. Note: the license expires 30 days after it is released, so plan the ceremony inside that window or the couple must apply again.
Marriage License Application Fields
The county's marriage worksheet spells out exactly what each applicant reports. It captures identity, residence, prior marital history, and contact numbers so the clerk can confirm eligibility before issuing the license. Filling every prompt correctly the first time avoids a return trip. The fields below come straight from the county worksheet.
| Field / Prompt | What It Captures |
|---|---|
| Male / Female | Sex marker used on the worksheet |
| Full Name of Applicant A | First, middle, and last name |
| Last name at birth, if different | Maiden or prior surname |
| Date of Birth | Birth date |
| Present Age | Age at application |
| Birth Place, City and State | Place of birth |
| Your Street Address | Residence street address |
| City / State / Zip | Residence location |
| Parent Current Full Name | Parent name fields |
| Phone | Contact number |
| Applicant A Cell | Cell number for applicant A |
| Applicant B Cell | Cell number for applicant B |
| Full Name of Applicant B | First, middle, and last name |
| Date to be Married | Intended ceremony date |
| File No. | Clerk file number |
| County of Residence | Residence check |
| Times Previously Married | Prior marriage count |
Because the worksheet asks for prior-name data and a count of previous marriages, applicants who have been married before should have that history clear in mind. The county posts its blank forms and instructions on the marriage license applications page.
The applications page pictured here is where the worksheet and related forms live. Downloading and reading them in advance is the fastest way to walk in prepared.
Clinton County Marriage and Copy Fees
Marriage costs in Clinton County fall into two buckets: the license itself and certified copies of a marriage record already on file. The license fee depends on residency, and the copy fee depends on how many copies you buy at once. All of these are paid to the County Clerk.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license, Michigan resident | $20 |
| Marriage license, out-of-state resident | $30 |
| Waiver of three-day waiting period | $20 |
| Certified marriage copy, first copy | $15 |
| Certified marriage copy, each additional (same order) | $5 |
| Marriage search, record not found | Search fee retained |
The additional-copy rate of $5 applies only to copies ordered at the same time as the first. Order them separately later and each one is billed as a first copy again. If the clerk searches and finds no matching marriage record, the search fee is kept to cover the work, so confirm the names and approximate date before you request a search.
How to Look Up Clinton County Marriage Records
Clinton County keeps marriage records for residents who applied here dating back to 1839, which makes the clerk a genuine genealogy resource as well as a records office. The main routes to a marriage record are the clerk's counter, a mail request, and the county's online tools. The county's marriage records page explains what is on file and how copies are priced.
The marriage records page shown above is the clerk's own description of its historical holdings. It confirms that the county, not a third-party site, is the authoritative source for a certified marriage record.
Vital records, including marriage documents, can also be located through the county's Vital Records Search tool. For self-service lookups of marriage, death, and assumed-name filings, the clerk points the public to a Tyler-hosted self-service portal. That portal works like a library catalog: it says data can change without notice and advises searching every spelling variation of a name.
The Vital Records Search screen above is the county's front door for marriage and other vital documents. To find a record you generally need the full names of both spouses and an approximate year, since older entries were indexed by name rather than case number.
The county also maintains an online marriage application page. That feature was reported unavailable during software work in February 2026, and even when the online form is running, the finished license is still picked up in person at the clerk's office.
The online application page pictured here shows the county's move toward digital intake. Until it is fully restored, the in-person route described earlier remains the reliable one.
How to Find Clinton County Divorce Records
Divorce is a circuit court matter in Clinton County. The 29th Judicial Circuit Court, in Suite 4500 at the courthouse, hears divorce through its civil and family divisions, and the divorce paperwork is filed through the County Clerk's office. That split matters for searching: a divorce judgment lives in the court case file, not in the clerk's marriage-record index.
To confirm or pull a divorce case, use the circuit court search tools rather than the vital-records portal. The county offers a Circuit Court Case Inquiry and a broader record searches page, and the clerk runs a public CaseLook portal. Statewide, the MiCOURT case search may show domestic cases depending on the court. Circuit court records after July 1996 can be searched online, in person, or by mail; older files before that date are searched in the clerk's office or by mail.
A divorce file typically holds the complaint, the judgment of divorce, and orders covering property, support, and custody. Some material is protected. Cases involving minors, personal financial detail, and certain family matters may have restricted portions, so a public search may return the case caption and status without every underlying document. For the full range of civil case documents the clerk keeps, the county's court records resources explain the same $10-per-name search and copy fees.
Getting Certified Copies
Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and are the versions accepted for legal purposes such as a name change, a passport, Social Security, or proving marital status. A plain printout from an online search does not carry that weight. For marriage records, a certified copy is $15 for the first and $5 for each additional copy bought in the same order.
Divorce documents follow the court's copy schedule instead. Copies of court documents run $2 per page for the first 10 pages and $0.50 per page after that, and a certified court copy is $1 per page plus a $10 certification charge. Mail requests to the clerk should include a written request, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order payable to the Clinton County Clerk. The clerk completes mailed record searches within 24 hours of receipt.
Note: order marriage copies together to get the discounted $5 additional rate, because a copy requested on a later date is billed again as a first copy.
Clinton County Vital Records Office
The office that registers and certifies vital records locally is the Clinton County Clerk / Register of Deeds. The clerk side handles marriage licenses, birth records, and death certificates, while the register of deeds side, in Suite 2500, covers land records and passport processing. Both sit inside the same courthouse and share the same hours. The county's vital records page outlines every document type the office issues.
The vital records page shown above lists marriage, birth, and death certificates side by side. It is a useful reminder that one county office, the County Clerk, is the single point of contact for certified vital copies.
Clinton County Clerk / Register of Deeds
100 E State Street, Suite 2600
St. Johns, MI 48879
989-224-5140
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 to noon and 1 to 5, with the counter closed from noon to 1 and last requests taken by 4:30 in the afternoon. Fax the office at 989-224-5102 or email clerk@clinton-county.org with questions before making the trip to St. Johns.