Shelby County Marriage Records
Shelby County marriage records are kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Shelbyville, Indiana. The clerk's office handles all marriage license applications for the county, stores completed license records, and responds to requests for copies of Shelby County marriage records going back decades.
Shelby County Marriage Records Quick Facts
Shelby County Clerk's Office
The Shelby County Clerk of the Circuit Court is located at the Shelby County Courthouse in Shelbyville. Clerk Jill Lacy leads the office. You can reach the clerk by phone at 317-392-6320. Standard office hours run Monday through Friday. This is the office that accepts all marriage license applications and stores completed Shelby County marriage license records.
Indiana's statewide online application portal is available for Shelby County applicants at in.gov/courts/services/marriage-license. The state strongly encourages applicants to complete the online portion before coming in. This cuts down on time at the counter and helps make sure you have all required documents ready when you arrive in Shelbyville. Both applicants still must appear in person to finalize the license.
The Shelby County Courthouse sits at the center of Shelbyville. Parking is available near the courthouse. The clerk's marriage records staff can answer questions about documents needed, fees, and pickup procedures.
| Office | Shelby County Clerk of the Circuit Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Jill Lacy |
| Phone | 317-392-6320 |
| Location | Shelby County Courthouse, Shelbyville, IN |
| Hours | Monday through Friday |
| Resident Fee | $25 |
| Out-of-State Fee | $65 |
How to Get a Marriage License in Shelby County
At least one applicant must live in Shelby County to apply at this office. Both people must be 18 years of age or older. Bring a valid photo ID such as a driver's license or state-issued ID card. A certified birth certificate is also acceptable if it shows your full name and date of birth. If either person was previously married, have information ready on how that marriage ended, whether by divorce, annulment, or the death of a former spouse.
Indiana law under Indiana Code 31-11 governs marriage licenses across the state. Key points: there is no waiting period between when you apply and when you can marry, the license is good for 60 days from the date it is issued, and the signed license must be returned to the clerk within 30 days after the ceremony. Out-of-county or out-of-state residents pay $65. Indiana residents of Shelby County pay $25.
Applicants who are 16 or 17 years old need a court order before the clerk can issue a license. Anyone younger than 16 cannot get a marriage license in Indiana. Call the clerk's office at 317-392-6320 to ask about this process before making the trip to Shelbyville.
No blood test is required in Indiana. Once you pay the fee and both applicants sign, the license is issued the same day. You can start the online pre-application at in.gov/courts/services/marriage-license to speed things up.
Search Shelby County Marriage Records Online
The Indiana Courts Marriage License Public Lookup is the main online tool for finding Shelby County marriage records. The database at public.courts.in.gov/MLPL covers licenses issued from 1993 forward. No account is needed. Search by name or by date range. Results list the names on the license and the date it was issued by the Shelby County Clerk.
The screenshot below shows the Marriage License Public Lookup tool, which is maintained by the Indiana Courts and is the primary source for searching Shelby County marriage records issued since 1993.
The Marriage License Public Lookup at public.courts.in.gov/MLPL is free to use and gives real-time access to Shelby County marriage records from across the statewide database.
For older Shelby County marriage records that predate 1993, the online lookup will not help. You will need to contact the clerk's office directly at 317-392-6320 or check historical collections through the Indiana State Library. The Legacy Database at digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy covers many older Indiana marriage records including Shelby County entries going back into the 1800s. This is the best free online resource for genealogy research into historic Shelby County marriages.
Shelby County Marriage Records and Public Records Law
Marriage records maintained by the Shelby County Clerk are public documents under Indiana Code 5-14-3, the Access to Public Records Act. This means anyone can request to view or get copies of Shelby County marriage records, subject to any privacy protections the law allows. Vital records law under Indiana Code 16-37-1-10 may restrict certain details in newer records depending on who is asking and why.
Certified copies of Shelby County marriage records can be obtained from the clerk's office. The Indiana Department of Health at in.gov/health/vital-records/marriages handles state-level certified copy requests for a fee of $8 per search. The Indiana Courts public records page at in.gov/courts/public-records provides broader guidance on how to request court records statewide.
If you have questions about records access or believe a request has been denied improperly, Indiana Legal Help at indianalegalhelp.org offers free guidance on public records matters for Indiana residents.
Indiana State Library and Historical Marriage Records
The Indiana State Library's genealogy division holds one of the strongest collections of historical Shelby County marriage records in the state. The library serves researchers who need records that predate modern electronic systems. You can access some materials online through the Legacy Database and the library's genealogy portal at in.gov/library/genealogy.htm.
The Indiana State Library's genealogy collection includes microfilm, printed indexes, and digital records that support research into historical Shelby County marriage records stretching back to the county's founding in 1822.
FamilySearch and Ancestry also hold indexed collections of older Indiana marriage records. Many early Shelby County marriages have been digitized and are searchable online at no cost through FamilySearch. Local historical and genealogical societies in Shelbyville may hold additional indexes or transcriptions of Shelby County marriage records from the 1800s and early 1900s.
The Indiana Archives at in.gov/iara stores older vital records and can assist with requests for historic Shelby County marriage documents. Contact them directly if the clerk's office does not hold the older record you need.
Requesting Copies of Shelby County Marriage Records
If you need a certified copy of a Shelby County marriage record, start with the Shelby County Clerk at 317-392-6320. Certified copies are often needed for legal purposes such as name changes, insurance claims, and immigration paperwork. The clerk can tell you the current fee for copies and whether you can request them by mail or must come in person.
State-level certified copies go through the Indiana Department of Health's Vital Records office. The ISDH charges an $8 search fee. Their process is explained at in.gov/health/vital-records/marriages. Turnaround times vary. For urgent needs, contacting the county clerk directly is usually faster than going through the state office.
Cities and Towns in Shelby County
Shelbyville is the county seat and the largest city in Shelby County. Other communities in the county include Morristown, Waldron, and Fountaintown. No city in Shelby County has a population over 100,000. All residents of these towns apply for marriage licenses and access Shelby County marriage records through the clerk's office in Shelbyville.
Nearby Indiana Counties
These counties border Shelby County. Each has its own Circuit Court Clerk who manages marriage license applications and marriage record storage for that county.