Marshall County Marriage License Office
The Marshall County Recorder is the local marriage office. The official Recorder page lists Mary Hamm as Marshall County Recorder, Registrar of Titles, Vital Statistic Registrar, and County Abstracter. The Recorder's Office is at 208 E Colvin Ave, Suite 7, Warren, MN 56762. Office hours are 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and the phone number is 218-745-4801. The published email is mary.hamm@marshallcountymn.gov.
Marriage records are not District Court case files. Licenses, certificate copies, and local marriage questions go to the Recorder. Divorce records are different. A certified divorce decree comes from the county courthouse where the divorce was granted, which means Marshall County District Court for Marshall County divorces.
The local marriage source is the Marshall County Recorder page.
That office handles Marshall County marriage applications and certificate copy requests when the license was purchased in the county.
Apply for a Marriage License
Couples can complete the online marriage application at the Recorder's Office during normal business hours or from home or mobile through MOMS. The online application is the first step only. Both applicants must appear at the Recorder's Office to finish applying for the license and pay the proper fee. If the application is completed outside the office, applicants should provide their names to staff so the office can retrieve the application.
- Complete the online application through MOMS or at the Recorder's Office.
- Have both applicants appear at the Marshall County Recorder's Office to finish the application.
- Provide required identity and marriage-history information, including prior marriage details if applicable.
- Choose the full-fee or reduced-fee path if qualified by premarital education documentation.
- Pay the Recorder's Office fee and review names, addresses, and post-marriage names before the license is issued.
The MOMS marriage license application page is the documented online application path.
MOMS begins the application process, but Marshall County still requires both applicants to finish the license process with the Recorder.
Marriage License Application Fields
Minnesota marriage law controls many application details. Applicants must be 18 or older and not under guardianship or conservatorship. If either applicant was previously married, the application asks how the prior marriage ended, the complete date of divorce, death, or annulment, the county and state, the type of divorce court such as District or Circuit, and previous married names if both parties have been divorced.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full names | Yes | Application includes full names before marriage and full names after marriage. |
| Addresses and residence | Yes | Post office addresses and county/state residence are included. |
| Age and date of birth | Yes | Applicants must be 18 or older. |
| Prior marriage details | If applicable | Includes how the marriage ended, date, county/state, court type, and prior names. |
| Social Security numbers | Collected | Collected by law but not printed on the license. |
| Premarital education statement | For reduced fee | Reduced fee requires at least 12 hours of premarital education and an educator statement. |
| Felony conviction/name change notice | If applicable | Minnesota law includes name-change notice requirements for certain felony convictions. |
Marshall County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage fees are published by the Recorder. Divorce filing fees are District Court fees. A marriage certificate copy from the Recorder is tied to a license purchased in Marshall County, while a certified divorce decree is requested from Court Administration where the divorce was granted.
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full marriage license | $125.00 | No refunds. |
| Reduced marriage license | $50.00 | Requires at least 12 hours premarital counseling or education and educator statement. |
| Certified marriage certificate | $9.00 | Recorder if license was purchased in Marshall County. |
| Non-certified marriage certificate | $9.00 | Recorder page fee. |
| License re-issuance correction | $20.00 | Post-marriage changes may require court order. |
| Dissolution of marriage filing | $390.00 | Statewide District Court fee for divorce with or without children. |
| Dissolution forms packet | $10.00 | Forms packet for dissolution with or without children. |
| Motion or response in dissolution/custody | $100.00 | Related family fee listed in the research. |
Look Up Marshall County Marriage Records
Marshall County participates in the Minnesota Official Marriage System, known as MOMS, for public marriage certificate searching. The MOMS certificate search can be filtered by county and name. Scott and Washington counties do not participate, but Marshall County is listed as a participating county in the research.
MOMS is useful when a person needs to verify that a marriage certificate exists or identify where the certificate was filed. It is not the same as completing the license process. The Recorder remains the local office for Marshall County certificate copies, and both applicants still need to finish the license application with the Recorder after the online application step. A written or in-person certificate request should include the couple's pre-marriage names and the date of marriage so staff can match the record.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| County | Dropdown | Optional | Choose all participating counties or a single county, including Marshall. |
| Search By | Dropdown | Required | Both Applicants; Applicant 1; Applicant 2, with older groom/bride labels noted by MOMS. |
| Last Name | Text | Visible | Name search field for the selected applicant path. |
| Buttons | Button | N/A | Search controls on the MOMS page. |
Certificate copies may also be requested in writing or in person from the Recorder. Supply the couple's pre-marriage names and date of marriage. Use the Recorder for certified copies when the license was purchased in Marshall County.
Minnesota Marriage Record Rules
Minnesota marriage requirements and fee rules come from Minnesota Statutes chapter 517. The license is valid for six months after issue. A name change through marriage is a legal name change, so applicants should check the intended post-marriage name before the license is issued. The Recorder's fee table also warns that correction after marriage may require a court order.
The statute source explains why the application asks for prior marriage, age, residence, name, and premarital education details.
Find Marshall County Divorce Records
Divorce records are District Court family records, not Recorder records. Plain copies of recent divorce records may be found through MCRO when the case and document are public and available online. Certified copies of a divorce decree come from the county courthouse where the divorce was granted. For Marshall County divorces, that means Marshall County District Court at 208 E Colvin Avenue, Suite 18, Warren.
MCRO family-case document access is limited. The research states that online family document access is mostly court-generated orders, notices, and appellate opinions. Minor information, protected addresses, financial data, domestic abuse material, and other confidential family data may be restricted. Older records and off-site files may require a request through Court Administration.
Use the court record for the legal end of the marriage, not the Recorder. A divorce decree can be needed for remarriage, name restoration, benefits, real estate, child-support, or proof of custody terms. If MCRO shows the case but not the needed decree, the next step is a Court Administration copy request. If MCRO does not show the case by name, search by case number if known or call the court because family records can have online limits.
- Search MCRO Case Search by party name if the divorce is public and not restricted, or by case number if known.
- Filter Court Locations to Marshall County.
- Check the family case category and case status.
- Open case details and the Register of Actions for docket events and available public documents.
- Contact Marshall County District Court Administration for a certified divorce decree.
- Ask Court Administration about older, off-site, or non-online records.
Certified Marriage and Divorce Copies
Certified marriage certificates and certified divorce decrees come from different offices. The Recorder certifies Marshall County marriage certificates when the license was bought in Marshall County. Court Administration certifies divorce decrees because divorce is a District Court family case. A plain online MCRO document is not the same as a certified decree.
Marshall County Recorder
208 E Colvin Ave, Suite 7
Warren, MN 56762
218-745-4801
Marriage licenses and marriage certificates.
Marshall County District Court
208 E Colvin Avenue, Suite 18
Warren, MN 56762
(218) 745-4921
Divorce decrees and family court records.