Checklist
Marriage License Documents Checklist
Print this, check it off, and walk into the probate court with nothing missing.
Bring All Of This
The Core Checklist
- Both of you, together
- A valid photo ID for each of you, such as a driver's license or passport
- The completed application, printed if you filled it out online
- Your appointment confirmation, where the court requires one
- A certified final divorce decree for the most recent divorce, if either of you was divorced
- A death certificate or other proof of death, if either of you was widowed
- A certified English translation for any document in another language
- Your premarital education certificate, signed and dated, if you have one
- Payment in a form your court accepts
County By County
ID And Prior Marriage Documents
| County | Proof Of Age | If Married Before |
|---|---|---|
| Chatham | Proof of age such as a driver's license, birth certificate, passport or armed forces ID | Final, stamped and sealed decree from the most recent divorce |
| Glynn | Valid driver's license, state photo ID or passport | Certified decree or annulment for the most recent marriage, or certified death certificate |
| Fulton | State driver's license or ID, original or certified birth certificate, or military ID | Certified divorce decree, annulment or death certificate for the most recent marriage |
| DeKalb | Driver's license, certified birth certificate, passport or armed forces ID | Final, stamped, sealed certified decree, or proof of death |
| Cobb | Driver's license, birth certificate, passport or military ID | Copy of the final decree if divorced within the past 90 days |
| Gwinnett | Birth certificate, driver's license, passport, military ID and other listed proofs of age | Final, stamped, sealed decree for the most recent divorce, or proof of death |
| Camden | Two forms each, Social Security card not accepted | Final certified decree or death certificate |
| Liberty | ID with correct name and date of birth | Copy of the decree or death certificate |
| Effingham | Photo ID with birth date | Final decree with the judge's signature, or death certificate |
| Coweta | One of birth certificate, driver's license, state ID, passport, armed forces ID or resident alien ID | Decree with judge's signature and filed stamp, or death certificate |
Last checked November 2026, from each court's own page.
The Details That Trip People Up
Certified Means Certified
A photocopy of a divorce decree is not the same as a certified copy. Most courts want the final decree with the court's stamp and seal, and Coweta asks for the judge's signature and a filed stamp. If yours is in a box somewhere, order a certified copy from the court that granted the divorce before you book.
Legal Names
Use your full legal names exactly as they appear on your ID. Gwinnett warns that incorrect or incomplete names can cause problems with immigration, Social Security or Driver Services later.
Social Security Numbers
Have both numbers ready. The application forms we read ask for them.
Before You Go
Last Look The Night Before
Lay everything out on a table. Both IDs, current and unexpired. The application, printed. The appointment confirmation, on paper or your phone. Any certified divorce decree or death certificate, with a certified translation if it is not in English. The premarital certificate, signed and dated, and notarized if your county asks for that. Payment in the form your court takes, in the exact amount if it wants cash. Then put it all in one folder and give it to whoever is driving.
Questions
Questions Couples Ask
Do I need my birth certificate?
Not usually. Most courts accept a valid driver's license or passport as proof of age. A certified birth certificate is one option among several.
Do I need my divorce decree?
If either of you was divorced, yes in nearly every county, a certified copy of the final decree from the most recent divorce. Cobb asks for it if the divorce was within the past 90 days.
Is a Social Security card ID?
Not in Camden County, which says so directly. Bring a photo ID.
What if a document is not in English?
Attach a translation by a certified translator. Gwinnett adds that the translation must be complete, signed by the translator and notarized by someone else.
Do we bring the premarital certificate?
Yes, if you want the lower fee. Fulton says it must be in hand when you apply.
