Ohio Marriage Laws
LAKE SHORE WEDDINGS
Your Wedding! Your Way! Your Location!
Adams County
Probate Court
110 West Main
West Union, OH 45693
937-544-2368

Allen County
Probate Court
301 N Main
Lima, OH 45801
419-223-8501

Ashland County
Probate Court
West 2nd St
Ashland, OH 44805
419-289-0000

Ashtabula County
Probate Court
25 West Jefferson St
Jefferson, OH 44047
440-576-3451

Athens County Clerk
Probate Court
15 South Court Room 236
Athens, OH 45701
740-592-3251

Augliazze County
Probate Court
Courthouse
201 Willipie St
Wapakoneta, OH 45895
419-738-7710

Belmont County
Probate Court
Main St
St Clairsville, OH 43950
740-699-2144

Brown County Clerk
Probate Court
800 Mt. Orab Pike
Georgetown, OH 45121
937-378-6549

Butler County
Marriage License
130 High St
Hamilton, OH 45011
513-887-3300

Carroll County
Probate Court
Courthouse
Carrollton, OH 44615
330-627-2323

Champaign County
Probate Court
County 0
Urbana, OH 43078
937-652-2108

Clark County
Probate Court
31 North Limestone St
Springfield, OH 45502
937-328-2435

Clermont County
Probate Court
270 Main St
Batavia, OH 45103
513-732-7243

Clinton County
Probate Court
Courthouse
Wilmington, OH 45177
937-382-2280

Columbiana County
Probate Court
105 South Market St
Lisbon, OH 44432
330-424-9511

Coshocton County
Probate Court
349 Main St
Coshocton, OH 43812
740-622-1837

Crawford County
Probate Court
112 East Mansfield St
Bucyrus, OH 44820
419-562-8891

Cuyahoga County
Probate Court
1 W Lakeside Ave, # 107
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-443-8920

Darke County
Probate Court
300 Garst Ave, # 2
Greenville, OH 45331
937-547-7345

Defiance County
Probate Court
221 Clinton St
Defiance, OH 43512
419-782-4181

Delaware County
Probate Court
88 N Sandusky St
Delaware, OH 43015
740-368-1880

Fairfield County
Probate Court
224 E Main St, # 300
Lancaster, OH 43130
740-687-7090

Fayette County
Probate Court
Courthouse
Washington, OH 43160
740-335-0640

Franklin County
Probate Court
373 South High, 18th Fl
Columbus, OH 43215
614-462-3894

Fulton County
Probate Court
210 S Fulton St
Wauseon, OH 43567
419-337-9242

Gallia County
Probate Court
Locust St 740
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-446-4612

Greene County
Probate Court
45 N Detroit St
Xenia, OH 45385
937-376-5280

Guernsey County
Probate Court
801 Wheeling Ave, # 203
Cambridge, OH 43725
740-432-9262

Hamilton County
Probate Court
1000 Main St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513-946-3600

Hancock County
Probate Court
300 South Main St
Findlay, OH 45840
419-424-7079

Hardin County
Probate Court
1 Court House Sq., # 210
2nd Floor-Courthouse
Kenton, OH 43326
419-674-2230

Harrison County
Probate Court
105 Jamison Ave
Cadiz, OH 43907
740-942-8868
OHIO PROBATE COURTS
Henry County
Probate Court
660 North Perry St
Napoleon, OH 43545
419-592-7771

Highland County
Probate Court
105 N High St
Hillsboro, OH 45133
937-393-9981

Hocking County
Probate Court
1 East Main St
Logan, OH 43138
740-385-3022

Holmes County
Probate Court
1 E Jackson St, # 201
Millersburg, OH 44654
330-674-5881

Huron County Recorder
Probate Court
2 E Main
Norwalk, OH 44857
419-668-4383

Jackson County
Probate Court
226 E Main St
Courthouse, Main St
Jackson, OH 45640
740-286-1401

Jefferson County
Probate Court
3rd And Market St
Steubenville, OH 43952
740-283-8554

Knox County
Probate Court
106 East High St
Mount Vernon, OH 43050
740-393-6798

Lake County
Probate Court
47 N Park Place
Painesville, OH 44077
440-350-2624

Lawrence County
Probate Court
P.O. Box 77
Ironton, OH 45638
740-533-4343

Licking County
P.O. Box 676
Newark, OH 43058
740-349-6125

Logan County
Probate Court
101 S Main St, # 6
Bellefontaine, OH 43311
937-599-7252

