§ 19-3-30.1.Premarital education; fees; special requirements if marriage applicant is 17 years old
Chapter 3. Marriage Generally · Article 2. License and Ceremony · Last amended 2019 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-3-30.1
Plain-English Summary
This section sets the standards for premarital education. The course must include at least six hours of instruction on marital issues, which may include conflict management, communication skills, financial responsibilities, child and parenting responsibilities, and extended family roles. It must be completed within 12 months before the application for a marriage license, and the couple takes it together unless subsection (d) applies.
Four kinds of providers qualify: a professional counselor, social worker, or marriage and family therapist licensed under Chapter 10A of Title 43; a psychiatrist licensed as a physician under Chapter 34 of Title 43; a psychologist licensed under Chapter 39 of Title 43; or an active member of the clergy acting in that role, or a designee, including retired clergy, if the designee is trained and skilled in premarital education. Every provider must give each participant who completes the course a certificate of completion.
For adults, the course is an incentive, not a requirement. If both applicants are 18 or older and certify on the license application that they completed a qualifying program, they shall not be charged a fee for the license. The application itself must say whether they completed the course, under Code Section 19-3-33.
Subsection (d) tightens the rules when either applicant is 17. No license fee is charged. A certificate of completion must go to the probate judge, and that requirement can’t be waived even if the couple is willing to pay the fee. Each person takes the course separately. The instruction must also cover the risks of marrying young — including high divorce rates, increased rates of not completing education, greater likelihood of poverty, and medical and mental health problems — and the information in the fact sheet under Code Section 19-3-41.1, including domestic violence resources. Clergy or designees teaching a 17-year-old must also be a licensed counselor, social worker, or marriage and family therapist under Chapter 10A of Title 43. Code Section 19-3-2(b)(4) makes the certificate a condition of a 17-year-old’s marriage. The section was last amended in 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is premarital counseling required to get married in Georgia?
Not for adults. If both applicants are 18 or older and certify that they completed a qualifying premarital education program, they aren’t charged a fee for the license. The application must state whether they completed it. For an applicant who is 17, the course is mandatory and can’t be waived.
How many hours of premarital education does Georgia require?
At least six hours of instruction on marital issues, such as conflict management, communication skills, financial responsibilities, child and parenting responsibilities, and extended family roles. The course must be completed within 12 months before applying for the marriage license, and the couple takes it together unless one of them is 17.
Who can teach a Georgia premarital education course?
A licensed professional counselor, social worker, or marriage and family therapist; a licensed psychiatrist; a licensed psychologist; or an active member of the clergy acting as clergy, or a designee, including retired clergy, if the designee is trained and skilled in premarital education. For a 17-year-old, clergy or a designee must also be a licensed counselor, social worker, or marriage and family therapist.
Do we get a free marriage license if we take premarital classes?
Yes, if you both are 18 or older and certify on the application that you completed a qualifying program, you shall not be charged a license fee. Code Section 19-3-33 requires you to submit the signed and dated certificate of completion from your provider with the application.
What extra rules apply when a 17-year-old wants to marry?
No license fee is charged, but a certificate of completion must go to the probate judge, and that can’t be waived. Each person takes the course separately, and the course must cover the risks of marrying young plus the domestic violence information in the fact sheet under Code Section 19-3-41.1. Code Section 19-3-2 adds emancipation and age-gap conditions.
Amendment History
Laws 2005, Act 410, § 2, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2019, Act 187, § 1-2, eff. July 1, 2019.