Union County Marriage Records
Union County marriage records are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Liberty, Indiana, the county seat of one of Indiana's smallest counties. Situated in the southeastern corner of the state where Indiana meets Ohio, Union County's clerk's office handles all marriage license applications for the county and stores official Union County marriage records available to the public.
Union County Marriage Records Quick Facts
Union County Clerk's Office
Clerk Susan Ray leads the Union County Clerk of the Circuit Court in Liberty. The office is located at the Union County Courthouse in the small city of Liberty. Office hours are Monday through Friday. Union County is one of Indiana's smallest counties by both area and population. The clerk's office serves all residents of the county for marriage license applications and Union County marriage record requests.
Indiana's online pre-application for marriage licenses is available at in.gov/courts/services/marriage-license. Starting the online form before you drive to Liberty can help speed up the process at the clerk's counter. Both applicants must appear in person at the Union County Courthouse to sign the license and complete the application. The clerk will collect the fee and verify identity documents at that time.
Because Union County is small, call the clerk's office ahead of your visit to confirm hours, fee payment options, and what documents are required. The courthouse in Liberty is the only location in Union County for marriage license applications and Union County marriage record access.
| Office | Union County Clerk of the Circuit Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Susan Ray |
| Location | Union County Courthouse, Liberty, IN |
| Hours | Monday through Friday |
| Resident Fee | $25 |
| Out-of-State Fee | $65 |
Applying for a Marriage License in Union County
At least one applicant must live in Union County. Both parties must come in person to the clerk's office in Liberty. Bring a valid photo ID such as a driver's license or state-issued ID card. A certified birth certificate showing your name and date of birth is also acceptable. Both applicants must be at least 18 years old to apply without a court order.
Indiana Code IC 31-11 sets the statewide rules for marriage licenses. Indiana has no waiting period. The license can be used the same day it is issued. It stays valid for 60 days. The signed and completed license must be returned to the Union County Clerk within 30 days after the ceremony. No blood test is needed. Indiana residents pay $25. Out-of-state applicants pay $65.
Union County sits on Indiana's eastern border with Ohio. If one applicant lives in Ohio, the out-of-state fee of $65 applies. Verify residency status with the clerk before your visit to Liberty so there are no surprises at the counter.
If either applicant was previously married, the clerk will ask for the date that marriage ended and how it ended, whether by death, divorce, or annulment. Have that information ready. For applicants who are 16 or 17, a court order is required. No one under 16 can get a marriage license in Indiana.
Search Union County Marriage Records Online
The Indiana Courts Marriage License Public Lookup at public.courts.in.gov/MLPL is the primary free tool for finding Union County marriage records from 1993 forward. No account is required. Search by name, county, or date to find who received a license and when the Union County Clerk issued it.
The image below shows the Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup, the statewide tool for searching Union County marriage records and marriage licenses from all Indiana counties dating back to 1993.
The Marriage License Public Lookup at public.courts.in.gov/MLPL covers Union County marriage records from the statewide database maintained by Indiana Courts and is free to use without registration.
For Union County marriage records that predate 1993, the online lookup will not have them. Contact the clerk in Liberty for older records. Historical Union County marriage records are also available through the Indiana State Library's Legacy Database at digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy. The Indiana Archives at in.gov/iara holds older vital records that may include historical Union County marriage documents for genealogy research.
Union County Marriage Records and Indiana Law
Marriage records at the Union County Clerk's office are public documents under Indiana Code 5-14-3, Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. Anyone may request to view or copy Union County marriage records. The vital records statute at Indiana Code 16-37-1-10 may limit access to certain personal details in more recent records depending on who is requesting and how old the document is.
Certified copies of Union County marriage records are available from the clerk in Liberty. The Indiana Department of Health at in.gov/health/vital-records/marriages handles state-level certified copy requests for an $8 search fee. The Indiana Courts records page at in.gov/courts/public-records provides statewide guidance on court record requests. Indiana Legal Help at indianalegalhelp.org offers free guidance if you have questions about accessing Union County marriage records.
Historical Union County Marriage Records
Union County was established in 1821. It is one of Indiana's oldest and smallest counties. Marriage records from the county's early years are preserved in state archives and genealogy collections. FamilySearch has indexed many older Union County marriages online at no cost. Ancestry holds Indiana marriage collections that include Union County records from the 1800s and early 1900s. Because Union County is small, the historical record base is more manageable than in larger counties, making genealogy research through this area more straightforward.
The Indiana Legacy Database at digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy indexes historical Union County marriage records from courthouse books and vital records collections, providing free online access to older Indiana marriage data.
The Indiana State Library's genealogy resources at in.gov/library/genealogy.htm are available to researchers who need older Union County marriage records from before the digital era. Local historical societies in Liberty and Union County may hold printed transcriptions or indexes of early courthouse marriage records that are not available online. Contact them directly to see what years of Union County marriage records they have indexed.
Cities and Towns in Union County
Liberty is the county seat and largest community in Union County. The county is one of the smallest in Indiana with few incorporated towns. No community in Union County has a population over 100,000. All Union County residents apply for marriage licenses and access Union County marriage records through the clerk's office at the courthouse in Liberty.
Nearby Indiana Counties
These counties border Union County in southeastern Indiana. Each county has its own clerk who handles marriage license applications and marriage record storage.