Lorain County
Probate Court
226 Middle Ave
Elyria, OH 44035
440-329-5175

Lucas County
Probate Court
Marriage License
700 Adams St, # 200
Toledo, OH 43604
419-245-4750

Madison County
Probate Court
1 N Main St
London, OH 43140
740-852-0756

Mahoning County
Probate Court
120 Market St
Youngstown, OH 44503
330-740-2314

Marion County
Probate Court
Courthouse Sq
Marion, OH 43302
740-387-7614

Medina County
Probate Court
99 Public Square
Medina, OH 44256
330-725-9703

Meigs County
Probate Court
100 E 2nd St
Pomeroy, OH 45769
740-992-3096

Mercer County
Probate Court
101 N Main St, # 306
Celina, OH 45822
419-586-8779

Miami County
Probate Court
201 W Main
Troy, OH 45373
937-332-6823

Monroe County
Probate Court
101 N Main St
Woodsfield, OH 43793
740-472-1654

Montgomery County
Probate Court
41 N Perry St Fl 2
Dayton, OH 45422
937-225-4593

Morgan County
Probate Court
19 East Main St
Mcconnelsville, OH 43756
740-962-2861

Morrow County
Probate Court
48 E High St
Mt. Gilead, OH 43338
419-947-5575

Muskingum County Recorder
P.O. Box 2895
Zanesville, OH 43702
740-455-7113

Noble County
Probate Court
Courthouse # 270
Caldwell, OH 43724
740-732-5047

Ottawa County
Probate Court
315 Madison St, # 205
Port Clinton, OH 43452
419-734-6830

Paulding County
Probate Court
115 N Williams St
Paulding, OH 45879
419-399-8256

Perry County
Probate Court
105 N Main St
New Lexington, OH 43764
740-342-1493

Pickaway County
Probate Court
207 S Court St, # 3
Circleville, OH 43113
740-474-3950

Pike County
Probate Court
100 E 2nd St
Waverly, OH 45690
740-947-2560
Portage County
Probate Court
449 South Meridian St
Ravenna, OH 44266
330-297-3870

Preble County
Probate Court
101 E Main St Fl 2
Eaton, OH 45320
937-456-8137

Putman County
Probate Court
245 E Main St, # 204
Ottawa, OH 45875
419-523-3012

Richland County
Probate Court
50 Park Ave East
Mansfield, OH 44902
419-774-5583

Ross County
Probate Court
2 N Paint St, # A
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-774-1179

Sandusky County
Probate Court
100 North Park Ave
Fremont, OH 43420
419-334-6211

Scioto County
Probate Court
602 Seventh St Rm 110
Portsmouth, OH 45662
740-355-8351

Seneca County
Probate Court
103 South Washington St
Tiffin, OH 44883
419-447-3121

Shelby County
Probate Court
129 E Court
Sidney, OH 45365
937-498-7263

Stark County
Probate Court
110 Central Plaza South
Canton, OH 44702
330-438-0755

Summit County
Probate Court
175 S. Main St 4th Fl
Akron, OH 44308
330-643-2323

Trumbull County Recorder
Probate Court
160 High St, N.W.
Warren, OH 44481
330-675-2521

Union County
Probate Court
215 W 5th St, # 107
Marysville, OH 43040
937-645-3029

Van Wert County
Probate Court
121 E Main St, # 104
Van Wert, OH 45891
419-238-0027

Vinton County
Probate Court
100 E Main St
McArthur, OH 45651
740-596-5480

Warren County
Probate Court
570 Justice Drive
Lebanon, OH 45036
513-695-1183

Washington County
Probate Court
205 Putnam St
Marietta, OH 45750
740-373-6623

Wayne County
Probate Court
107 W Liberty St
Wooster, OH 44691
330-287-5575

Williams County
Probate Court
1 Courthouse Sq
Bryan, OH 43506
419-636-1548

Wood County
Probate Court
1 Courthouse Square
Bowling Green, OH 43402
419-636-1548

Wyandot County
Probate Court
109 S. Sandunsky
Upper Sandusky, OH
43351
419-294-2302

(A) Male persons of the age of eighteen years, and female persons of the age of sixteen years, not nearer of kin than
second cousins, and not having a husband or wife living, may be joined in marriage. A marriage may only be entered
into by one man and one woman. A minor shall first obtain the consent of the minor’s parents, surviving parent,
parent who is designated the residential parent and legal custodian of the minor by a court of competent jurisdiction,
guardian, or any one of the following who has been awarded permanent custody of the minor by a court exercising
juvenile jurisdiction:

(1) An adult person;

(2) The department of job and family services or any child welfare organization certified by the department;

(3) A public children services agency.

