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RULES TO OBTAIN A MARRIAGE LICENSE IN COLES COUNTY
1. The marriage must take place in the SAME county in which the license is issued. Couples who wish to be married in Coles County must apply for their license in the Coles County Clerk’s Office, 651 Jackson Avenue, Room 122, Charleston, Illinois between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
2. The legal age for both bride and groom to obtain a marriage license without parental consent is 18. Consent and presence of BOTH parents is required for applicants who are 16 or 17 years of age (parents are required to provide identification). No one under the age of 16 can apply for a license in the State of Illinois. Birth certificates are required for proof of age for applicants who are under the age of 18 and driver’s license or a State identification card for applicants who are over the age of 18.
3. Effective September 11, 1989, pre-marital blood tests are no longer required in the State of Illinois to acquire a marriage license.
4. The license becomes effective the day after it is issued and is effective for sixty (60) days.
5. The cost of a marriage license is $60.00. Cash, check or credit card.
6. The license must be mailed back to the County Clerk’s office by the Officiant within ten days from the date of the ceremony in the envelope provided from the County Clerk’s office.
7. The couple will need to know both of their parents full birth names, their current addresses (if still living), and the states where the parents were born.
8. If there has been a previous marriage, the couple will need to know the date, county and state of the death or divorce. If this occurrence has been less then thirty (30) days, you will need to provide appropriate documentation.