Getting a Marriage License in Hardin County
Marriage licenses are issued by the Hardin County Clerk, not the Circuit Court Clerk. The County Clerk is Brian D. Smith, and the office is located at 150 N. Provident Way, Suite 103, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. The phone number is 270-765-2171. The posted main office hours are Monday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The County Clerk recording page lists the marriage license, affidavit, or court order fee as $60, nonrefundable, paid in the office.
The County Clerk recording page is the local source for the marriage-license requirements and fee schedule.
The clerk requires both parties to appear together in person. The license is valid for 30 days and only within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. There is no blood test and no waiting period. Both parties generally must be 18 or older; if one or both parties are under 17, the clerk requires a court order. The County Clerk does not perform ceremonies, but the office says to contact the clerk for a current list of local magistrates who can perform ceremonies. Two witnesses must witness the ceremony, and the officiant must complete the officiant section before returning the license to the County Clerk.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The Hardin County process is in-person and document-driven. Both parties should arrive prepared with government identification and the personal information the clerk asks from each applicant. A driver's license, birth certificate, or other government ID is accepted as identification according to the research source.
- Both parties go together to the Hardin County Clerk at 150 N. Provident Way, Suite 103.
- Bring a driver's license, birth certificate, or other government ID.
- Provide address, date of birth, birth location, parents' names, marital history, occupation, race, sex, and relationship information.
- Pay the $60 nonrefundable marriage license fee in the office.
- Use the license within 30 days and only in Kentucky.
- Have an authorized officiant perform the ceremony with two witnesses present.
- Make sure the officiant completes and returns the license to the County Clerk.
Marriage License Application Fields
The County Clerk page lists the information required from both parties. The current residential address cannot be a PO box. Parent-name fields ask for the mother's full maiden name and the father's full name. Prior marital history is captured through marital condition and number of previous marriages.
| Field or data asked of both parties | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current residential address | Text | Yes | Not a PO box. |
| Date of birth | Date | Yes | Used for applicant identity and eligibility. |
| County or city and state of birth | Text | Yes | Birthplace information. |
| Mother's full maiden name | Text | Yes | First, middle, and maiden name. |
| Father's full name | Text | Yes | First, middle, and surname. |
| Marital condition | Text or dropdown | Yes | Include number of previous marriages. |
| Occupation | Text | Yes | Required by the clerk's application data list. |
| Race | Text or dropdown | Yes | Application demographic field. |
| Sex | Text or dropdown | Yes | Application demographic field. |
| Relationship to one another | Text | Yes | Required relationship disclosure. |
| Government ID | Document | Yes | Driver's license, birth certificate, or other government ID. |
Hardin County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage-license and copy fees depend on which office is producing the record. The Hardin County Clerk's schedule lists the local marriage license fee and certified copy service fee. Kentucky CHFS Office of Vital Statistics uses a separate statewide certificate fee for marriage and divorce certificates. The divorce filing fee itself is a court filing matter and should be checked with the Circuit Court Clerk and current Kentucky Court of Justice fee orders before filing.
| Item | Amount | Source or note |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license / affidavit / court order | $60 | Hardin County Clerk recording page, paid in office, nonrefundable. |
| Certified local copy | $5 | Hardin County Clerk certified copy fee on recording schedule. |
| Kentucky certified marriage certificate | $6 | CHFS/Office of Vital Statistics nonrefundable search fee; additional copies $6 each. |
| Kentucky certified divorce certificate | $6 | CHFS/Office of Vital Statistics nonrefundable search fee; additional copies $6 each. |
| Divorce court filing | Check current court schedule | Filed through Hardin Circuit/Family Court via the Circuit Court Clerk. |
How to Look Up Hardin County Marriage Records
For local marriage-license and recorded marriage information, begin with the Hardin County Clerk because that office issues marriage licenses and maintains county clerk records. The County Clerk site also has a record-search area, but the research noted that the eSearch path was oriented to clerk-held records such as recorded instruments, not court case files. For certified statewide marriage certificates, use Kentucky CHFS Office of Vital Statistics by mail or VitalChek, which CHFS identifies as the authorized online and telephone partner.
