Find Marriage Records in Posey County
Posey County marriage records are issued and maintained by the County Clerk's office in Mount Vernon, where Clerk Kay Kilgore oversees all marriage license applications under Indiana Code 31-11. At least one applicant must reside in Posey County to apply here, and both parties are required to appear in person to complete the process. This page explains how the clerk's office handles marriage license applications, what the fees are, how to get copies of records, and where to search older Posey County marriage records through Indiana state databases.
Posey County Marriage Records Quick Facts
Posey County Clerk's Office
The Posey County Clerk's office is located at 300 Main St., Room 115, Mt. Vernon, IN 47620. Clerk Kay Kilgore can be reached by email at kay.kilgore@poseycountyin.gov or by phone at (812) 838-1306. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. Note that Posey County operates on CST, not EST, so plan your visit accordingly if you are traveling from another part of Indiana.
The clerk's office is clear about one important rule: Indiana law requires that a marriage license be purchased in the county where at least one applicant resides. As the office puts it, "Indiana Law requires that Marriage License be purchased in the county in which you reside." If you live in Posey County, you apply in Posey County. If neither person lives here, you will need to apply in the county where one of you lives. The clerk's office cannot issue a license to non-residents.
| Office | Posey County Clerk's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 300 Main St., Room 115, Mt. Vernon, IN 47620 |
| Clerk | Kay Kilgore |
| kay.kilgore@poseycountyin.gov | |
| Phone | (812) 838-1306 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm CST |
| Fee (Resident) | $25 |
| Fee (Out-of-State) | $65 |
How to Apply for a Posey County Marriage License
Posey County encourages couples to start the application online at courts.in.gov/marriage before coming to the courthouse. The online form lets you fill out your personal information ahead of time, which speeds things up when you arrive in person. You still have to appear at the clerk's office together to finalize the license and pay the fee. Both applicants must show valid government-issued photo identification. A driver's license, passport, or state ID card all work.
If either person was married before, bring proof that the prior marriage ended. A certified copy of a divorce decree or a death certificate works for this. Indiana law under IC 31-11 does not impose a waiting period once you apply. The license is issued the same day. It is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. If you have not married within that window, the license expires and you need to start over.
Both applicants must be at least 18 years old. No blood test is required. There is no waiting period after the license is issued.
After the Ceremony: Returning the License
One detail the Posey County Clerk's office stresses is what happens after the wedding. The completed marriage license must come back to the clerk's office after the ceremony. As the office states: "After the ceremony, the completed license MUST be returned to the Clerk's Office ASAP to enable it to be recorded." The officiant signs the license following the ceremony, and it is then the couple's or officiant's responsibility to get it back to Room 115 at 300 Main St. in Mt. Vernon.
Returning the license promptly is how the marriage gets recorded as a legal event. Until the signed license is filed with the clerk, the marriage is not officially in the county's records. Once it is filed, you can request certified copies for name changes, insurance updates, and other legal needs. The fee for certified copies in Posey County is $1 per copy plus $3 for certification. So one certified copy costs $4 total. Additional copies ordered at the same time cost $1 each.
Search Posey County Marriage Records Online
The screenshot below is from the Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup portal, the main state tool for searching Posey County marriage records by name.
The portal at public.courts.in.gov/MLPL is free and does not require any login. Search by the names of either party and filter by Posey County to narrow results.
The public lookup covers records that have been submitted to the state system through the clerk's office. Very recent licenses may take a short time to appear. For older Posey County marriage records, especially those from the 1800s and early 1900s, the Indiana Legacy Database at digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy is the place to look. The State Library's genealogy team has indexed and digitized historical county marriage records from across Indiana, including Posey County, as part of their long-running preservation efforts.
Public Access and Indiana Records Law
Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3, makes marriage records generally available to the public. You do not need a specific reason to request a marriage record from the Posey County Clerk. Anyone can ask for a copy. The difference between a plain copy and a certified copy is the official seal and signature, which makes the certified version legally valid for government agencies and courts.
The screenshot below is from the Indiana State Library's genealogy page, which provides access to digitized historical marriage records and research guides for Posey County and all Indiana counties.
The State Library is a good starting point for any Posey County genealogy research related to marriage records. Staff can help identify which collections cover this county.
Under IC 16-37-1-10, the Indiana State Department of Health maintains vital records as well, though marriage records in Indiana are primarily a county clerk function. The ISDH vital records page at in.gov/health/vital-records/marriages provides context for what the state holds versus what remains at the county level. For most Posey County records, the clerk's office or the state lookup tool is the right place to start.
Other Ways to Access Posey County Marriage Records
If you need a record that is not showing up in the online lookup, contact the clerk's office directly. In-person requests at 300 Main St., Room 115 are handled during regular business hours. You can also reach Clerk Kay Kilgore by email at kay.kilgore@poseycountyin.gov if you have questions before making the trip. Mail requests are another option. Send a written request with the names of both parties and the approximate year of marriage, along with your contact information and a check or money order for the copy fee.
For the online marriage license application portal, visit in.gov/courts/services/marriage-license. That page is run by the Indiana Supreme Court and is the official starting point for couples who want to complete their paperwork before going to the courthouse in Mt. Vernon.
Cities in Posey County
Posey County's largest community is Mount Vernon, the county seat. No cities in Posey County meet the population threshold for their own dedicated pages on this site. Residents of communities throughout the county apply for marriage licenses at the clerk's office in Mt. Vernon.