Fayette County Marriage Licenses
Fayette County marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk, Shana N. Burch. The main office is at 1 Court Square, Room 101, Somerville, Tennessee. The county research also identifies satellite license access in Oakland on Wednesdays and Piperton on Thursdays, with the Piperton office open 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and closed for lunch from 11:30 to 12:30. The official county page lists marriage license service but does not publish every fee, ID, and age detail, so applicants should confirm current payment details by phone before going.
Tennessee has no state residency requirement for marriage. A Fayette County license can be used for a ceremony anywhere in Tennessee. Both parties generally appear in person, complete the sworn application, bring identification and Social Security numbers if issued, pay the fee, and leave the same day with the license. There is no blood test and no waiting period. The license is valid for 30 days, and the officiant returns the completed license to the issuing County Clerk within 3 days after the ceremony.
The CTAS marriage license issuance rules describe the statewide application framework.
Those CTAS rules help explain the statewide requirements that Fayette County applies when issuing a marriage license.
Apply for Fayette County Marriage License
The local application path is simple, but the right documents matter. Both applicants should plan to appear at the County Clerk office unless a researched exception applies. Tennessee allows a notarized statement in lieu of appearance for an applicant who is incarcerated, disabled, or deployed military. Applicants age 17 need the proper parent, guardian, or next-of-kin participation, and a clerk may not issue if either party is under 17 or if a 17-year-old applicant's proposed spouse is 4 or more years older.
- Choose the Somerville County Clerk office or an available satellite office in Oakland or Piperton.
- Bring valid photo ID, Social Security numbers if issued, and any required minor-applicant consent documents.
- Bring a premarital course Certificate of Completion if claiming the $60 discount.
- Complete and swear to the written marriage application before the County Clerk.
- Pay the license fee confirmed by the clerk and receive the same-day license.
- Hold the ceremony within 30 days anywhere in Tennessee.
- Make sure the officiant signs and returns the completed license to the issuing clerk within 3 days.
Fayette County Marriage Application Fields
The marriage application collects identity, age, address, Social Security, and sworn-statement information for both parties. The research ties the application requirements to Tennessee Code sections 36-3-104 and 36-3-106. Government photo ID is standard practice, and Social Security numbers are required only if the applicant has been issued one. Parent or guardian details are required only for an applicant under 18.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal names for both parties | Yes | Names used for the license and certificate. |
| Ages for both parties | Yes | Used to enforce Tennessee age rules. |
| Current addresses | Yes | Address information for each applicant. |
| Social Security numbers | Yes, if issued | Applicants never issued an SSN are exempt. |
| Parent or guardian name and address | Conditional | Required only if an applicant is under 18. |
| Oath or sworn statement | Yes | Both parties swear to the application. |
| Government photo ID | Yes in practice | Driver license, state ID, passport, or similar photo ID. |
Fayette County Marriage Fees
Fayette County's exact local total is not posted online, so the fee table should be read as the Tennessee statewide framework that applies to Fayette. The typical statewide total is about $97.50 without a premarital course and about $37.50 with a valid course certificate because the $60 special privilege tax is waived. Confirm the exact local-option tax, payment method, and current total with the County Clerk at 901-465-5213.
| Component | Amount | Authority / Note |
|---|---|---|
| State privilege tax | $15.00 | TCA 67-4-411. |
| State tax retained locally for schools | $5.00 | TCA 67-4-505. |
| Local-option county tax | Up to $5.00 | By county resolution. |
| Special privilege tax | $60.00 | Waived with approved premarital course certificate. |
| Typical total without course | About $97.50 | Exact Fayette total not posted online. |
| Typical total with course | About $37.50 | Reflects waiver of the $60 portion. |
| State certified marriage certificate | $15.00 | Tennessee Office of Vital Records. |
The Tennessee marriage license tax page is the state revenue source for the license tax framework.
The revenue page confirms the state tax structure behind Fayette County marriage license costs.
The CTAS marriage license fee breakdown gives the local-government view of the fee components.
The CTAS fee breakdown helps explain why Fayette County can have a typical total while still requiring local confirmation.
