How to Get a Marriage License in Atlanta: Step by Step

If you want your nikah to be a legal marriage in Georgia as well, you need a marriage license first. Here is how it works in Atlanta, from applying to collecting the license, in plain steps.

At a glance

Where

Fulton County Probate Court, License Division, 136 Pryor Street SW, Suite C-230 (2nd Floor), Atlanta, GA 30303

Booking

Appointments are booked online (downtown and North Service Center only). Applicants are admitted based on appointment time, arrival and place in line. Only the applicants may enter the office; no one else is allowed. The page does not state whether walk-ins are accepted. A banner on the site says the Licensing Division has moved, without saying where.

Fee

$68.50 Includes one mailed certified copy of the marriage certificate. $28.50 if you bring a Certificate of Completion from a qualified premarital education program (also includes one mailed certified copy). All fees are non-refundable.

Payment

Credit and debit cards accepted at all locations (American Express not accepted). Annex locations are cashless; cash is accepted only at downtown/central locations.

Who attends

Both parties must be present in the office with current identification.

Valid for

The licence does not have an expiration date. Any Georgia resident may apply in any Georgia county; if neither applicant is a Georgia resident, the licence must be obtained in the county where the ceremony will be performed.

Step by step

1. Apply. Complete the marriage license application (it can be filled out online but must be printed and brought in hand) and attend the office with your partner. Appointments are available at the downtown and North Service Center (Sandy Springs) locations only.
2. Book or plan your visit. Appointments are booked online (downtown and North Service Center only). Applicants are admitted based on appointment time, arrival and place in line. Only the applicants may enter the office; no one else is allowed. The page does not state whether walk-ins are accepted. A banner on the site says the Licensing Division has moved, without saying where.
3. Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
4. Attend and pay. Both parties must be present in the office with current identification. Credit and debit cards accepted at all locations (American Express not accepted). Annex locations are cashless; cash is accepted only at downtown/central locations.
5. Give the license to your officiant. Your imam needs it at the ceremony, and must be authorized to solemnize marriages in Georgia. The licence does not have an expiration date. Any Georgia resident may apply in any Georgia county; if neither applicant is a Georgia resident, the licence must be obtained in the county where the ceremony will be performed.

What to bring

• Completed Marriage License Application (if filled out online, print it and bring it)
• Proof of age, one of: valid state-issued driver's license or state ID; original or certified birth certificate (certified English translation if applicable); valid passport; valid military ID
• If either party was previously married: certified copy of the final divorce decree, annulment, or death certificate of the most recent previous marriage, in hand
• Age: applicants must be at least 17 (as of July 1, 2019). A 17-year-old must show emancipation for at least 15 days and a certificate of completion of separate specialized premarital counselling for each applicant, even if one applicant is over 18
• Residency: Georgia residents may apply in any Georgia county; if neither is a Georgia resident, apply in the county of the ceremony
• Premarital blood tests are no longer required in Georgia
• SSN requirement: not stated on the page

Good to know

• Premarital education certificate reduces the fee from $68.50 to $28.50; the certificate must be in hand when applying
• After the ceremony, mail the completed licence to Fulton County Probate Court, Attn: License Division, 136 SW Pryor Street, 2nd Floor C230, Atlanta, GA 30303
• Recording can take up to 30 days after the court receives the licence; prepaid certificates are then mailed. For status after 45 days, email probate.licenses@fultoncountyga.gov
• Additional certified copies of the certificate or application: $10 each, by mail only, with the Marriage Certificate Request form, a self-addressed stamped envelope and a money order payable to Fulton County Probate Court (no personal checks)
• Name change: the licence shows each party's name before marriage; take the marriage certificate to the Social Security office. To hyphenate, bring the certificate and the marriage application
• The court issues licences but does not itself state who may officiate on the pages read; it publishes a Public Wedding Officiant List (/253/Public-Wedding-Officiant-List) whose criteria were not stated. Officiant/clergy registration rules not confirmed
• Court hours and waiting period were not stated on the pages read

Your nikah and the license

The license is what makes your marriage legal. Your nikah is the religious ceremony. If your imam is authorized to solemnize marriages in Georgia, one ceremony can be both. See imams serving Atlanta and our Georgia nikah guide for who may officiate and how the marriage is recorded.

A few common questions

Details come from the Fulton County Probate Court, License Division website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. Fulton County Probate Court, License Division: marriage license page. Contact: Marriage licences: 404-613-4583, probate.licenses@fultoncountyga.gov; court main line 404-612-4640. This guide is general information, not legal advice.