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Marriage Laws: Kentucky & Tennessee

We’ve completed our trip down the Eastern seaboard and now we’re going to make our way across the country. Our first stops on our cross-country tour will be Kentucky and Tennessee. My brother’s other grandmother lived in Kentucky and we used to visit there frequently over the years. It’s been a long time since my last trip there, but I do have fond memories of both states.

Kentucky

Want to get married in Kentucky? You’ll need a driver’s license and social security card. You’ll also need to provide a certified copy of a divorce decree or death certificate if you’ve been married before. There is no residency requirement unless you are a minor, then your parents must be residents of Kentucky in order to get married there.

There is no waiting period for a marriage license in Kentucky. Your fee will be around $36 and you’ll need to bring cash, money order or a cashier’s check to pay the marriage license fee. There is no option for covenant marriage, proxy marriage or cousin marriages.

Kentucky will not recognize cousin marriages even if they were legal in another state. Common law marriage is also not recognized in Kentucky. As for same-sex marriages, citizens in Kentucky passed an amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriages in 2004.

If you are under the age of 18, you need parental consent and you’ll also need to present custody papers if your parents are divorced. You need the consent form to be witnessed by at least two people and then it will need to be sworn to the deputy clerk. If you are pregnant, you can waive parental permission by getting a district court order. Applicants under 16 need parental permission and a court order.

Your marriage license will be valid for 30 days from application. To get a copy of your Kentucky Marriage License:

Kentucky Department for Public Health
Office of Vital Statistics
275 East Main Street – IE-A
Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: (502) 564-4212
Fax: (502) 227-0032

Tennessee

To get married in Tennessee, you need a valid form of ID and your social security number. There is no residency requirement to get married in Tennessee. If you were married previously, you need to show proof of divorce or death of the previous spouse. When you apply for your marriage license, the fee is about $99 and you’ll need cash, although some counties do accept debit cards. Be sure to check with the county you are applying in. You will not need a blood test.

Tennessee recommends a premarital preparation course. If you complete it within the year prior to your application, you can receive a $60 discount on your marriage license fee. The state sanctioned course should provide you with a Certificate of Completion. If you are not residents of Tennessee, you may be able to get the fee waived even if you didn’t take the class because this is for residents only.
There is no waiting period associated with the marriage license and there is no covenant marriage option in Tennessee. Proxy marriages are not allowed, however if one partner is incarcerated or has a disability that prevents them from coming to the application, a signed and notarized statement may suffice.

Cousin marriages are allowed, even those to first cousins. Common law and same sex marriages are not allowed nor recognized. Minors need to be accompanied by their parents when applying for a license and if you are under the age of 16, you need a court order along with your parents.

Your marriage license is valid for 30 days. To get a copy of your Tennessee Marriage Certificate:

Tennessee Vital Records
Department of Health
Tennessee Tower, 3rd Floor
312 – 8th Avenue North
Nashville, TN, 37247-0350
Telephone: (615) 741-1763

The above information should be taken as guidance only, legal requirements for state and county marriage licenses change often. Please verify the necessary paperwork and more with the office of the county clerk prior to making your wedding plans

This entry was posted in Marriage Law and tagged , , , by Heather Long. Bookmark the permalink.

About Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago. They have a beautiful daughter who just turned five years old. She is learning to read and preparing for kindergarten in the fall. An author of more than 300 articles and 500+ web copy pieces, Heather has also written three books as a ghostwriter. Empty Canoe Publishing accepted a novel of her own. A former horse breeder, Heather used to get most of her exercise outside. In late 2004, early 2005 Heather started studying fitness full time in order to get herself back into shape. Heather worked with a personal trainer for six months and works out regularly. She enjoys shaking up her routine and checking out new exercises. Her current favorites are the treadmill (she walks up to 90 minutes daily) and doing yoga for stretching. She also performs strength training two to three times a week. Her goals include performing in a marathon such as the Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness or Team in Training for Lymphoma research. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience through the fitness and marriage blogs.