Getting married in Georgia: non-residents apply in the county of the ceremony, and the license goes back within 30 days
In Georgia, couples who complete a qualifying 6-hour premarital course and bring the certificate of completion when they apply pay no Marriage License fee under state law, though other charges may apply; in Floyd County, for example, the fee drops from US$67 to US$30. Licenses are issued by each county's Probate Court, not a county clerk.
Both of you must appear in person. If either of you is a Georgia resident, you can apply in any county; if neither of you is, you must apply in the county where the ceremony will take place. After the ceremony, the signed license must be returned to the issuing court within 30 days. For registering the marriage in Taiwan, authentication is done by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Atlanta.
Which county to apply in
Georgia's rules (georgia.gov and the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, checked 2026-10-26):
- If either of you is a Georgia resident: the Probate Court of any county can issue the license.
- If neither of you is a Georgia resident: apply in the county where the ceremony will take place.
- Both of you must appear to apply. The application is sworn to be true, and states the surname you will use after marriage.
- Floyd County's page also states that a license issued by another state cannot be used in Georgia, and a Georgia license cannot be used in another state.
The city of Atlanta spans several counties, including Fulton and DeKalb. This time the Fulton County Probate Court's marriage license page would not open (it returned a 404), so go by that county's website or phone line for fees and appointments.
Requirements and the documents to bring
- Both of you must be 18 or older. A 17-year-old can apply only if every condition is met, including a juvenile court order of emancipation; since July 1, 2019, parental consent is no longer accepted.
- Of sound mind, with no undissolved marriage, and not related in a way the law prohibits.
- Proof of age; if divorced, proof of divorce (georgia.gov).
- Floyd County is more specific: each person brings one valid state-issued ID (such as a Georgia driver's license or state ID) showing full name and date of birth; anyone who has been divorced, no matter how long ago, brings the most recent divorce decree, showing the judge's signature and the date the marriage was dissolved; anyone whose former spouse died brings the death certificate.
- Since July 1, 2003, no premarital blood test is required; the state recommends sickle cell testing before applying, but it is not required.
Floyd County lists state-issued ID and doesn't say whether passports are accepted. If all you have is a foreign passport, call the issuing county before you go. For other points for foreigners marrying in the US, see foreigners marrying in the US; for whether and how to translate Taiwanese documents, see translating the marriage certificate into Chinese.
Fees and the 6-hour premarital course
State law doesn't set one statewide amount; each county collects its own fee. Floyd County (checked 2026-10-26):
- Without a premarital course: US$67.
- With a certificate of completion from a qualifying premarital course: US$30.
Requirements for the premarital course (Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia):
- At least 6 hours, covering marriage-related topics.
- Completed within 12 months before applying for the license, taken together as a couple.
- The instructor must be a licensed professional counselor, social worker, marriage and family therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or active clergy member (or their trained designee).
State law says that with the certificate of completion "no license fee is charged," but other charges may apply, which is why Floyd County still charges US$30. If you're thinking of taking the course to save on the fee, ask the issuing county first what the actual difference is.
Waiting period, validity and appointments
- Waiting period: none of the official pages we found this time mentions a waiting period. Cobb County's page says that if you are holding a weekday ceremony at the Magistrate Court, you can get the license the same day by arriving at the Probate Court license office before 4:30 p.m.
- Validity: Floyd County's page says Georgia marriage licenses do not expire. The state pages and georgia.gov don't mention this, so for other counties go by each county.
- Appointments: Floyd County works by appointment only, and you must arrive by 4:15 p.m. to complete the paperwork; you can fill in the application online first at georgiaprobaterecords.com. Cobb County's page also explains appointments.
- Courthouse ceremonies: the Cobb County Magistrate Court has ceremony slots at 18:00 every weekday, and at 12:00 and 18:00 Friday to Sunday; the Floyd County court no longer performs ceremonies.
None of the state or county pages we found this time gives a number for how many witnesses a ceremony needs, so go by the issuing county. For a comparison across states, see the official rules checked for 9 states.
Returning the license and certified copies
- The signed license must be returned to the issuing Probate Court within 30 days after the ceremony (georgia.gov). Cobb County states that the officiant fills it in and returns it on the couple's behalf.
- The marriage certificate is generally mailed within 30 days (georgia.gov); Floyd County instead asks couples to pick it up at the office. Go by the issuing county.
- Request certified copies from the Probate Court of the issuing county. The State Office of Vital Records at the Department of Public Health holds marriage records only from June 1952 to August 1996; all other years are with the counties. For marriages from January 1, 2014 onward, the state can issue a verification.
- Department of Public Health fees for marriage records: a US$10 search fee (non-refundable), with one copy if a record is found; each additional copy ordered at the same time is US$5 (page updated 2025-01-09). Certified copies of the marriage application are issued only to the couple themselves.
Authentication uses up one copy, so order several at once (item 10 of the checklist); check that recording is complete a week or two after the ceremony (item 9 of the checklist). For how to request copies, see certified copies of the marriage certificate.
TECO in Atlanta and registering in Taiwan
- Documents issued in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina are authenticated by TECO in Atlanta (jurisdiction table from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US, checked 2026-10-26).
- For authentication fees, processing times and return-postage rules, go by the office's website; tips for mailing are collected in which TECO office to send your marriage certificate to.
- For the order of steps in changing your surname, see changing your name after marriage.
For the full steps to register in Taiwan, see registering a US marriage in Taiwan in five steps.
Common questions
Can we marry in Georgia if we don't live there?
Yes. When neither of you is a Georgia resident, apply for the license at the Probate Court of the county where the ceremony will take place.
How much is a Georgia marriage license?
Each county sets its own fee; in Floyd County, for example, it is US$67 normally, or US$30 with a certificate of completion from a qualifying 6-hour premarital course (checked 2026-10-26).
How soon after a Georgia wedding must the license be returned?
georgia.gov states that the signed license must be returned to the issuing Probate Court within 30 days after the ceremony.
Do we need a blood test to marry in Georgia?
No. Georgia dropped the premarital blood test requirement on July 1, 2003.
On the My Wedding Plan checklist, returning the license, confirming the recording, certified copies and registering in Taiwan are all on the timeline: confirming the recording is item 9, certified copies item 10, and registering in Taiwan item 15. The checklist has a free version, and you can start without giving an email address.
Sources (checked 2026-10-26)
State-level rules in this article follow the official pages of the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, georgia.gov and the Department of Public Health; fees, ID and appointments are written differently by each county, so county details use the Floyd County and Cobb County pages as examples.
- georgia.gov: Apply for a Marriage License (checked 2026-10-26)
- Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia: Marriage License (checked 2026-10-26; published 2021-12-10)
- Floyd County Probate Court: Marriage Licenses (checked 2026-10-26)
- Cobb County Probate Court: Marriage License (checked 2026-10-26)
- Georgia Department of Public Health, Vital Records: Marriage (checked 2026-10-26; page updated 2025-01-09)
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States: Office jurisdictions (checked 2026-10-26)