A courthouse wedding in Harris County is two separate errands with two separate offices: the County Clerk issues the marriage license, and a judge — a probate judge or a justice of the peace — performs the ceremony. The fee, the wait and the booking rules below are transcribed from Harris County’s own pages, each one cited.
Every guide to a Houston courthouse wedding tells you the fee and the waiting period. None of them tells you how many other couples are doing it. These are the 30,966 marriage licenses filed in Harris County over the twelve complete months from September 2025 to August 2026 — about 596 a week, counted from the public record by application date.
| Month | Licenses filed |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 2,863 |
| October 2025 | 3,239 |
| November 2025 | 2,339 |
| December 2025 | 2,670 |
| January 2026 | 2,376 |
| February 2026 | 2,690 |
| March 2026 | 2,848 |
| April 2026 | 2,025 |
| May 2026 | 1,696 |
| June 2026 | 2,364 |
| July 2026 | 2,589 |
| August 2026 | 3,267 |
What these numbers are, exactly. They count marriage license applications filed with the Clerk, by application date — not ceremonies, and not only courthouse ceremonies. Texas has a 72-hour waiting period and a 90-day validity window, so a wedding can fall in a later month than its filing. A month enters this table only if Harris County's series passes our completeness check: the weakest month must be at least 40% of the median month, which is what catches a reporting gap masquerading as a quiet month.
Every line above is transcribed from Harris County Clerk — Personal Records (marriage licenses), read on 2026-09-22.
Sources, all read on 2026-09-22: Harris County Clerk — Personal Records (marriage licenses) · Harris County Probate Court No. 1 — Weddings · Harris County Justices of the Peace — Weddings · Harris County Justice Court 1-1 — Courthouse Wedding Information (PDF). Fees, hours and rules change and the office itself has the final word. General information, not legal advice.
Other guides fill these gaps by guessing. We would rather name them. None of the following is stated on any official Harris County page we read, so none of it appears above:
Nobody is listed here yet — we would rather show you an empty slot than a directory we padded out. One officiant and one photographer per county, shown on this page. If you work courthouse weddings in Houston / Harris County, tell us and we will put you in it.
Ask about the Harris County slot →Two fees, not one. The marriage license itself is $81.00 from the Harris County Clerk — $181.00 if neither applicant shows proof of Texas residency on a valid ID. The ceremony is charged separately by whoever performs it: Harris County Probate Court No. 1 charges $100 per couple and is free for active military, veterans and first responders, while justice courts set their own fee — Justice Court 1-1 posts $100 on weekdays and $200 on a Saturday. Confirm current amounts with the office before you go.
Yes — 72 hours between the license being issued and the ceremony. The Clerk's office states it is automatically waived for active military personnel, who must present an active military ID when the license is purchased. The license should be signed by the officiant no more than 90 days from the date of issuance.
To apply for the license, no — both applicants can apply in person at 201 Caroline, Suite 330, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. For the ceremony, it depends who marries you: Probate Court No. 1 books by appointment on 832-927-1401, while Justice Court 1-1 schedules by appointment but welcomes walk-ins based on the judge's availability.
Either. Harris County Probate Court No. 1 performs weddings, and they are only conducted in the courtroom at the Harris County Civil Courthouse, 201 Caroline. Separately, Justices of the Peace may perform marriage ceremonies, but the county's own page says you have to contact a specific Justice of the Peace to find out whether that judge performs them and to get scheduling and fees — they are set precinct by precinct, not county-wide.
30,966 marriage licenses were filed in Harris County over the twelve complete months from September 2025 to August 2026 — about 596 a week. The busiest single month was August 2026 with 3,267; the slowest was May 2026 with 1,696. These are filing dates from the public record, not ceremony dates.
At Justice Court 1-1, no — its own wedding sheet says witnesses are not necessary, though you may invite friends and family. Rings are optional, cameras are encouraged and there is no dress code. Other precincts and courts set their own rules, so confirm with the one you book.