(B) For the purposes of division (A) of this section, a minor shall not be required to obtain the consent of a parent
who resides in a foreign country, has neglected or abandoned the minor for a period of one year or longer immediately
preceding the minor’s application for a marriage license, has been adjudged incompetent, is an inmate of a state
mental or correctional institution, has been permanently deprived of parental rights and responsibilities for the care
of the minor and the right to have the minor live with the parent and to be the legal custodian of the minor by a court
exercising juvenile jurisdiction, or has been deprived of parental rights and responsibilities for the care of the minor
and the right to have the minor live with the parent and to be the legal custodian of the minor by the appointment of
a guardian of the person of the minor by the probate court or by another court of competent jurisdiction.

(C)(1) Any marriage between persons of the same sex is against the strong public policy of this state. Any marriage
between persons of the same sex shall have no legal force or effect in this state and, if attempted to be entered into in
this state, is void ab initio and shall not be recognized by this state.

(2) Any marriage entered into by persons of the same sex in any other jurisdiction shall be considered and treated in
all respects as having no legal force or effect in this state and shall not be recognized by this state.

(3) The recognition or extension by the state of the specific statutory benefits of a legal marriage to nonmarital
relationships between persons of the same sex or different sexes is against the strong public policy of this state. Any
public act, record, or judicial proceeding of this state, as defined in section 9.82 of the Revised Code, that extends the
specific statutory benefits of legal marriage to nonmarital relationships between persons of the same sex or different
sexes is void ab initio. Nothing in division (C)(3) of this section shall be construed to do either of the following:

(a) Prohibit the extension of specific benefits otherwise enjoyed by all persons, married or unmarried, to nonmarital
relationships between persons of the same sex or different sexes, including the extension of benefits conferred by any
statute that is not expressly limited to married persons, which includes but is not limited to benefits available under
Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code;

(b) Affect the validity of private agreements that are otherwise valid under the laws of this state.

(4) Any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, country, or other jurisdiction outside this state
that extends the specific benefits of legal marriage to nonmarital relationships between persons of the same sex or
different sexes shall be considered and treated in all respects as having no legal force or effect in this state and shall
not be recognized by this state.

Effective Date: 05-07-2004
3101.02 Method of consent.

Any consent required under section 3101.01 of the Revised Code shall be personally given before the probate judge
or a deputy clerk of the probate court, or certified under the hand of the person consenting, by two witnesses, one of
whom must appear before the judge and make oath that he saw the person whose name is annexed to the certificate
subscribe it, or heard him acknowledge it.

Effective Date: 01-10-1961
3101.03 Consent of absent parent or guardian of minor.

If the parent or guardian of a minor is a nonresident of, or is absent from, the county in which the marriage license is
applied for, he personally may appear before the official upon whose authority marriage licenses are issued, in the
county in which he is at the time domiciled, and give his consent in writing to such marriage. The consent must be
attested to by two witnesses, certified to by such official, and forwarded to the probate judge of the county in which
the license is applied for. The probate judge may administer any oath required, issue and sign such license, and affix
the seal of the probate court.

Effective Date: 06-22-1972
3101.04 Consent by juvenile court.

When the juvenile court files a consent to marriage pursuant to the juvenile rules, the probate court may thereupon
issue a license, notwithstanding either or both the contracting parties for the marital relation are under the minimum
age prescribed in section 3101.01 of the Revised Code. The license shall not issue until section 3101.05 of the
Revised Code has been complied with, and until such child has been born, or it is found beyond doubt by the juvenile
court that the minor female is pregnant and intends to have the child.

Effective Date: 08-08-1996
3101.05 Application for marriage license.

