How to Get a Marriage License in San Antonio: Step by Step

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

At a glance

Where

Bexar County Clerk, Marriage License Office, Paul Elizondo Tower, 101 W. Nueva, Suite 120, San Antonio, TX 78205; also Southside Annex, 3505 Pleasanton Rd., San Antonio, TX 78221; and the "Records on the Run" mobile unit (schedule at bexar.org/3177)

Booking

The page does not mention appointments. Hours Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, Wednesdays until 5:45 PM; closed on county holidays.

Fee

$80 Marriage license $80; informal marriage license $45; $60 off the license fee with a valid Twogether in Texas premarital course certificate; certified copies for name changes $8 each. Fees per the county page read in October 2026; confirm with the clerk.

Payment

The page is inconsistent: one part says cash or credit card (not American Express), another says cash only. No temporary checks. Confirm with the clerk before going.

Who attends

Both applicants in person, unless an absent-applicant affidavit applies. If both are absent, both must be U.S. armed forces members stationed abroad in support of combat or another military operation, with an affidavit and military ID.

Valid for

90 days from the issue date; valid in any Texas county.

Same day?

Not stated. Texas has a 72-hour wait before the ceremony unless an exception applies: a judge's written waiver, an active-duty military applicant, a Twogether in Texas certificate, or remarrying each other.

Step by step

1. Apply. Complete the online marriage license application, then both applicants go in person to a listed location with documents and the fee. If one person cannot attend, the other (or an adult representative) may apply with a notarized Affidavit of Absent Applicant (not available for informal marriage licenses).
2. Book or plan your visit. The page does not mention appointments. Hours Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, Wednesdays until 5:45 PM; closed on county holidays.
3. Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
4. Attend and pay. Both applicants in person, unless an absent-applicant affidavit applies. If both are absent, both must be U.S. armed forces members stationed abroad in support of combat or another military operation, with an affidavit and military ID. The page is inconsistent: one part says cash or credit card (not American Express), another says cash only. No temporary checks. Confirm with the clerk before going.
5. Give the license to your officiant. Your imam needs it at the ceremony, and must be authorized to solemnize marriages in Texas. 90 days from the issue date; valid in any Texas county.

What to bring

• Proof of age and identity: Texas or other-state driver's license or ID (current, or expired no more than two years), original or certified birth certificate, passport, or other U.S. or foreign government document
• Social Security number if you have one (the page says required if applicable)
• Under 18: certified court order of Removal of Disabilities of Minority
• Neither applicant may have been divorced within the last 30 days, unless an exception applies
• Twogether in Texas certificate if claiming the waiver or discount
• Military ID for active-duty or absent military applicants
• Residency requirement not stated for a marriage license

Good to know

• The couple may use the officiant of their choice; the page lists no officiant registration requirement
• Recorded in person at Vital Statistics (Paul Elizondo Tower, Suite B110), the Southside Annex or a Records on the Run location, or mailed to Bexar County Clerk's Office, Vital Statistics, 100 Dolorosa, Suite 104, San Antonio, TX 78205; the recorded license is mailed to the address on the back
• Only licenses purchased in Bexar County are recorded by Bexar County Clerk; copies are available from 1837 to present
• The page lists a suite discrepancy (Suite 120 for the marriage office, B110 for Vital Statistics); confirm before visiting

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 Texas, one ceremony can be both. See imams serving San Antonio and our Texas nikah guide for who may officiate and how the marriage is recorded.

A few common questions

Details come from the Bexar County Clerk, Marriage License Office website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. Bexar County Clerk, Marriage License Office: marriage license page. Contact: 210-335-2223; recorded message line 210-335-2216; courthouse general line 210-335-2011. This guide is general information, not legal advice.