You must meet these requirements to purchase a marriage license:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• Your ceremony will take place in the State of Oregon.
• You are getting married within 60 days.
• You are not currently married.
• You are not first cousins or any nearer of kin.
• You are mentally competent to consent to a contract.

Required documents that you must bring with you at the time of the application:

• Valid photo ID
• $60.00 cash

IN PERSON: We process requests immediately over the counter. Hours 9-12 and 1-4

ONLINE - Pay online with a credit card @ https://records.co.coos.or.us/DigitalResearchRoomPublic/MarriageSearch  

BY MAIL - Certified Copy of Marriage License Order Form. 

If you have special circumstances and need to request a waiver of the 3-day waiting period, please email the County Clerk @ coosclerk@co.coos.or.us  

There is an additional $25.00 fee for a waiver.  

Effective 4/1/2020 Per Coos County Board of Commissioners Order #20-03-012-L

I want to change my name. What are my options?

Each party must pick the name they will take after the marriage ceremony. However, the State of Oregon limits your name change options through the marriage process. If your desired name is not listed when applying you will need to do a legal name change through State Courts. 541-396-8372 ext. 25005

Changing your name after marriage

I’ve taken my spouse’s name after our marriage. What do I do now? Where do I go?

After the marriage ceremony you will need to take a certified copy of your marriage license to the DMV and Social Security to legally change your name.

Examples of agencies to change your name with and documents to update are: 

• Driver’s License
• Social Security
• Military
• Bank
• Passport
• Credit Cards
• Insurance
• Employer
• Mortgage Company
• Immigration
• Landlord
• Vehicle Registration 

Most of these examples require a certified copy, we will mail you one certified copy after your marriage license has been returned to for processing. 

Certified copies may be purchased by using this link https://records.co.coos.or.us/DigitalResearchRoomPublic/MarriageSearch  

Phone: 541-396-7600

Email: recording@co.coos.or.us

If you notice a mistake on your license before the ceremony, contact our office at 541-396-7600 so we can assist you in correcting the mistake.

If the license has already been received by our office, there may be a $25.00 (cash only) amendment fee charged to correct the information. Please contact us so we can assist you.

To avoid these errors, review and verify your information before submitting the marriage license application. 

You need two witnesses who are 18 years or older to make a ceremony valid in Oregon. Neither the minister or partners involved can act as a witness. Your officiant will print the names of the witness on the license. The witnesses will only sign the commemorative Marriage Certificate.

What happens after the ceremony?

The officiant will complete the required information and sign the marriage license. Once complete, the officiant is responsible for returning the license to Coos County within five days of the ceremony.  The marriage license packet will include an envelope for returning the license to us, which can be delivered to our office or returned by mail.

Instructions for Officiants

You must have received documentation of your ordination. We will not ask for the proof of your ordination. Also, you do not need to register your ordination with Coos County before the ceremony.

Two persons age 18 or older need to witness the solemnization of the marriage.

Following the marriage ceremony, complete the Ceremony section on the marriage license. You must fill in the following information:

1. Date of marriage
2. Location of marriage
3. County of marriage
4. Your signature
5. Your title (minister, priest, etc.)
6. Your name, personal address and phone number (PO BOX is acceptable.)
7. The name of the organization that gave you the authority to perform marriages.
8. The printed names of the witnesses.

You are responsible for returning the license within five days of the ceremony either by mail or in person.

A marriage license that is not completed will cause a delay in processing. The parties involved will not be able to get certified copies until the errors are corrected. We include Instructions for Officiants with the marriage license packet.

See Notice of Officiant

What if our officiant got ordained online?

As long as the online ordination meets the requirements from the State of Oregon, it is just as official as a traditional religious ordination. 

Ordination Requirements

To be considered a valid ordination, the State of Oregon requires:

• An organization must be active (i.e. conducting business or holding services).

If the organization has closed or does not have a physical address, then you must get another ordination. We cannot process a license that fails to meet either of these requirements.

The Oregon Secretary of State is responsible for providing apostille seals. They will not accept County-issued copies of marriage records. Instead, you must provide a copy from the State of Oregon Vital office. You can find additional information on their website:

http://sos.oregon.gov/business/Pages/apostille.aspx