Fayette County Marriage and Divorce Records

Getting a Marriage License in Fayette County

The Fayette County Clerk's marriage license page is where all applications begin. The Clerk's office is in the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Center at 162 East Main Street, Room 132, Lexington, KY 40507. The phone is (859) 253-3344. Counter hours for license applications are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The current clerk is Susan Lamb. Both applicants must appear together at the counter. Walk-ins are accepted; no appointment is needed.

A license is valid anywhere in Kentucky. There is no waiting period and no blood test required. The license expires within 30 days if the ceremony has not taken place. Kentucky has no residency requirement, so couples from out of state may apply here. Both parties must be 18 or older. If one applicant is 17, the rules are different. A 17-year-old must first petition Family Court in the county of residence for an order granting permission to marry. At least 15 days must pass after the court order before the license application. The applicant must bring a certified copy of the court order to the counter. Because minor-marriage rules can change, the Clerk's office advises calling (859) 253-3344 for current instructions before any 17-year-old applicant proceeds.

The screenshot below comes from the Fayette County Clerk marriage license page, which lays out the full requirements including fee, identification, and the rules for solemnization.

The Clerk's page confirms the $60 fee, acceptable ID types, and the five-person solemnization rule. Keep it open when you prepare your documents.

How to Apply for a Fayette County Marriage License

Preparation matters. Both parties need to show up at the same time with matching documents. Save time at the counter by pre-filling the application through the FayetteDeeds portal before your visit. The form is available online but must still be submitted in person. Even after pre-filling online, neither party can skip the in-person appearance. Here is the full process from start to finish:

1. Visit the FayetteDeeds marriage form link online and complete the application fields in advance to speed up the counter visit.
2. Both applicants go to the County Clerk office, Room 132, 162 East Main Street, during counter hours (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).
3. Bring original government-issued ID for each applicant. Accepted forms include a driver's license, passport, REAL ID, birth certificate, or court papers showing name and date of birth. Bring multiple forms if available.
4. Pay the $60 application fee. Cash, credit card, or check (in-state personal check from the applicants only; no third-party checks) are accepted.
5. The Clerk issues the license. Use it anywhere in Kentucky. Plan your ceremony within 30 days or the license expires.
6. Hold the ceremony with an authorized officiant and two witnesses. Five people must be present: both parties, the officiant, and two witnesses. The officiant cannot also serve as a witness. Neither party can serve as the officiant.
7. Return the completed, signed license to the County Clerk within 30 days of the ceremony. Walk-in returns receive the certificate at the counter; mailed returns go to the address you designate. Order extra certified copies at that time or later online.

Note: If you plan a civil ceremony, schedule the officiant first, then pick a date to get the license, since the 30-day window starts on the issue date.

Authorized Officiants and Witnesses

Kentucky law under KRS Chapter 402 sets out who may perform a marriage ceremony in the state. Authorized officiants fall into two groups: officials of religious societies (ministers, priests, rabbis, and similar religious leaders) and government officials including Kentucky judges, justices, judge-executives, and magistrates. A notary public is not an authorized officiant in Kentucky.

For couples who want a civil ceremony in Fayette County, the Clerk's page lists the following government officials by name and contact:

• Fayette Circuit Court Judges, 120 N. Limestone, (859) 246-2133.
• Fayette District Court Judges, 150 N. Limestone, (859) 246-2247.
• Magistrate District 1, Rosalind Bryant, (859) 227-2363.
• Magistrate District 2, Lisa Moore Fath, (859) 321-3600.
• Magistrate District 3, Chrysanthia Carr-Seals, (859) 519-0639 (text/email preferred).

The County Clerk office does not perform ceremonies. The Clerk only issues and records licenses. Keep that in mind when scheduling. Set your ceremony date with an officiant first, then visit the Clerk's office close to that date so the license stays within its 30-day window.

Fayette County Marriage Record Fees

The fee schedule for marriage-related services at the Fayette County Clerk's office is straightforward. All payments go to the County Clerk, not to the courthouse or the Circuit Court. The license fee is due at the time of application and covers issuance of the original license. Certified copies come with a separate charge and can be ordered at any time after the license is recorded.

Mail requests for copies should use the printable copy request form available on the Fayette County Clerk copy request PDF. Certified copies ordered online through FayetteDeeds arrive by mail in 3-5 business days. Divorce filing fees and certified copy fees for divorce decrees are separate and paid to the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk; contact that office for the current filing fee schedule.

The copy request form below covers both land records and marriage license copies, which are processed together by the County Clerk's records team.

Use this form for any mailed certified copy request. Include the $6 check and note whether you need a marriage record copy or a land records copy so the office routes it to the right team.

Marriage License Application Fields at FayetteDeeds

The FayetteDeeds user reference describes the fields used for both the online pre-application and the marriage record search. The table below shows the search fields from that guide. When searching existing records, enter names exactly as they appeared at the time of marriage, including maiden names. The search tool will not match a maiden name to a post-marriage name, so try both if you are unsure.

Search results show the matching parties and the marriage date only. The full record is not visible online. To see the complete license, you must order a certified copy or review the original in person at the County Clerk's office. Records from mid-1989 to present are available through FayetteDeeds. Records before mid-1989 require an in-person visit or a mailed request as described in the fees section above.

Look Up Fayette County Marriage Records Online

The FayetteDeeds portal is the primary tool for searching Fayette County marriage records. It is the same system the County Clerk uses for land records and is maintained by the Fayette County Clerk's office. Access is free for search purposes. You only pay when you request a certified copy.

Coverage runs from mid-1989 to the present. Enter the name of one applicant, use the maiden name if you know it, and use the toggle to search both parties. Results show the names of both parties and the marriage date. The record itself is not shown in full, and no scanned image of the license is visible without ordering a copy. If you do not find a record, try alternate spellings and the other applicant's name before concluding the record is missing.

