Franklin County Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses in Franklin County are handled by the Franklin County Clerk, not by the Circuit Court Clerk. County Clerk Jeff Hancock's office issues the license at 315 West Main Street in Frankfort. The office says both applicants must apply together and complete the worksheet before arrival. The license is a Kentucky license, so it may be used anywhere in the Commonwealth once issued, but it must be obtained in Kentucky if the ceremony will occur in Kentucky.
The County Clerk's marriage page gives several rules that matter before a Franklin County marriage license request. There is no waiting period, blood test, or physical requirement. The license is valid for 30 days, including the date issued. Applicants must bring acceptable identification, such as a driver's license, government-issued picture ID, original birth certificate, or passport. Non-U.S. citizens must bring an original birth certificate and a passport or government ID.
The County Clerk's marriage license page shows the local license rules and fee before applicants appear in person.
This source is the best starting point for current Franklin County marriage records because it states the local fee, identification rules, and license validity period.
Apply for Franklin County Marriage Records
The application process is short, but it is document driven. Applicants should use the County Clerk worksheet first, then appear together with proof of identity and age. A 17-year-old applicant has a separate Family Court order process. The clerk states that a certified copy of the court order must be presented and at least 15 days must pass after the order before applying for the marriage license.
- Complete the marriage license worksheet before going to the clerk.
- Both applicants appear together at the Franklin County Clerk, 315 West Main Street, Frankfort.
- Bring acceptable ID and any required certified Family Court order for a 17-year-old applicant.
- Pay the $60 license and certified copy fee by cash, check payable to Franklin County Clerk, or card with a processing fee.
- Use the license within 30 days and return the completed license through the issuing clerk process after the ceremony.
The Franklin County marriage worksheet page is the clerk's application entry point before an in-office license visit.
The worksheet supports the in-person process because Franklin County requires both applicants to apply together after preparing the required information.
Franklin Marriage Application Fields
The research found the local requirements page, but the worksheet page did not fully expose every static form field. The confirmed Franklin County marriage license application items below should be treated as the reliable field inventory. Do not assume extra fields until the worksheet itself is reviewed at the time of application.
| Field or item | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant 1 legal name | Text | Yes | Expected on worksheet because both applicants must apply together. |
| Applicant 2 legal name | Text | Yes | Expected on worksheet for the second applicant. |
| Proof of age and ID | Document | Yes | Driver's license, government ID, original birth certificate, or passport. |
| Non-U.S. citizen documents | Document | Conditional | Original birth certificate and passport or government ID. |
| Age confirmation | Eligibility | Yes | Both must be 18 or older unless the 17-year-old court-order process applies. |
| Family Court order | Certified order | Conditional | Required for an eligible 17-year-old applicant after the waiting period. |
| Fee payment | Payment | Yes | The $60 fee covers the license and certified copy. |
Franklin County Marriage Fees
The County Clerk publishes the marriage license fee and several copy fees for recorded county documents. Divorce filing fees were not confirmed in the provided research, so they are not listed here. Certified divorce decree copies should be requested from the Circuit Court Clerk, and the fee should be confirmed with that office before ordering.
| Item | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license and certified copy | $60.00 |
| County Clerk in-office copy made by user | $0.50 per page |
| County Clerk certified copy | $5.00 |
| Full-size plat copy, black and white | $3.00 |
| Full-size plat copy, color | $5.00 |
| Mailed copies | Postage added |
Note: Card payments for marriage licenses are accepted, but the clerk states that a minimal processing fee applies.
Search Franklin County Marriage Records
Recent Franklin County marriage records start with the County Clerk because the license is a recorded county document. A person looking for a certified copy should contact or visit the clerk at 315 West Main Street. The clerk's records page also matters for historical work because it identifies public access terminals in the Deed Room and explains that computer records go back to January 1981. The same office has older indexed records, but the search method may be different for older books, Rolodex index material, and terminal-based records.
The Franklin County Clerk also records only licenses it issues. If a ceremony occurred outside Kentucky, the couple should use the license office in the state or country where the license was issued. If a Franklin County license was used for a name change, the County Clerk says the marriage certificate mailed by the clerk is used at the Social Security office.
KRS Chapter 402 is the Kentucky marriage statute chapter referenced in the research.
The statute source gives legal context, while Franklin County's clerk page gives the local steps applicants must follow.
Find Franklin County Divorce Records
Divorce records are not County Clerk marriage records. Franklin County divorce cases run through Family Court as a Circuit Court division and through the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. A Franklin County divorce records search may use KYeCourts Public Court Records for public case information and the KCOJ docket portal for hearing dates. Certified divorce decrees and pleadings should be requested from the Circuit Court Clerk at 222 Saint Clair Street.
Family files can contain custody, child support, domestic violence, financial identifiers, and sealed filings. Those details may be restricted or redacted even when a docket entry or case caption is public. If online search does not show the record, the Circuit Court Clerk is the fallback because Kentucky Court of Justice materials state that local circuit clerks are the starting point for court record copies from cases in that county.
| Record | Office | Access path |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license | Franklin County Clerk | In person, clerk records, certified copy request |
| Marriage certificate copy | Franklin County Clerk | Certified county copy from the issuing clerk |
| Divorce case docket | Kentucky Court of Justice | KYeCourts or KCOJ docket search |
| Certified divorce decree | Circuit Court Clerk | Request from the court clerk at 222 Saint Clair Street |
Certified Franklin County Copies
Certified copies should come from the office that keeps the source record. For a marriage license, use the Franklin County Clerk. For a divorce decree, use the Franklin County Circuit Court Clerk. That split prevents a common delay: the County Clerk can prove and copy recorded marriage-license records, but it is not the court clerk for divorce pleadings, decrees, custody orders, or sealed family case filings.
For older marriage or will-linked family research, the County Clerk's records room can be important because the office reports records dating to 1795 in some categories. For current divorce cases, online court tools may help identify the case number and hearing activity, but certified copies still depend on the Circuit Court Clerk and any access limits in the court file.