Fayette County Premarital Course
The premarital preparation course can reduce the marriage license cost by waiving the $60 portion of the fee. The course must last at least 4 hours and be completed within 1 year before the application. Parties may attend together or separately. A Certificate of Completion signed by the instructor must be presented to the County Clerk.
Approved instructors include psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed marital and family therapists, clinical pastoral therapists, licensed professional counselors, psychological examiners, official representatives of religious institutions, and other approved instructors meeting Tennessee guidelines. The CTAS premarital course discount page documents the waiver rules.
The discount page is useful because the County Clerk's local page does not publish the full course-detail rules online.
Fayette County Marriage Record Copies
Recent license and certificate copies can be requested from the Fayette County Clerk. Statewide certified copies are available through the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Vital Records. The state certified copy fee in the research is $15. Orders can be made online through VitalChek, by mail to Tennessee Vital Records at the Andrew Johnson Tower in Nashville, or in person. The state form is PH-1670 and requires the application plus a photocopy of one signed government ID.
Historical and genealogy research uses the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Fayette County was formed in 1824, and Tennessee counties were not required to keep bound marriage books until 1838. The research notes Fayette marriage records beginning in 1838 and TSLA holdings including marriage records from 1838 to 1857, plus older local court and church material.
Find Fayette County Divorce Records
Fayette County divorce records are court records. Divorces can be filed in Chancery Court through Clerk and Master Amy Anderson or in Circuit Court. The Chancery office is at 16755 Highway 64, Suite 210, Somerville, with mailing to P.O. Box 220, and the phone number in research is 901-465-5219. Divorce case files are public court records, but sensitive details such as financial data, child information, Social Security numbers, sealed material, or redacted filings may not be available in the same way as the docket or final decree.
Tennessee divorce residency depends on where the grounds arose. If grounds arose in Tennessee while the plaintiff was a resident, no extra durational period is required. If grounds arose outside Tennessee, the plaintiff or defendant must have lived in Tennessee for 6 months before filing. No-fault divorce grounds include irreconcilable differences and two years' separation with no minor children. Tennessee also has fault grounds such as adultery, desertion, felony conviction, bigamy, cruel and inhuman treatment, and other listed grounds.
For probate, estates, name changes, and other Chancery matters tied to the same Clerk and Master office, use the Fayette County Chancery Court record page.
Fayette County Divorce Process
A Fayette County divorce starts with a verified complaint filed in Chancery Court or Circuit Court. Agreed cases attach a Marital Dissolution Agreement and, when minor children are involved, an agreed permanent parenting plan. The spouse is served unless a waiver or answer is filed. Contested cases may go through mediation, and a final hearing produces the Final Decree of Divorce. Name restoration can be requested in the decree.
- Confirm Tennessee residency and the correct court for filing.
- File the verified Complaint for Divorce with the Clerk and Master or Circuit Court.
- Pay the filing fee or file a pauper's oath or affidavit of indigency when eligible.
- Serve the spouse or file an answer or waiver in an agreed case.
- If minor children are involved, complete the parenting plan and parent-education seminar requirements.
- Complete mediation if ordered by the court.
- Wait the statutory period: 60 days with no minor children or 90 days with minor children.
- Attend the final hearing and obtain certified copies of the decree from the clerk.
The Tennessee parent education seminar rules explain the 4-hour seminar for cases involving minor children.
The seminar rule matters because divorce records with minor children often include parenting-plan and education-compliance steps.
Fayette County Marriage Record Limits
Tennessee does not allow new common-law marriages to be created in the state, but it recognizes a valid common-law marriage created in a state that permits it. Same-sex marriage is legal in all Tennessee counties. Annulment is different from divorce because it treats the marriage as never valid. Void marriages, such as bigamy or incest, are invalid from the start, while voidable marriages are valid until annulled.
Tennessee does not currently offer covenant marriage. The research flags the Covenant Marriage Act, HB0315/SB0737 in the 114th General Assembly, as pending and taken off notice in committee as of April 1, 2026. The Tennessee General Assembly bill status page is the relevant source for that pending proposal.
The bill page is included because the research specifically warns not to state that Tennessee already offers covenant marriage.