Find a Clatsop County Marriage License

The Clatsop County Clerk in Astoria, Oregon handles all marriage license services for the county. Clatsop County sits on the northern Oregon coast where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. The clerk office issues new marriage licenses and keeps filed records on hand. Public terminals at the office let you search records from 1995 to present. If you need a marriage license or want to look up a past marriage record in Clatsop County, the clerk office at 820 Exchange St is your best resource. Call 503-325-8511 to learn more.

Clatsop County Clerk Office

Marriage license services in Clatsop County run out of the clerk office at 820 Exchange St, Suite 220, in Astoria. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. Staff issue new marriage licenses and help people find old records. The phone number is 503-325-8511. You can also email clerk@ClatsopCounty.gov with questions about marriage license services in Clatsop County.

The Clatsop County Clerk also performs wedding ceremonies. If you need someone to officiate, ask the clerk when you pick up your license. The office keeps a list of other local officiants as well. This is a nice option for couples who want a simple ceremony in Clatsop County without the need to find an outside officiant.

Visit the Clatsop County Clerk page for current details on office hours and services.

The image above is from the official Clatsop County Clerk web page. It shows services offered by the office including marriage license processing.

Get a Marriage License in Clatsop County

To get a marriage license in Clatsop County, both people must visit the clerk office together. Bring valid photo ID and your Social Security number. The fee is $60, and you can pay with cash, check, or money order. A fee waiver of $10 is on hand for those who qualify under Oregon law.

Once you pay and sign the forms, the Clatsop County Clerk issues your marriage license. A three-day waiting period starts right then. Oregon law under ORS 106.077 mandates this wait. After three days pass, the license becomes active. You have 60 days to use it. If you do not hold your ceremony in that time, the license expires and you must start over in Clatsop County or any other Oregon county.

Under ORS 106.041, the clerk must confirm both parties are of legal age and not already married to someone else. Bring a divorce decree or death certificate if a prior marriage ended. The Clatsop County Clerk will verify all of your documents at the time of your visit.

Note: The Clatsop County Clerk can waive the waiting period only with a court order.

Clatsop County Marriage Record Search

The Clatsop County Clerk office has public terminals where you can look up records from 1995 to present. These are on-site computer stations. You can search by name and find marriage records filed in Clatsop County. The terminals are free to use during office hours. Staff can help if you have trouble with the system.

For records older than 1995, you may need to ask the staff to search by hand. Older Clatsop County marriage records may be in paper ledgers or microfilm. The staff will do their best to find what you need. You can also try the Oregon Health Authority for statewide records. Visit the Oregon Vital Records page for details on ordering certified copies of marriage records from any Oregon county.

Clatsop County Official Website

The main Clatsop County website is a good starting point for county services. It links to every department, including the clerk office that handles marriage licenses. Check the Clatsop County site for contact info and directions to the courthouse in Astoria.

This shows the main page of the Clatsop County website. From here you can reach the clerk office and other departments that serve the public.

After Your Clatsop County Wedding

The person who performs your ceremony must sign the marriage license. They then return it to the Clatsop County Clerk within 10 days. Under ORS 106.120, this is the officiant's duty. Once the clerk receives the completed license, it is recorded as a permanent public document in Clatsop County.

You can request certified copies of your Clatsop County marriage record after the license is filed. These copies work as legal proof of marriage. Many agencies and businesses ask for a certified copy when you change your name or update records. The Clatsop County Clerk charges a small fee for each copy.

If you need copies later and cannot visit Astoria, you have other options. VitalChek lets you order Oregon marriage certificates online. The state vital records office in Portland also takes mail requests. Either way, Clatsop County marriage records are part of the state system and can be reached from multiple sources.

Oregon Marriage License Rules

All Oregon counties follow the same core rules for marriage licenses. ORS Chapter 106 sets these standards. No blood test is needed. No residency is required. Both people must be 18 or older per ORS 106.010. A license from Clatsop County can be used in any Oregon county under ORS 106.150.

The ACLU Oregon guide is a helpful resource if you want a plain-language overview of the marriage license process. It covers Clatsop County and every other county in the state. The guide explains what you need, what the fees look like, and how the process works from start to finish.

Note: Oregon does not recognize common law marriage, so a marriage license from Clatsop County or another county is the only way to legally marry in the state.