If you plan on getting married in Illinois, getting a marriage license must be on your to-do-list. Getting a marriage license is a simple process and you might need to be present at the county clerk’s office to provide certain documents to him or her. The marriage license is important because it shows that in the eyes of the law, the couple has been approved to get married and that they have fulfilled all requirements asked of them by the law. It is important that you start this process as early as possible so that it does not disrupt any plans you might have of getting married because Illinois has a one day waiting period and that waiting period can only be overruled if the couple appeals to the county clerk giving valuable information as to why the marriage needs to take place as soon as possible. Therefore, don’t wait until the final period. U.S Marriage Laws is a good resource to learn more about marriage laws in the U.S.
- To get married in Illinois, you do not need to be a resident of that area. As long as you getting married in Illinois and do not break any law in your hometown, you are good to go. The couple intending to get married must apply for a marriage license in the office of the county clerk of Illinois. They are to be present when applying as Illinois does not permit couples being absent and then being represented by another person. They need to be present.
- When a couple is applying for a marriage license, they need to present proof of their age and show any means of identification. This means of identification can be a driver’s license, a passport or an ID card that was issued by the state. If you do not have any of these means of identification, you can ask the county clerk what alternative you can use. When given the alternative, follow it closely.
- A couple of above 18 years can get married without the consent of their parents but when they are below 18 years, they would need the consent of their parents to show that the marriage is not prohibited.
- Information on your parents is to be provided. You must drop their full birth name and the state in which they were born. If they are alive, you are to drop the address of where they live as well.
- Depending on the county you choose, you can start this process online but you would need to appear with your spouse at the office of the county clerk so that you can finalize everything. As it was earlier stated, being physically present is important as nothing can be done in your absence.
- In Illinois, there is a waiting period of 24 hours and so this means that you must get your to license at least a day before you get married.
- If any of the couples had gotten married before, information is to be provided on their previous spouse. If it is a divorce, you are to provide information on the date and where the divorce occurred. If the previous spouse died, information is to be provided on where the death occurred and the time it occurred. If the death or divorce happened in the last 30 days, a certificate of divorce or the certificate of death should be presented to the county’s clerk office.
- A fee is required to be paid when the process of acquiring a marriage license is ongoing. However, the fee is not fixed as it varies from county to county. Also, most counties would prefer to use cash and so you must go with enough cash. A few counties allow other forms of payment too but most accept cash.
- To get a marriage license, you do not need to undergo any type of blood test or any test in general. The only thing the county clerk can do is provide information about sexually transmitted diseases or any genetic disease.
- In Illinois, marriage between relatives is highly prohibited and that is why it is asked if the intending couple is in any way related to each other. However, first cousins can get married I’m Illinois. It comes with a requirement that they must be older than 50 years before they can be issued a marriage license. Any relation closer than a first cousin, marriage is not allowed. This means you cannot marry your sibling.
