View Free Collin County Marriage Records (Obtain a License)

Find free Collin County marriage records to reveal more about anyone’s union or spouse.

You can use the information you find to assist with your genealogy search or help resolve a business or legal matter you are handling. You don’t need a specific reason; these marriage records can be used just to learn more about a person in your life.

The ability to access marriage records stems from the passing of Texas’ Public Information Act. This law gives you the right to inspect and copy marriage records.

This article will help you understand which agencies are responsible for marital records, how to access them and details of what’s available. Read below as you prepare to search for marriage records in Collin County, Texas.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

How To Look Up Collin County Marriage Records for Free

The custodian for marriage records in Collin County is the county clerk. To access marriage records, you can search their online marriage index.¹

On the left-hand side, select “marriage,” and on the right-hand side, you can set your date range. Then, you can enter a person’s name and begin your search.

Note: You can also conduct an advanced search if you want to search more specifically, such as entering the license number or other types of information.

Once you complete your search, the results page will provide you with any matching names, the date the marriage occurred, and when it was recorded. You can also see when the couple applied for a marriage license, the identifying number and where the physical record is located.

To request a certified copy of a record, you can complete the Application for a Certified Copy of Marriage License.³ This form will require you to provide the full name of both applicants, the date of the wedding and where they were married (city and county).

You will also need to provide your contact information. A completed application can be brought in person or sent to the address below:

Collin County Clerk
Vital Statistics
2300 Bloomdale Rd., Ste. 2106
McKinney, Texas 75071

A marriage record costs $7.00 per copy, and checks must be made payable to the Collin County Clerk. For additional questions, you can contact the Collin County Clerk at 972-548-4100 or 972-424-1460. They are available from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

For genealogy research, you can search archived marriage records which will be discussed next.

How Do I Search Historical or Archived Marriage Records in Collin County?

If you need access to older marriage records, you may have to dig a little deeper to find what you are looking for. The availability of older records may be less reliable, and you may have to search with a separate office tasked with maintaining archived records.

For archived Collin County marital records, you can use the Clerk’s archived search tool.⁴ This search tool provides marriage records from 1884 to 1949.

You can request a copy for $5.00 and a certified copy for $7.00. For additional archived marriage records, you can get assistance by sending an email to [email protected].

Another option to consider when looking up archived marriage records is to use the tools outlined in the previous section, such as the online marriage record search tool. For additional questions, contact the county clerk at any of their office locations or by sending an email to [email protected]. They are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

If you need additional options, consider searching local libraries, religious institutions and historical societies for those hard-to-find archived marriage records. You may find helpful indexes and other types of records where these marriages were recorded.

If you want to search archived marriage records statewide, you can check with the Texas State Library & Archives Commission.⁵ For more information, give them a call at 512-463-5474 or send an email to [email protected]. If you want to talk to someone in person, you can visit the following location:

Texas State Library & Archives
1201 Brazos St.
Austin, Texas 78701

The Family History Center of the Texas State Archives & Libraries is another statewide option for checking archived marriage records.

There may also be other related types of records you want to search, such as common-law marriages. They are recognized in Texas when two people request to have their relationship recognized as a legal marriage.

These types of relationships can be searched. However, Texas does not recognize domestic partnerships or similar relationships by state statute.

How To Access Texas Marital Records Outside of Collin County

Collin County marital records — along with those throughout the state — can be obtained by going to the county government agency that is responsible for maintaining these documents. However, you may be in need of a more efficient process, especially if you do not know which county a person was married in.

One way to request marriage records throughout the state is to contact the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Section.⁶ They do not provide an actual certified copy of the certificate, but you can get a marriage verification.

Unlike informational copies at the county level, a marriage verification is only provided to the following group of designated people:

• The party listed on the marriage record
• Parents or guardians
• Children
• Spouse
• Grandparents
• The legal representative of the person on the record or estate
• A person who can present a court order or other proof of a need for the record

The Vital Statistics Section has the ability to provide these verifications to authorized people for any marriage occurring in Texas from 1966 to the present. The cost for a marriage verification is $20.00, and a person can make a request online, by mail or in person. To send a request by mail, complete the Marriage Record Application.

Once completed, this application can be sent to the address below:

Texas Vital Statistics
Department of State Health Services
P.O. Box 12040
Austin, Texas 78711

You can also drop the application off in person at any vital statistics office in Texas. To make a request from home, complete the online marriage verification form and wait to get your document. Processing times can be anywhere from 20 to 25 business days.

Another option is to search through the Vital Statistics marriage indexes. These marriage indexes can be viewed on a year-by-year basis starting in 1966. These indexes will provide a record seeker with the name of the parties to the marriage, their ages and the date and location where they exchanged their vows.

If you have questions about the process for either requesting records or viewing the index, you can search their Marriage FAQ page.⁷ You can also call the Vital Statistics Section at 888-963-7111 or by email at [email protected]. You can contact them Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

How Do You Apply for a Marriage License in Collin County Texas?

If you and your partner are prepared to get married, you can follow the instructions provided here for applying for a marriage license. The marriage license is the primary prerequisite before exchanging vows and can be obtained in Collin County through the County Clerk. A couple can start the process by completing their online marriage license application.

The application will ask you to provide the following information for you and your future spouse:

• Name
• Contact information (home address, email and phone)
• Social Security Number
• Date of birth
• Location of birth (city, state, county and country)
• Questions about divorce, marriage, child support and relation to the other applicant

Time your submission appropriately because once you complete an online application, you will have to finalize your marriage license at one of the two Collin County Clerk locations listed below within 10 days:

McKinney Office
2300 Bloomdale Rd., Ste. 2106
McKinney, Texas 75071

Phone: 972-548-4185

Plano Office
900 E. Park Blvd., Ste. 140-A
Plano, Texas 75074

Phone: 972-881-3025

You will both be required to go in person or one applicant can provide the county clerk with an Affidavit of Absent Applicant.⁹ When you go in person, you will be required to provide valid government-issued photo identification to confirm your age and name. Examples of an acceptable form include a driver’s license, passport or state ID.

While there are no set residency requirements to be eligible for a marriage license, the Collin County Clerk does require divorcees to wait at least 30 days from when they were divorced to apply for a marriage license. The only exception is if you are remarrying the person you divorced.

The cost for a marriage license is $81.00. However, this fee can be reduced to $21.00 with proof of completion of an approved premarital course within the past year.¹⁰ Once issued, parties will have to wait at least 72 hours until they have their official wedding ceremony.

However, the approved premarital course allows a couple to waive this requirement as well. The 72-hour waiting period can also be bypassed if a person is on active duty with the military or the judge waives the requirement. A marriage license expires 90 days after it was issued, so make sure you do not wait too long to exchange your vows.

You now should have a strong understanding of what it takes to obtain a marriage license in Collin County; in addition, you can use the above resources to search Collin County marriage records throughout Texas.