(A) The parties to a marriage shall make an application for a marriage license. Each of the persons seeking a marriage
license shall personally appear in the probate court within the county where either resides, or, if neither is a resident
of this state, where the marriage is expected to be solemnized. If neither party is a resident of this state, the marriage
may be solemnized only in the county where the license is obtained. Each party shall make application and shall
state upon oath, the party’s name, age, residence, place of birth, occupation, father’s name, and mother’s maiden
name, if known, and the name of the person who is expected to solemnize the marriage. If either party has been
previously married, the application shall include the names of the parties to any previous marriage and of any minor
children, and if divorced the jurisdiction, date, and case number of the decree. If either applicant is under the age of
eighteen years, the judge shall require the applicants to state that they received marriage counseling satisfactory to
the court. Except as otherwise provided in this division, the application also shall include each party’s social security
number. In lieu of requiring each party’s social security number on the application, the court may obtain each party’
s social security number, retain the social security numbers in a separate record, and allow a number other than the
social security number to be used on the application for reference purposes. If a court allows the use of a number
other than the social security number to be used on the application for reference purposes, the record containing the
social security number is not a public record, except that, in any of the circumstances set forth in divisions (A)(1) to
(4) of section 3101.051 of the Revised Code, the record containing the social security number shall be made available
for inspection under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

Immediately upon receipt of an application for a marriage license, the court shall place the parties’ record in a book
kept for that purpose. If the probate judge is satisfied that there is no legal impediment and if one or both of the
parties are present, the probate judge shall grant the marriage license.

If the judge is satisfied from the affidavit of a reputable physician in active practice and residing in the county where
the probate court is located, that one of the parties is unable to appear in court, by reason of illness or other physical
disability, a marriage license may be granted upon application and oath of the other party to the contemplated
marriage; but in that case the person who is unable to appear in court, at the time of making application for a
marriage license, shall make and file in that court, an affidavit setting forth the information required of applicants for
a marriage license.

A probate judge may grant a marriage license under this section at any time after the application is made.

A marriage license issued shall not display the social security number of either party to the marriage.

(B) An applicant for a marriage license who knowingly makes a false statement in an application or affidavit
prescribed by this section is guilty of falsification under section 2921.13 of the Revised Code.

(C) No licensing officer shall issue a marriage license if the officer has not received the application, affidavit, or other
statements prescribed by this section or if the officer has reason to believe that any of the statements in a marriage
license application or in an affidavit prescribed by this section are false.

(D) Any fine collected for violation of this section shall be paid to the use of the county together with the costs of
prosecution.

Effective Date: 02-12-2001
3101.051 Deleting social security numbers prior to inspecting records.

(A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, a probate court shall make available to any person for
inspection the records pertaining to the issuance of marriage licenses as provided under section 149.43 of the Revised
Code.

(B) Before it makes available to a person any records pertaining to the issuance of a marriage license as described in
division (A) of this section, subject to division (C) of this section, a probate court shall delete or otherwise remove
any social security numbers of the parties to a marriage so that they are not available to the person inspecting the
records.

(C) Division (B) of this section does not apply in any of the following circumstances:

(1) If the records in question are inspected by authorized personnel of the division of child support in the
department of job and family services under section 5101.31 of the Revised Code;

(2) If the records in question are inspected by law enforcement personnel for purposes of a criminal investigation;

(3) If the records in question with the social security numbers are necessary for use in a civil or criminal trial and the
release of the records with the social security numbers is ordered by a court with jurisdiction over the trial;

(4) If the records in question are inspected by either party to the marriage to which the records pertain;

(5) If the court possessed the records in question prior to the effective date of this section.

Effective Date: 02-12-2001
3101.06 Denying license.

No marriage license shall be granted when either of the applicants is under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or
controlled substance or is infected with syphilis in a form that is communicable or likely to become communicable.

Effective Date: 04-09-1981
3101.07 Expiration date of license.

No marriage license shall be effective nor shall it authorize the performance of a marriage ceremony after
the expiration of sixty days from the date of issuance. This provision shall be printed on each license in
prominent type.

Effective Date: 10-01-1953
3101.08 Who may solemnize marriages.

An ordained or licensed minister of any religious society or congregation within this state who is licensed to
solemnize marriages, a judge of a county court in accordance with section 1907.18 of the Revised Code, a judge of a
municipal court in accordance with section 1901.14 of the Revised Code, a probate judge in accordance with section
2101.27 of the Revised Code, the mayor of a municipal corporation in any county in which such municipal
corporation wholly or partly lies, the superintendent of the state school for the deaf, or any religious society in
conformity with the rules of its church, may join together as husband and wife any persons who are not prohibited
by law from being joined in marriage.

Effective Date: 04-11-1991
3101.09 Prohibition.