The CHFS certificate purchase page is one of the assigned image sources.
A marriage record request is easier when the requester knows both parties' names, the approximate marriage date, and whether the goal is a local clerk record or a state certificate. A certified certificate may be needed for benefits, name changes, passports, insurance, or agency proof, while a local clerk copy may be enough for research or county-record verification.
How to Find Hardin County Divorce Records
Divorce case files are court records through Hardin Circuit/Family Court and the Circuit Court Clerk, not the County Clerk. The court location is the Hardin County Justice Center at 120 E. Dixie Ave., Elizabethtown, KY 42701. A divorce filing record can include the petition, summons or service documents, VS-300 certificate, verified disclosure statements, temporary orders, parenting and custody filings, support orders, mediation-related filings, settlement agreement, decree, and post-decree motions.
KRS 403.140 states that Circuit Court may enter a dissolution decree if the residency or military-presence requirement is met for 180 days before filing. For Hardin County, Family Court is a division of Circuit Court and handles dissolution, custody, support, and related family matters. A public divorce certificate or certificate of dissolution is handled through CHFS vital records, while the court file, decree, and case-specific filings are requested through the Circuit Court Clerk.
VS-300 Divorce Record Generator
Kentucky uses a VS-300 divorce record process for dissolution filings. The CHFS VS-300 generator starts with an instruction link and a "Proceed to Generate VS-300" button. The completed VS-300 must be filed concurrently with the petition for dissolution. The VS-300 portal states that requests filed in 2023 or later should use the revised VS-300 revision date 12/2022.
The VS-300 generator is assigned as a page image source.
The generator asks for first party details, second party details, prior-to-first-marriage name, current name, name upon dissolution where applicable, residence country/state/county/city, race, birth state or country, number of marriages, marriage location, and attorney or pro se contact information. After submission, the tool generates a PDF and an OVS case number, with options to download or print the generated record or add another divorce record.
How to File for Divorce
Hardin County divorce filings require court forms and court filing, not a County Clerk marriage-record request. A self-represented filer should use Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms and review local court requirements, while represented parties should work through counsel. The Circuit Court Clerk is the filing office for Hardin Circuit/Family Court case records.
- Confirm the Kentucky residency or military-presence requirement under KRS 403.140.
- Use Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms and/or counsel to prepare the petition and required disclosures.
- Generate the VS-300 through CHFS and file it concurrently with the petition.
- File in Hardin Circuit/Family Court through the Circuit Court Clerk at the Justice Center.
- Serve the other party and proceed through temporary orders, mediation, settlement, hearings, or decree as required.
- Request certified copies from the clerk or vital certificates from CHFS, depending on the document needed.
Kentucky Vital Records Office
The Kentucky CHFS Office of Vital Statistics provides statewide certified marriage and divorce certificates. CHFS warns users to order through OVS by mail or VitalChek as the only authorized online or telephone partner. Certificate fees are nonrefundable search fees, so applicants should distinguish a certificate request from a court-file request before ordering.
The CHFS forms page is the remaining assigned image source for this page.
State certificates can confirm that a marriage or divorce was recorded for vital-records purposes. They generally do not replace the full divorce case file, which may include pleadings, orders, custody material, support orders, and settlement terms. For a certified decree or case filing, contact the Hardin County Circuit Court Clerk rather than CHFS.
Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics
Marriage and divorce certificates
Order by CHFS mail process or authorized VitalChek channel
Certificate fee: $6 search fee
Getting Certified Copies
Certified-copy requests should go to the office that holds the record. For a Hardin County marriage license or local clerk copy, use the County Clerk. For a divorce decree or case-file document, use the Circuit Court Clerk. For a statewide marriage or divorce certificate, use CHFS Office of Vital Statistics. This distinction is especially important when a request is for legal proof rather than general lookup.
Restricted family-court material may not be available to every requester. Adoption records, some child-related filings, protected-address information, financial identifiers, and sealed records can require party status, attorney access, statutory authority, or a court order. A public case result does not mean every underlying family-court document is open.