§ 19-3-33.Application for marriage license; contents; supplement marriage report
Chapter 3. Marriage Generally · Article 2. License and Ceremony · Last amended 2005 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-3-33
Plain-English Summary
A Georgia marriage license is issued only on a written application made by the persons seeking it and verified by their oath. Under subsection (a), the application must state that there is no legal impediment to the marriage. It must give each applicant’s full present name, date of birth, and present address, and the names of each applicant’s father and mother, if known; if a parent’s name is unknown, the application must say so.
The application must also say whether the applicants have or have not completed premarital education under Code Section 19-3-30.1. If they say they have, they must submit a signed and dated certificate of completion from the provider. That certificate matters for the fee waiver in Code Section 19-3-30.1(c).
Subsection (b) adds a second document: an application supplement-marriage report for every license. Except for the information in paragraph (3), it is completed as part of the application. At a minimum it states each applicant’s full name, date of birth, and Social Security number; the number this marriage would be for each applicant (first, second, and so on); and, after the ceremony, the date of the ceremony and the county where it occurred.
Code Section 19-3-34 governs what happens to these papers: the application stays in the probate judge’s permanent files and may be used as evidence, while the supplement report goes to the state registrar and is not open to public inspection or admissible in court while the probate court temporarily holds it. Code Section 19-3-36 requires proof of age, and Code Section 19-3-47 makes it a misdemeanor to willfully give false information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information do I need to apply for a marriage license in Georgia?
Each applicant’s full present name, date of birth, and present address, plus the names of each applicant’s father and mother, if known. The application must state there is no legal impediment to the marriage and whether you completed premarital education. A separate supplement report asks for Social Security numbers and how many marriages this is for each of you.
Do I have to give my Social Security number for a Georgia marriage license?
Yes. The application supplement-marriage report must state, at a minimum, each applicant’s full name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Under Code Section 19-3-34, that report goes to the state registrar and isn’t available for public inspection or copying while the probate court holds it.
Is the marriage license application sworn?
Yes. The application is made by the persons seeking the license and verified by the oath of the applicants. Code Section 19-3-47 makes it a misdemeanor to willfully furnish false information in the application or in proof of age. The oath also covers the statement that there is no legal impediment to the marriage.
What if I don’t know my father’s or mother’s name?
Say so on the application. It asks for the names of each applicant’s father and mother only “if known,” and if either parent’s name is unknown, the application must state that. Nothing in the section makes a missing parent’s name a bar to the license.
What proof of premarital education do we need to submit?
If your application says you completed premarital education under Code Section 19-3-30.1, you must submit a signed and dated certificate of completion issued by your premarital education provider. Code Section 19-3-30.1(b) requires every qualified provider to give that certificate to each participant who finishes the course.
Amendment History
Laws 1927, p. 224, § 1A; Laws 1958, p. 214, § 1; Laws 1997, p. 1592, § 2; Laws 2005, Act 410, § 3, eff. July 1, 2005.
Formerly Code 1933, § 53-202.