Marriage License

SavvyMac

Hi all!  I'm getting married in Atlanta on May 9th of this year and I'm trying to figure out when I need to get my marriage license.  Does anyone know how long it takes?  Can I wait till the week of the wedding to go to the probate court to try to get one?  Like if we went to get one the Monday before the wedding?  

I'd MUCH rather get it done sooner than that but my fiance and I live in Minnesota and we're trying to avoid having to buy two plane tickets to fly down there just to get the marriage license if we can.  We were both planning on arriving a week before the wedding though in case there were last minute things to take care of before the wedding.  Would that be enough time?

blabla89

The process can vary by county, so call the probate court of the county where you're getting married and ask.

labro

What @blabla89 said. However, when we applied for our license you get everything done the same day. They give you the document you need to bring to the ceremony for your officiant to sign when you submit your application. Go to the county probate court website of the county your wedding will be held in and make sure you have a list of all the documents you'll need to bring with you (most likely your driver's license and birth certificate, there may be additional requirements since you aren't a resident of Georgia). You'll also need to be prepaird to pay with cash or check, I don't think they'll accept a credit card.

ETA: In Georgia I'm not aware of any particular "time" requirements for when you need to get your license. Some states have a 30 day or 60 day wait but I'm not aware of any counties in the Atlanta area that require that.

SavvyMac

I would love to call the probate court and ask lol.  Every time I call (I've tried on 2 days and called at least 10 times each day) no one answers and I can't leave a voice mail.  My fiance called twice and got through both times.  I was a little concerned though because he said he asked about the marriage certificate not license, and if I understand correctly those are two different things.  Labro your response is almost exactly what the probate court said when my fiance called though (about how it gets done same day) so that does make me feel better.  I think I'm just a little paranoid about waiting so close to the last minute for something so important and wanted confirmation that that has in fact worked for other people.  

labro

I'm assuming you're getting married in Fulton County, but the rules/requirements are generally the same county to county, You shouldn't need to call to get further details other than what's stated on the website.

http://www.fultoncountyga.gov/fcprobate-marriage-license

Good luck! I know it's stressful but you'll be fine! My H and I waited until our wedding was less than 30 days away to apply for our certificate so I promise the process is extremely simple!

DiamondFan

I may be wrong, but if you're not GA residents you may have to get your license in the county where you're getting married. Just something to keep in mind. Also as far as I know getting your license is a one day deal here. 

ETA I should really find out more because my wedding is in 44 days!