Search Elkhart Marriage Records

Marriage licenses for Elkhart residents are issued by the Elkhart County Clerk, which has an office right in Elkhart at 101 N Main Street. The city does not issue marriage licenses on its own. This page covers the full process for getting a license, searching records, and requesting certified copies through the Elkhart County system.

Elkhart County Clerk: Offices Serving Elkhart Residents

The Elkhart County Clerk's Office has two locations that serve Elkhart County residents. The Elkhart location is at 101 N Main St, Elkhart, IN 46516, with a phone number of 574-535-6469. The main courthouse in Goshen, the county seat, is at 1905 Reliance Road, Goshen, IN 46526, reachable at 574-523-2233. Either location can process marriage license applications for Elkhart residents.

Both applicants must appear together in person to apply. Indiana law requires both parties to be physically present at the clerk's office. You cannot send one person to pick up the license on behalf of both. Each person needs a valid government-issued photo ID at the time of application. If either party was previously married, bring proof that the prior marriage ended, such as a certified divorce decree or a death certificate.

The resident fee in Elkhart County is $29. Out-of-state applicants pay $69. This is a standard Indiana rate. Payment is due at the time of application. Call either office before your visit to confirm payment methods and current hours. The clerk's office can answer questions about required documents based on your specific situation.

Applying for a Marriage License in Elkhart

Indiana provides a free online pre-application tool at in.gov/courts/services/marriage-license/. Completing this form before your visit can make the process faster at the clerk's window. The online tool is optional. You still must appear in person with your partner to finalize the application and receive the license.

Indiana does not require a waiting period after the license is issued. You can hold a ceremony the same day if you wish. The license is valid for 60 days from issue under IC 31-11. If the ceremony does not happen within that window, the license expires and you must apply again from the start. There is no exception or extension for expired licenses.

After the ceremony, the officiant must sign the completed license and return it to the Elkhart County Clerk within 60 days. This is a legal requirement. If the officiant fails to return the signed license, the marriage may not be properly recorded in the county system. Talk to your officiant before the ceremony to make sure they understand their responsibility. Ask them specifically which clerk's office they plan to use for the return.

Valid ID for each applicant means a driver's license, state ID card, or passport. Expired IDs are generally not accepted. Bring original documents, not photocopies. If you have questions about whether a specific document qualifies, call 574-535-6469 before your visit. The Elkhart office can give you a quick answer and save you time if you need to gather additional paperwork first.

Searching Elkhart County Marriage Records Online

The Indiana courts run a free Marriage License Public Lookup at public.courts.in.gov/MLPL. This tool covers Elkhart County records from 1993 to the present. Search by name and county. No login or fee is required. Results show basic license information and are available any time of day. This is the fastest way to verify a marriage that was recorded in Elkhart County since 1993.

The MLPL is the main online resource for Elkhart County marriages. If the marriage you are searching happened before 1993, you will need to contact the Elkhart County Clerk directly. The Elkhart office number is 574-535-6469 and the Goshen office is 574-523-2233. Have the names of both parties and the approximate year ready. Staff can tell you what records the county holds and whether the file is available.

For historical research involving Elkhart families, the Indiana Legacy Database at digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy/ is a free resource maintained by the Indiana State Library. It indexes older county marriage registers across Indiana, including Elkhart County, with some entries going back well into the 1800s. Genealogists tracing northern Indiana family lines often find this database useful for records that predate modern electronic systems.

Certified Copies of Elkhart Marriage Records

Certified copies of Elkhart County marriage records are available from either clerk location. Visit in person with the full names of both spouses and the approximate date or year of the marriage. Staff will locate the record and prepare a certified copy. The certified copy carries the official county seal and is legally valid for name changes and identity verification purposes.

If you cannot visit in person, the Indiana State Department of Health offers certified marriage copies by mail at in.gov/health/vital-records/marriages/. The state charges $8 per copy. This option is useful if you live far from both Elkhart and Goshen or if you need a copy but cannot get to either office during weekday business hours.

Marriage records are public documents under IC 5-14-3, Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. The certified copy issued under IC 16-37-1-10 is the form accepted by the Social Security Administration, the Indiana BMV, banks, and insurance companies for name change and verification purposes. Request more than one copy at a time since most name change processes require an original certified copy rather than a photocopy of one you already have.

The Indiana Archives and Records Administration at in.gov/iara/services-for-public/search-archives-holdings/vital-records/ holds archived state vital records that may include older Elkhart County marriage documents. This is primarily useful for very old or hard-to-find records that are no longer available at the county level.

Nearby Indiana Cities