i've been looking up requirements for obtaining a marriage license for the state of ohio using our county's official marriage license department website, however, some things differ depending on other websites.
perhaps someone who knows more about this can clear it up.
1) since i will not be 18 by the time we go to apply for our marriage license, the website states that we'll need proof of marriage counseling. however, on other websites they state that the judge MAY require us to have marriage counseling before getting married.
i guess my question is, which one would it most likely be?
i'm two months shy of my 18th birthday (october 11th). the reason we'd like to get married this august is because it's our 4 year anniversary and the date is special for us.
ultimately i know it's the judges decision, so if no one can provide information about that i fully understand.
2) on the county website it lists the required identification we'd need (which the gentleman and i have). things like a state ID, our social security numbers, etc. however, on other websites they mention both parties having their birth certificates. which, the gentleman doesn't have his because the MIL wanted to hold onto it when he moved out.
is the birth certificate required or does that just depend on the county we're at? the only problem i have with the birth certificate being needed is that the MIL won't easily give it to us (especially if she knows he needs it to get married). and being that the gentleman is 18, does she have a choice but to give him what is rightfully his if we ask for it?
by the way, the other websites were reliable government websites as well. that's why it's so hard for me to determine what all we need.
i'm asking these questions because i want to show up at the court fully prepared. i know what we need from being online, but i don't want any surprises or "oh, this is what you need as well!" when we show up.
perhaps someone who has already been through this, who knows how the system works, and who can give me a little more information can help.
it might be worth simply calling the courthouse and asking someone there...i would give most validity to the actual county website...but if there are conflicting websites attached to the county, i would simply call and ask them...
and like she said, since he is 18 he can just request a copy of his birth certificate for a small fee...it may take time to process the request though, so be prepared to wait a bit for that...
in my understanding, if you are a minor (under 18) it requires a parental consent for marriage OR you have to be an emancipated minor....but i have only a little knowledge on that and i'm sure it varies state to state, county to county
ETA: also when you apply for the marriage license, at least up here, there is a 5-day waiting period before you can pick it up...so when we married, we applied and paid the fee, waited 5 days, then picked up the license on a friday and our ceremony was held on that saturday
Last edited by alaskanlaughter; 07-15-2012 at 02:54 PM.
The copy you get from the county is a certified copy. As you go through life you may be required to show a birth cetifiicate several times. Getting a certified copy should be no big deal. Go to the court house Or call maybe even email tell them what you want , In my case they only asked my birth name and the date of my birth and a copy was mailed to me.
I would rely on the county website, or a phone call to the county, to determine what is required. If you can be required to show proof of marriage counseling, I'd suggest having that. You may not need it, but Murphy's Law says that if you don't have it, the judge will ask for it, so you might as well get it lined up and taken care of.
Birth certificates are required, and you can obtain those in the counties you were born in by contacting the County Clerk.
it might be worth simply calling the courthouse and asking someone there...i would give most validity to the actual county website...but if there are conflicting websites attached to the county, i would simply call and ask them...
and like she said, since he is 18 he can just request a copy of his birth certificate for a small fee...it may take time to process the request though, so be prepared to wait a bit for that...
in my understanding, if you are a minor (under 18) it requires a parental consent for marriage OR you have to be an emancipated minor....but i have only a little knowledge on that and i'm sure it varies state to state, county to county
ETA: also when you apply for the marriage license, at least up here, there is a 5-day waiting period before you can pick it up...so when we married, we applied and paid the fee, waited 5 days, then picked up the license on a friday and our ceremony was held on that saturday
i have parents consent, and thankfully there's no waiting period for the state of ohio.
i think the best thing to do is contact the court itself. i knew i'd have to if it came to it. thanks.
The copy you get from the county is a certified copy. As you go through life you may be required to show a birth cetifiicate several times. Getting a certified copy should be no big deal. Go to the court house Or call maybe even email tell them what you want , In my case they only asked my birth name and the date of my birth and a copy was mailed to me.
oh, great! if the copy can be mailed that makes it so much easier (wish i would have read this before replying to the last post )
Ciao, in some staes you can do the whole thing by internet, I don't know about New York, I would start by calling the County Courthouse , sometimes called Hall Of Records,tell them you need a certified copy, etc. They will tell you exactly what to do. Different counties/ states have different procedures. I got mine from Minnesota sent to California in a few days. I have done this 3 times, it was very easy. Just call and ask the procedure, they handle these calls all the time.
I live in Ohio, and all DH and I did was go down to the courthouse with our licenses and we were good to go. We were both in our 20's, but other than that, they didn't much care, except want the money. I think I have heard about the under 18 rules, but I never heard the counseling part - just that you might need parental permission.
He may as well take the opportunity to get a new birth cert if MIL is holding it hostage. That way, she can't decide when and if he needs it, he'll have it himself.
I live in Ohio, and all DH and I did was go down to the courthouse with our licenses and we were good to go. We were both in our 20's, but other than that, they didn't much care, except want the money. I think I have heard about the under 18 rules, but I never heard the counseling part - just that you might need parental permission.
Good luck!
haha, i wish it were that easy. but since i'm under 18 it's a bit more difficult.
what to expect when you're...
)
