How to Get a Marriage License in El Paso County, TX: Courthouse Guide

Who issues the license

A marriage license in Texas comes from a county clerk, not from a city. For El Paso County, that means the county clerk's office.

You are not limited to your home county. Any county clerk in Texas can issue your license. It is valid statewide, and Texas has no residency requirement. If another county is easier for the two of you to reach, you can apply there and still hold your ceremony anywhere in the state.

Who has to show up, and what to bring

Both of you normally need to appear in person at the clerk's office. Each of you should bring valid photo ID.

We do not have this office's street address, phone number, hours, appointment policy or accepted payment methods, so please do not rely on a guess from anyone else. Before you go, contact the El Paso County clerk and ask:

•Where exactly should we go, and what hours can we come in?

•Do we need an appointment, or can we walk in?

•What forms of payment do you accept?

•What is the exact fee today?

•Is there anything else you want us to bring besides valid photo ID?

Write the answers down and make sure you are both free at the same time. Since you both have to be there, scheduling is often the hardest part.

What it costs

Each county sets its own fee. Texas counties typically charge about $70 to $85. We cannot tell you the exact El Paso County fee, so confirm it with the clerk before you leave home.

There is one way to bring the cost down. A Twogether in Texas premarital education certificate removes up to $60 of the fee. If you are willing to take the course before you apply, bring the certificate with you. It also helps with the waiting period, covered next.

The 72-hour waiting period

Texas requires 72 hours between the moment your license is issued and your ceremony. If your license is issued on a Tuesday afternoon, the earliest you can marry is the following Friday afternoon.

Three situations waive the wait:

•One or both of you is on active-duty military.

•You have a judge's written waiver.

•You have a Twogether in Texas premarital course certificate.

If you think you qualify for a waiver, ask the clerk what documentation they need to see when you apply. Do not assume you can skip the wait on the day of your ceremony.

How long the license lasts

Your license is valid for 90 days from the date it is issued. Together with the waiting period, that gives you a window. Your ceremony must fall after the 72 hours have passed, unless you qualify for a waiver, and before the 90 days run out.

Count the dates on a calendar the day you receive the license and note the last valid day. If your plans might slip, apply later rather than earlier, so you are not racing the deadline.

A simple plan

1.Decide whether you want to take the Twogether in Texas course first. It can lower the fee and remove the wait.

2.Pick a day when you can both go in person, and put valid photo ID for each of you in one place.

3.Contact the El Paso County clerk to confirm the address, hours, appointment rules, payment methods and exact fee.

4.Pick up the license and write down the date it was issued and the last day it is valid.

5.Hold your ceremony after the waiting period, or under a waiver, and before day 90.

6.Ask the clerk, while you are there, what you need to do with the license after the ceremony so you do not have to chase that down later.

The rules are short, and most of the work is calling ahead. If you confirm the details with the clerk first, the visit should go smoothly.

El Paso County marriage licenses, by the numbers

503 marriage licenses were filed in El Paso County in the last 30 days and 1,490 in the last 12 months; the newest filing we hold is dated 2026-11-04. Month-by-month counts and the public record are on the El Paso County marriage license page.

State rules checked against [Texas Family Code, Chapter 2](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.2.htm). Fees and procedures change — the county clerk has the final word. General information, not legal advice.