Linn County Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses are issued by the Linn County Clerk, not by the Circuit Court. The Clerk's Office is at 421 Water Ave NE, Suite 1300, PO Box 100, Albany, OR 97321. The marriage-license phone is 541-967-3831. Public instructions place license issuance during weekday office hours, but the captured official pages differ slightly on the exact start time, so applicants should complete the first portion online and confirm current issuance hours before going in person.
Both parties must be present with valid picture ID. Linn County does not issue marriage licenses to anyone under 18. The license is valid anywhere in Oregon after the three-day waiting period and remains valid for 60 days. If it is not used within 60 days, the parties must reapply and pay again. A judge may sign a waiver for just cause, and the Linn County Clerk can sign a waiver for military personnel.
The Clerk's move to the Wheelhouse office is a practical detail for record access. Marriage, domestic partnership, election, and recording services are no longer handled from the courthouse counter. That separation helps avoid a common mistake: divorce judgments and court case copies go to Circuit Court, while marriage license issuance and certified marriage-record questions go to the Linn County Clerk. The office lists election, marriage, and domestic partnership contact through 541-967-3831.
The ORS Chapter 106 marriage law is the state law source for Oregon marriage licensing.
State marriage law sets the framework, while the Linn County Clerk applies the local application and issuance process.
Apply for Linn County Marriage Records
The Clerk's official process starts online and finishes in person. Because the county clerk moved out of the courthouse to the Wheelhouse office, marriage applicants should not go to the Circuit Court counter by habit. Bring cash, valid ID, and the required parent and name information. Court judges can be contacted directly about ceremony scheduling through 541-967-3848.
- Complete the first portion of the Linn County Clerk marriage application process online.
- Confirm current issuance hours, then appear together at the Clerk's Office at 421 Water Ave NE, Suite 1300.
- Bring valid picture ID for each party and be ready to provide parent names, parent birthplaces, and mothers' maiden names.
- Pay the $50 license fee in cash, because checks, credit cards, and debit cards are not accepted.
- Wait three days unless a waiver applies, then marry within 60 days anywhere in Oregon.
- Return or record the completed license as directed so the official marriage record can be completed.
Linn County Marriage Application Fields
The marriage application field set is practical and identity-focused. Each party must provide legal identity information and decide the legal name to use after marriage. That name choice matters because Linn County states that the name cannot be updated or changed after filing without a court order. The county also requires parent data for both parties, including parent names, places of birth, and mothers' maiden names.
| Field / Requirement | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party A legal identity | Text / ID | Yes | Valid photo ID required in person. |
| Party B legal identity | Text / ID | Yes | Valid photo ID required in person. |
| Parent names | Text | Yes | Required for both parties. |
| Parent places of birth | Text | Yes | Required for both parties. |
| Mother's maiden name | Text | Yes | Required for both parties. |
| Legal name after marriage | Text | Yes | Cannot be changed after filing without court order. |
| Fee payment | Cash | Yes | $50 cash only. |
Linn County Marriage and Divorce Fees
The marriage license fee is paid to the Linn County Clerk at issuance. Divorce judgment copies are requested from the Circuit Court record custodian, so court copy fees apply to divorce case documents. The research set provides copy fees for Circuit Court case records and the marriage license fee, but it does not provide a separate certified marriage-copy fee amount or a divorce filing fee amount. Those should be confirmed with the office before payment.
| Item | Amount / Rule | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license | $50 cash only; no checks, credit cards, or debit cards | Linn County Clerk |
| Circuit Court paper copies | $3 per case plus $0.25 per page | Linn County Circuit Court |
| Circuit Court certified copy | $5 per document plus $0.25 per page | Linn County Circuit Court |
| Circuit Court exemplified copy | $10 per document plus $0.25 per page | Linn County Circuit Court |
| Emailed court copies | $3 per case | Linn County Circuit Court |
| Email audio | $10 | Linn County Circuit Court |
Linn County Marriage Requirements
Linn County's requirements page states that no blood test or physical is required. A license will not be issued to anyone with a current living spouse or to couples who are first cousins or more closely related. Both parties must be 18 or older. Each party must appear with valid picture ID and provide the required family and name information. The license can be used anywhere in Oregon, which means a Linn County license does not require a Linn County ceremony.
Applicants should keep the waiting period and expiration date in mind. If a license is issued Monday, it becomes valid Thursday unless a waiver applies. The 60-day validity period is firm enough that unused licenses require a new application and a new fee. That timing matters for travel, ceremonies outside the county, and judge availability.
Oregon also requires applicants to identify the legal name each person will use after marriage. Linn County's official instructions warn that the name cannot be updated or changed after filing without a court order. That makes the application step more than a clerical detail. Review spelling, parent information, and name-after-marriage choices before issuance, especially when the record will later be used for identification, benefits, or other certified-copy needs.
Note: Confirm current issuance hours before visiting because official Linn County pages show slightly different public start times.
Linn County Divorce Records
Divorce records and divorce cases are Circuit Court records. Oregon divorce, separation, and annulment law is in ORS Chapter 107. Divorce filings, custody, child support, parenting time, restraining-order issues, and final judgments use Circuit Court and Oregon Judicial Department forms or attorney-prepared pleadings. The Linn County Clerk marriage counter does not keep the court divorce file.
ORS Chapter 107 is the state-law anchor for divorce, while Linn County Circuit Court is the local court record custodian.
Search for basic public divorce case information through the OJD free records search when the case is public. Use OJCIN if subscription Register of Actions access is needed. For actual documents, certified divorce judgments, or older files, use the Linn Circuit Court public terminal or copy request process. Confidential personal information, child-related details, restraining-order safety information, and sealed portions may be restricted or redacted.
A divorce case may show docket events, filings, hearings, orders, and final judgment entries, but the public online register does not provide every document image. Linn Circuit Court copy requests should identify the case number and the specific judgment, order, or hearing date requested. Court staff quote copy or audio fees by phone or email, and payment is due before the record is released.
Certified Linn County Divorce Copies
A certified divorce judgment should be requested from the court record custodian, not from the marriage license counter. Linn County Circuit Court records requests require enough information to identify the case, such as a case number, party names, document names, or hearing dates when audio is sought. Staff notify the requester of fees by phone or email, and payment is due before release. Certified copies may be needed for name restoration, benefits, remarriage proof, or legal filing in another case.
Marriage certified-copy questions route to the Linn County Clerk because marriage licenses are county clerk records. Divorce judgment questions route to Linn County Circuit Court. Probate or estate questions after a spouse dies may involve the Probate Department of Linn County Circuit Court, but that is a separate record type from marriage and divorce.