LaPorte County Marriage License Records
Marriage licenses in LaPorte County are issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The local marriage-license page names Heather Stevens as Circuit Court Clerk and places the office at 813 Lincolnway Suite 105, La Porte, Indiana 46350. The clerk page lists regular office hours as Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The local marriage page also gives LaPorte phone 219-326-6808, Michigan City phone 219-874-5611 ext. 2250, and office staff extension 2088.
Indiana residents apply in the Indiana county where one applicant resides. The LaPorte County source adds a local rule for Indiana residents who both live outside LaPorte County: they must apply in the county where they live. Out-of-state applicants apply in the Indiana county where the marriage will be solemnized. After a license is issued, Indiana residents may marry anywhere in Indiana, and the record is kept in the county of application.
The LaPorte County marriage-license source is the best local place to confirm office rules before a visit.
That local page supplies the county-specific fees, six-month divorce decree rule, same-day license use, and clerk wedding schedule used for LaPorte County marriage records.
LaPorte County Marriage Requirements
Both applicants must appear in person with valid driver's license or state ID showing residency, identity, and date of birth. The local page says applicants must be at least 18. Indiana statewide rules also describe a limited court-approved process for some 16- and 17-year-old applicants, but that is not the ordinary LaPorte County counter process. The state rules say the clerk cannot issue a license in several barred situations, including intoxication, close family relationships except the narrow first-cousin age exception, unresolved unsound-mind adjudication, or a lifetime sex or violent offender who has not submitted the required notice affidavit.
If either applicant was divorced within the last six months, LaPorte County requires a certified divorce decree that is signed, dated, and bears the judge's signature. The state also requires Social Security number information, though the card may not be required, and collects parent genealogy details. Non-English documents may need a notarized translation.
- Both future spouses must be present at the clerk's office.
- Valid driver's license or state ID is used for identity, date of birth, and residency.
- A certified divorce decree is required locally if a divorce occurred within six months.
- The license is valid for 60 days and may be used the same day.
- Clerk weddings require an appointment and are scheduled Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, when the courthouse is open.
Apply for LaPorte County Marriage Records
Indiana provides an online start option for a marriage license, but the application is not complete until both applicants appear in person. Starting online can save time because the clerk still must verify identity, residency, age, prior marriage information, and payment at the counter. The license is recorded in the county where the application is made, so the chosen county matters for later certified copy requests.
- Confirm the correct county based on Indiana residency or the Indiana county where the ceremony will occur.
- Start the application online through the Indiana marriage-license service if desired.
- Bring valid ID and any required certified divorce decree to the LaPorte County Clerk of the Circuit Court.
- Both applicants appear together, review the application, and provide required state information.
- Pay the local fee by cash or credit card, noting that credit cards carry a percentage surcharge.
- Use the license within 60 days and request certified copies from the county of application when needed.
The Indiana Judicial Branch marriage-license page explains the statewide eligibility rules and online-start channel.
The statewide source is useful for eligibility and document rules, while LaPorte County's clerk page controls local office contacts and local fee handling.
LaPorte County Marriage Application Fields
The marriage-license application collects identity, eligibility, residence, prior marriage, and genealogy information. The clerk uses this information to decide whether the license can be issued and which county should record the license. The certified copy later proves the recorded marriage for name change, BMV, Social Security, or other official uses.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant 1 full name | Text | Yes | Entered online or at the clerk counter. |
| Applicant 2 full name | Text | Yes | Both applicants must appear in person. |
| Date of birth | Date | Yes | Supported by accepted ID or birth document. |
| Current address/residency | Text | Yes | Determines county eligibility and resident fee. |
| Social Security number | Text | Yes | Required by state rules, though card may not be required. |
| Prior marriage end date | Date | Conditional | Required if previously married. |
| Certified divorce decree | Document | Conditional | LaPorte County requires it if divorced within six months. |
| Parent names, last known addresses, and birthplaces | Genealogy | Yes | Collected under Indiana marriage-license rules. |
| Payment | Cash or card | Yes | Credit-card surcharge applies locally. |
LaPorte County Marriage Divorce Fees
The local fee schedule is specific for marriage licenses and related certified marriage copies. Divorce filing costs were not located as a single official amount in the assigned research, so the safer route is to confirm filing and copy fees with the clerk or through the e-filing process before submitting a dissolution case. Certified decrees are court records, not health department records.
| Item | Amount | Source Note |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license, at least one LaPorte County or Indiana resident | $25.00 | Local clerk and marriage-license pages. |
| Marriage license, both applicants out of state | $65.00 | Local clerk and marriage-license pages. |
| Certified marriage license copy | $4.00 | Indiana Judicial Branch says a certified copy for name change is $4. |
| Credit-card payment | Percentage surcharge | Local marriage page says cards carry a surcharge. |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Not located in official research | Confirm with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. |
Note: A certified marriage license copy is the document usually needed for name-change proof after the ceremony.
Search LaPorte County Marriage Records
Marriage records are tied to the county where the application was made. If a couple applied in LaPorte County, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is the local source for certified copies. If Indiana residents married elsewhere in Indiana after applying in LaPorte County, the LaPorte record still remains with the LaPorte clerk because that is the county of application.
For a copy request, prepare both spouses' names, the approximate date of marriage, the county of application, the number of copies needed, and the reason a certified copy is required. The clerk can advise whether the request can be handled in person, by mail, or by another local process. If the application was made in another Indiana county, contact that county's clerk instead.
Find LaPorte County Divorce Records
Divorce and dissolution records are court records. They are not issued through the marriage-license counter as vital records. A LaPorte County divorce records search starts with MyCase for public case information, then moves to the Clerk of the Circuit Court or the court maintaining the file for a decree, certified order, or document not available online. Public divorce dockets may show parties, case number, filing date, court, hearings, orders, and disposition, but sensitive child, financial, sealed, or protected information may be restricted.
LaPorte Circuit Court family law and probate material states that a Pre-Trial Statement of Facts and Issues must be filed with the court and opposing counsel or party one week before final dissolution of marriage hearings. That local rule matters when interpreting a dissolution docket because it may explain filings near the final hearing date. The Indiana Self-Service Legal Center provides forms for self-represented litigants, but the filed decree and certified copies come from the court or clerk.
The Indiana Self-Service Legal Center is the state source for divorce and family-law forms used by self-represented parties.
Those state forms support filings, but the divorce record itself is created in the LaPorte County court case and must be checked through court channels.
Certified Divorce Decree Copies
A certified divorce decree is requested from the court or clerk maintaining the dissolution case. For LaPorte County, the practical channel is MyCase for the case number and public docket, then the Clerk of the Circuit Court or specific court for the certified copy. A request should include the cause number if known, both party names, the document needed, the number of copies, contact information, and whether the copy must be certified.
- Search MyCase by party name or case number and confirm the LaPorte County court.
- Open the case detail and identify the final decree or order date if public.
- Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court for copy instructions when the document is not available online.
- Provide names, cause number, document type, and certification request.
- Pay the required copy or certification fee as directed by the clerk.