County Clerk's Office

Marriage Licenses

Note:  If you obtain your marriage license in Rock Island County, you must be married in Rock Island County.

Requirements:

Couples applying for a marriage license must be 18 years of age to be married. If there any question about age identification must be presented.

If either one or both individuals are 16 or 17 years of age, they are considered a minor (No one under the age of 16 can marry in the State of Illinois). In this case, he or she must present a certified birth certificate and have both biological parents present at that time, to obtain the marriage license. Parents will be required to provide identification.

Both parties must be present when applying for the license, and will be put under oath to provide true and correct information, to the best of their ability.  The following information will be required of both individuals:

• Name, Current Address (including City, County and State).
• Date of Birth, Age, State of Birth, Occupation and Social Security Number.
• Highest Grade of Completed Education.
• If either party has been previously married, that party must provide the exact Month, Day and Year of the dissolution of marriage.
  • If more than one previous marriage, only the information regarding the most recent will be required.
  • If widowed, the date of death is required.
• Parent's Full Names (including Mother's Full Maiden Name), Current Address of both (if living), and the State where each parent was born.
• If either party does not speak or understand English, a separate interpreter must accompany them and can not be a family member.

The fee for the Marriage License is $26.00.

Payment for the Marriage License can be made by Cash, Cashier's Check, or Money Order for the appropriate amount. Personal checks will not be accepted. Or, you may also order certified copies over the phone with a credit card for an additional $5.00 fee (This fee is NOT charged or collected by the Rock Island County Clerk's Office).

If you do not have a wedding officiant or clergy available to solemnize your marriage, click here to view an optional list of people who can perform marriages in Rock Island County.

• a judge of a court of record or a retired judge of a court of record;
• a judge of the Court of Claims;
• a public official whose powers include solemnizing marriages; or
• an officiant performing the marriage in accordance with the principles of any religious denomination, Indian nation or tribe or native group provided that when such principles require an officiant, the officiant be in good standing with his religious denomination, Indian nation or tribe or native group.
• for further information see Illinois State Statutes 750 ILCS 5/209.

The person solemnizing the marriage must complete the marriage certificate form and forward it to the Rock Island County Clerk's Office (1504 Third Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois 61201) within 10 days after the marriage is solemnized. A newly married couple is required to file the marriage certificate if the officiant has not assumed the responsibility.

Commonly Asked Questions:

Is a blood test or premarital exam by a physician required?

No. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/204) now only requires the county clerk to distribute free of charge, to all persons applying for a marriage license, a brochure "Getting Married, Know the Facts about Your Sexual Health" prepared by the Illinois Department of Public Health concerning sexually transmitted diseases and inherited metabolic diseases.

Does Illinois restrict some marriages? Are same sex marriages allowed in Illinois?

Certain marriages are prohibited by the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/212). These include same sex marriages; marriages entered into prior to the dissolution of an earlier marriage of one of the parties; those between an ancestor and a descendant or between a brother and sister, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood or by adoption; and those between an uncle and a niece or between an aunt and a nephew. Generally, marriages between cousins of the first degree are prohibited; however, first cousins may marry if --

• both parties are 50 years of age or older; or
• either party, at the time the couple applies for a marriage license, presents to the County Clerk  a certificate signed by a licensed physician stating that the party to the proposed marriage is permanently and irreversibly sterile.

We would like to be married by a judge. Where do we get our marriage license and how do we make arrangements to see a judge?

Marriage licenses are obtained through the County Clerk's Office on the first floor of the County Building located at 1504 - Third Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois.

Judges are available for wedding ceremonies taking place at the Rock Island County Courthouse by appointment only. The fee is $10.00 and must be paid in cash. Contact the Court Administrator's Office at (309) 786-4451 Ext. 3259 to schedule an appointment.

Is a marriage ceremony required?

No particular type of ceremony is required. The law simply requires the marriage to be performed by certain public or religious officials.

What is a common law marriage?

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/214) states that common law marriages contracted in Illinois after June 30, 1905 are invalid. A common law marriage was traditionally when a man and a woman lived together and held themselves out to the world as husband and wife for a certain period of time (such as seven or 14 years), and the law of the state in which they resided recognized them as husband and wife despite the lack of the formal legalities of marriage.

The County Clerk's Office is open from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. on Monday through Friday. If you have any further questions, you may call the County Clerk's Office at (309) 558-3557.