How to Get a Marriage License in Nashville (Davidson County, TN)

If you searched for a Nashville marriage license, here is the short version: you get it from a county clerk, both of you go in person, and you can marry the same day. The details below will help you plan the trip.

Who issues the license

Marriage licenses in Tennessee are issued by the county clerk, not by a city. Nashville is the county seat of Davidson County, so the Davidson County clerk is the office most Nashville couples use.

You are not limited to Davidson County, though. You can apply at any county clerk in Tennessee, and the license is valid anywhere in the state. If you live in one county but are marrying in another, you can apply wherever is easiest for you.

Both of you must appear in person

Both applicants have to appear in person at the clerk's office. Plan a day when you are both free, and don't count on one of you handling it alone.

Before you go, contact the Davidson County clerk and confirm the practical details, because we can't verify them for you:

•The office address and which location handles marriage licenses

•Opening hours

•Whether you need an appointment or can walk in

•Which payment methods are accepted

•The exact fee

•What documents you each need to bring

A short call or a visit to the clerk's official website should settle all of this. Do it before you take time off work.

What it costs

Each county sets its own fee. Across Tennessee, a marriage license typically costs about $95 to $110. Ask the Davidson County clerk for the exact amount so you know what to expect at the counter.

There is one way to bring the cost down. If you complete a state-approved four-hour premarital preparation course, you get $60 off the fee. That discount applies in every county. If you want it, finish the course first and ask the clerk what proof of completion they need to see.

No waiting period, but a deadline

Tennessee has no waiting period. Once the license is issued, you can marry the same day. That makes it possible to apply in the morning and hold your ceremony that afternoon.

The license is also valid for only 30 days from the date it is issued. That gives you a clear window:

•If your ceremony is a few days away, you can get the license whenever it suits you.

•If your ceremony is months away, wait to apply. A license picked up too early will expire before you use it.

•Count 30 days from the issue date and put the last day on your calendar.

A simple checklist

1.Decide whether to take the four-hour premarital preparation course for the $60 discount.

2.Pick a date in the 30-day window before your ceremony.

3.Contact the Davidson County clerk to confirm the address, hours, appointment rules, payment methods, exact fee and documents to bring.

4.Go together. Both of you must be there.

5.Check that everything on the license is correct before you leave the counter.

6.Hold your ceremony within the 30 days the license is valid.

The process is simple. Most of the work is confirming the office's details first so your visit goes smoothly.

Davidson County marriage licenses, by the numbers

132 marriage licenses were filed in Davidson County in the last 30 days and 5,037 in the last 12 months; the newest filing we hold is dated 2026-09-28. Month-by-month counts and the public record are on the Davidson County marriage license page.

State rules checked against [University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service](https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/eli/additional-fee-premarital-preparation-course). Fees and procedures change — the county clerk has the final word. General information, not legal advice.