No person, except those legally authorized, shall attempt to solemnize a marriage, and no marriage shall be
solemnized without the issuance of a license.

Effective Date: 10-01-1953
3101.10 License to solemnize marriages.

A minister upon producing to the secretary of state, credentials of his being a regularly ordained or licensed minister
of any religious society or congregation, shall be entitled to receive from the secretary of state a license authorizing
him to solemnize marriages in this state so long as he continues as a regular minister in such society or congregation.
A minister shall produce for inspection his license to solemnize marriages upon demand of any party to a marriage at
which he officiates or proposes to officiate or upon demand of any probate judge.

Effective Date: 06-04-1976
3101.11 Recording license to solemnize marriages.

The secretary of state shall enter the name of a minister licensed to solemnize marriages upon a record kept in the
office of the secretary of state.

Effective Date: 06-04-1976
3101.12 Evidence of recording.

When the name of a minister licensed to solemnize marriages is entered upon the record by the secretary of state,
such record and the license issued under section 3101.10 of the Revised Code shall be evidence that such minister is
authorized to solemnize marriages in this state.

Effective Date: 06-04-1976
3101.13 Marriage record.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, a certificate of every marriage solemnized shall be transmitted by the
authorized person solemnizing the marriage, within thirty days after the solemnization, to the probate judge of the
county in which the marriage license was issued. If, in accordance with section 2101.27 of the Revised Code, a
probate judge solemnizes a marriage and if the probate judge issued the marriage license to the husband and wife, he
shall file a certificate of that solemnized marriage in his office within thirty days after the solemnization. All such
transmitted and filed certificates shall be consecutively numbered and recorded in the order in which they are received.

Effective Date: 04-11-1991
3101.14 Notice on license of penalty for failure to return certificate of solemnized marriage.

Every marriage license shall have printed upon it in prominent type the notice that, unless the person solemnizing
the marriage returns a certificate of the solemnized marriage to the probate court that issued the marriage license
within thirty days after performing the ceremony, or, if the person solemnizing the marriage is a probate judge who
is acting in accordance with section 2101.27 of the Revised Code and who issued the marriage license to the husband
and wife, unless such a probate judge files a certificate of the solemnized marriage in his office within thirty days
after the solemnization, he is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be punished by a fine of fifty
dollars. An envelope suitable for returning the certificate of marriage, and addressed to the proper probate court, shall
be given with each license, except that this requirement does not apply if a marriage is to be solemnized by a probate
judge who is acting in accordance with section 2101.27 of the Revised Code and who issued the marriage license to
the husband and wife.

Effective Date: 04-11-1991
3101.15 Applying to correct marriage certificate.

A person who is not a party to a marriage, when both parties to the marriage are deceased or otherwise unable to
correct the certificate of marriage of the parties, and who claims that the facts stated in a certificate of marriage filed
in this state are not true may file an application for correction of the certificate in the probate court of the county in
which the certificate was filed.

In the application, the applicant shall set forth all of the available facts required on a certificate of marriage and the
reasons for making the application, including the reason for the unavailability of the parties to the marriage. The
applicant shall verify the application. On the filing of an application under this section, the court may fix a date for a
hearing on the application. The date shall not be less than seven days after the filing date. The application shall be
supported by the affidavit of at least one person having knowledge of the facts stated in the application, by
documentary evidence, or by other evidence as the court considers sufficient. The probate judge may refuse to accept
an affidavit or evidence that appears to be submitted for the purpose of falsifying the certificate of marriage. If the
probate judge is satisfied that the facts are as stated, the judge shall make an order correcting the certificate of
marriage and shall file it in the judge’s office.

This section shall not apply to and shall not limit the ability of the parties to a marriage to correct a certificate of
marriage in accordance with procedures followed by the probate court.

Effective Date: 05-15-1996
3101.99 Penalty.

(A) Whoever violates division (B) of section 3101.05 of the Revised Code is guilty of a violation of section 2921.13
of the Revised Code. Whoever violates any other provision of section 3101.05 of the Revised Code is guilty of a
minor misdemeanor.

(B) Whoever violates section 3101.09 of the Revised Code shall be fined five hundred dollars and imprisoned not
more than six months.

(C) Whoever violates section 3101.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than fifty dollars.

Effective Date: 04-11-1991
OHIO MARRIAGE LAW (OHIO REVISED CODE)