For records predating mid-1989, the County Clerk also maintains historical marriage records as far back as 1794. These are part of the county's genealogical collection. Pre-1989 requests go through an in-person visit to Room 132 or a mailed request using the copy request form. The Clerk's genealogy collection includes not only marriage licenses but also early county records that go back before Kentucky statehood.

Note: FayetteDeeds covers only the Fayette County Clerk's recorded marriage licenses. Court-ordered name changes and other family-law documents are held by the Circuit Court Clerk, not the County Clerk.

Fayette County Divorce Records Through Family Court

Divorce and dissolution of marriage in Kentucky are Family Court matters. Family Court is a division of the Fayette Circuit Court. Because the case goes through the circuit court system, the case file is held by the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk, not the County Clerk. This is the single most common point of confusion when people look for Fayette County divorce records. Do not call the County Clerk at (859) 253-3344 for a divorce decree. The County Clerk has no role in divorce cases.

Kentucky is a no-fault divorce state. A marriage can be dissolved on the ground of irretrievable breakdown, meaning neither spouse is required to prove fault. A petition for dissolution of marriage is filed in Fayette Family Court through the Circuit Court Clerk's Family Court division. The courthouse is the Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse at 120 N. Limestone Street. The Circuit Court Clerk's Appeals and Records Division, Suite C-33, is the office that processes copies of case documents and decrees after the case closes.

To get a certified copy of a divorce decree, contact the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk. Provide the case number, the names of the parties, and the approximate year of the final decree. If you do not have a case number, the clerk can search by name. Certified copies of court orders carry the court's seal and signature. Uncertified copies are generally not accepted by agencies such as Social Security, passport offices, or financial institutions. Always request a certified copy for legal or government use.

The screenshot below is from the KRS Chapter 402 statutes page on the Kentucky Legislature's official site, which governs marriage formation and dissolution in Kentucky.

KRS Chapter 402 covers who may marry, who may solemnize a marriage, license requirements, and the recording process that the Fayette County Clerk follows after a ceremony.

Self-Help Divorce Resources at the Fayette Legal Help Center

The Fayette County Legal Help Center opened in March 2022 as Kentucky's first legal help center. It is inside the Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse Law Library at Room CB02A, 120 N. Limestone, Lexington, KY 40507. Hours are Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET. Staff do not give legal advice but help patrons find and complete the right forms for their situation.

The guided interview program covers several family-law topics that come up in dissolution cases. Available guided interviews include dissolution of marriage with no minor children, motion to modify child support, fee waiver petition, and affidavit of indigency. A guided interview walks you through a set of questions and generates the paperwork at the end. This is not the same as legal representation, but it is a free, reliable starting point for people handling their own case.

For people who want to start before Thursday, the Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms library and kyjustice.org both provide civil legal topic information, family law forms, and eligibility screening for legal aid programs. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass is a key partner of the Legal Help Center and provides low-income civil legal services in the region. If your case involves minor children, property division, or a contested separation, an attorney review is worth the effort before filing, since those factors add complexity beyond what the self-help tools cover.

Step-by-step dissolution process in Fayette County:

1. Gather self-help forms from the Kentucky Court of Justice, kyjustice.org, or the Fayette Legal Help Center (Thursdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.).
2. Decide whether the case involves minor children, child support, custody, or property. Those factors affect which forms apply and what hearings the court will require.
3. File the dissolution petition with the Fayette Family Court through the Circuit Court Clerk at the Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse, 120 N. Limestone.
4. Pay the filing fee to the Circuit Court Clerk, or file a fee waiver and affidavit of indigency if you meet the income requirements.
5. Serve the other party as required, unless a waiver or entry of appearance is filed.
6. Attend all required hearings, mediation sessions, or parenting classes ordered by the court.
7. After the decree is entered, request certified copies of the final order from the Circuit Court Clerk's Appeals and Records Division, Suite C-33.

Getting Certified Copies of Marriage and Divorce Records

Certified copies of marriage records come from the Fayette County Clerk. Certified copies of divorce decrees come from the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk. The two offices are separate and do not cross-process each other's records. Getting the right copy means knowing which document you need and which office holds it.

For a certified marriage copy, three channels are available. The fastest is online through FayetteDeeds, where the $5 fee is paid by credit card and the certified copy mails within 3-5 business days. In person at Room 132, you can request a copy at the counter for $5 and may receive it the same day. By mail, use the copy request form, enclose a $6 check (which covers the record fee plus $1 postage), and mail it to the Fayette County Clerk, 162 East Main Street, Lexington, KY 40507.

For a certified divorce decree, contact the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk directly. Have the case number or the parties' names and the year the divorce was finalized. The Circuit Court Clerk's office handles copy fees and turnaround times independently from the County Clerk. If the case is older and no longer in active storage at the courthouse, the clerk can tell you whether the file has moved to the State Records Center or the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

Related Fayette County Records

Marriage and divorce records connect to several other record types in Fayette County. After a death, the surviving spouse's portion of an estate goes through probate. Those proceedings are handled by the Probate Division of Fayette District Court, and historical wills recorded by the County Clerk go back to 1794. For estate and inheritance matters, see Fayette County probate records.

The County Clerk's office handles more than just marriage records. Land records, recorded liens, business filings, and voter registration are all County Clerk functions. For an overview of everything the office maintains, visit the Fayette County Clerk page. For broader access to court filings across civil, criminal, and family divisions, the Circuit Court Clerk is the right starting point. A full look at what is public in Fayette County, including open records request procedures under KRS Chapter 61, is on the public records page. Common questions about how to find specific records or which office to contact are answered on the FAQ page.