Jay County Marriage License Search

Jay County marriage licenses are issued at the Circuit and Superior Court Clerk's Office in Portland, Indiana. This page covers everything you need to apply for a Jay County marriage license, including who to contact, what to bring, what to pay, and how to look up existing records in Indiana's court system.

Jay County Clerk of the Circuit and Superior Court

Missy Elliott serves as the Clerk of Jay Circuit and Superior Court. Her office is at the Jay County Courthouse, 120 N Court Street #2, Portland, IN 47371. The main phone line for the clerk's office is (260) 726-4951. The fax number is (260) 726-6922. For direct questions, you can also reach the office by email at melliott@jaycounty.in.gov.

The Jay County Clerk's Office has a team of deputy clerks who handle day-to-day operations including marriage license applications. Denise Culy is the First Deputy and can be reached at (260) 726-6921. Other staff include Kylee Garringer at (260) 726-6918, Kristen Miller at (260) 726-6916, Lorrie Younger at (260) 726-6917 for election and marriage matters, and an additional line at (260) 726-6919. If you have a question that is specific to marriage licenses, any of these staff members can help direct you.

The county's marriage license information is also available through the county website at jaycounty.net. The Jay County Courthouse in Portland is a working courthouse, so expect security screening at the entrance when you visit.

Applying for a Jay County Marriage License

Both applicants must appear together in person to get a Jay County marriage license. This is required under Indiana Code IC 31-11-4-3. The clerk will not issue a license if only one person shows up, regardless of the reason the other cannot come. Both people must be physically present at the same time at the Portland courthouse.

Before visiting, use the Indiana Judicial Branch's online pre-application at courts.in.gov/marriage. This allows you to enter your personal information in advance. When you arrive, the clerk already has some of your data on file, which speeds up the process. You still need to bring your original documents for verification, but the overall visit tends to go faster when you have done the pre-application first.

Once the clerk verifies your documents and collects the fee, the Jay County marriage license is issued. Indiana has no waiting period between issuance and the ceremony. Under IC 31-11-4-10, the license remains valid for 60 days from the date it is issued. If your wedding is more than 60 days out, wait to apply until you are closer to the date.

Note: Contact the Jay County Clerk's Office at (260) 726-4951 to confirm current office hours and whether appointments are needed before making the drive to Portland.

What You Need for a Jay County Marriage License

Both applicants must present valid identification at the Jay County Clerk's Office. A driver's license or state-issued ID is the most common option. A passport is also accepted. The ID must show your legal name and date of birth. Bring your Social Security Number as well. You do not need the card itself, but the number is required under Indiana law as part of the marriage license application. The clerk will record it in the application file.

Age is verified at the time of application. Both applicants must be 18 or older under IC 31-11-1-4. Those who are 16 or 17 need parental consent. Anyone under 16 cannot marry in Indiana regardless of consent. The Jay County Clerk will check the ages shown on the identification documents you bring. If there is any question about age, additional documentation may be requested.

Prior marriages must be disclosed. Under IC 31-11-4-1, Indiana does not allow a person to marry while still legally married to someone else. If either applicant has been married before, bring documentation showing that the previous marriage ended. A certified divorce decree or death certificate works. Both applicants are also required under IC 31-11-4-18 to affirm there is no legal reason they cannot marry. The clerk will record this affirmation at the time of the application.

Jay County Marriage License Fees

Indiana residents pay $25.00 for a Jay County marriage license. Out-of-state residents pay $65.00. The resident rate applies when at least one applicant lives in Indiana. If neither applicant has an Indiana address, the higher rate applies. Confirm the accepted payment methods with the Jay County Clerk's Office when you call to verify hours, since not all Indiana county clerks accept the same forms of payment.

The Indiana courts pre-application portal at courts.in.gov/marriage covers the steps Jay County couples take before their visit.

The image above shows the Indiana Judicial Branch courts marriage license information page. This is where Jay County couples complete their online pre-application before visiting the Portland courthouse.

Certified copies of Jay County marriage license records are available from the clerk's office. The fee is typically a few dollars per copy. Most agencies that require proof of marriage want a certified copy with an official seal, not a plain photocopy. Getting at least one certified copy when you pick up your license saves you from having to return to Portland later. For remote orders, VitalChek handles Indiana vital records online with a service fee added.

Search Jay County Marriage Records

Jay County marriage license records from 1993 to the present can be searched for free at the Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup: public.courts.in.gov/MLPL. This statewide tool covers all Indiana counties. Enter the first and last name of either party to search. Results show the names of both parties, the issuing county, and the date of issue. No login or fee is required to search this tool.

For Jay County records before 1993, contact the clerk's office directly by phone at (260) 726-4951 or email at melliott@jaycounty.in.gov. Staff can search older paper records by name or approximate date. The Indiana State Library's historical archive at digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy may have digitized older Jay County marriage records as well. The Indiana State Department of Health at in.gov/health/vital-records/marriages is another resource for statewide vital records searches. Court-related marriage records in Jay County can be searched through the Indiana MyCase portal at mycase.in.gov.

After Your Jay County License Is Issued

The person who officiates your ceremony must return the signed Jay County marriage license to the clerk's office within 30 days of the wedding date. This requirement comes from IC 31-11-4-11. The couple is not responsible for filing the license. That is the officiant's job. Make sure your officiant is aware of this before the ceremony so the completed license reaches the Jay County Courthouse in Portland without delay.

The officiant must be legally authorized under Indiana law. IC 31-11-6-1 covers authorized officiants, including judges, magistrates, and ordained ministers. Once the signed license is returned and recorded by the Jay County Clerk, the marriage becomes a permanent public record under IC 31-11-11-1. Certified copies of the completed record are available from the clerk's office in Portland and from the Indiana State Department of Health's vital records division.

Cities in Jay County

Jay County includes the city of Portland and smaller communities like Dunkirk, Pennville, and Bryant. All marriage license applications for residents of Jay County go through the Clerk's Office at the Jay County Courthouse in Portland. No cities in Jay County meet the 25,000-population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Jay County is in eastern Indiana near the Ohio border. The surrounding counties each have their own marriage license process through their county clerk's office.