In order to have a legally recognized marriage ceremony in Tennessee you must have a Tennessee marriage license. You cannot bring a marriage license from another state and use it in Tennessee and be legally married here.
You can get a Tennessee marriage license at any county clerks office in the state that issues marriage licenses and then use it anywhere in the state. In other words, you do not have to use the license in the same county where you got it. You could for instance get a Davidson County marriage license which is where Nashville is located and then get married and the Shelby County which is where Memphis is.
If you get a marriage license in Tennessee is valid to be used for a 30 day period. That is you must have your wedding take place within that 30 day time frame otherwise the marriage license is invalid and cannot be used. In that case, you would have to go back to the County Clerk and have them read issue a license.
While the laws and particulars are subject to change from time to time, as it stands right now here are some of the general guidelines for getting a marriage license in Tennessee.
While it varies slightly in the over 70 counties in the state, a marriage license cost right at $100. This is higher than many states as a few years back the state decided to add $60 to the license fee as a way of motivating couples to acquire some kind of premarital preparation. If couples do receive at least four hours of premarital training from a state recognized provider then they can receive a $60 discount off the marriage license fee.
When you go to get your marriage license one thing you must take with you is government issued proof of your valid Social Security number. Of course this can include your Social Security card but a passport or some other government issued identification with your Social Security number on it may serve the same purpose. You also may be asked to present some sort of photo ID such as a valid drivers license.
Take your marriage license to your wedding officiant. After your wedding your Nashville wedding ceremony officiant will sign and date your marriage license and mail it back to the County Clerk’s office. In the state of Tennessee, the couple does not have to sign the marriage license at the wedding. The couple signs the marriage license when they get it from the County Clerk.
Some counties in Tennessee provide a keepsake copy of the license which the officiant signs at the wedding and leaves with a couple. The rest of the papers are mailed in. And in most counties after the County Clerk has recorded the marriage they will send to the couple a certified copy of the marriage license. Again policies vary some from county to county and it is advisable to ask the County Clerk how they do things when the marriage license is acquired.
Tags: Davidson County, Nashville wedding ceremony officiant, Shelby county, Tennessee marriage license