Howard County Marriage Licenses
The Howard County Clerk issues marriage licenses at 104 N. Buckeye St., Room 202, Kokomo, IN 46901. The clerk phone is 765-456-2000, and posted hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Indiana's statewide marriage-license rules require both future spouses to appear in person at the clerk's office in an Indiana county where one applicant resides. Out-of-state residents must apply in the Indiana county where the marriage will be solemnized.
Indiana licenses are valid for 60 days from issuance and may be used the same day. Applicants must bring acceptable proof of date of birth, provide Social Security number information, report prior marriage end dates when applicable, and provide parent family or genealogical information. The clerk cannot issue a license when a legal bar applies, such as age ineligibility, close relation, intoxication, unsound-mind status not removed, or a lifetime sex or violent offender issue without the required affidavit and notice.
The statewide Indiana marriage-license application page is the main source for eligibility, timing, identification, and fees.
The state application source supplies the rules Howard County applies when issuing a local marriage license.
Apply for a Howard License
Before applying, confirm whether Howard County is the correct county for the license. Indiana residents may apply in the county where either applicant resides. Out-of-state applicants use the county where the ceremony will occur. Both applicants should be ready to appear together and pay the required fee.
- Confirm that Howard County is the proper Indiana county for the application.
- Gather identification showing date of birth and current address, such as a valid driver's license, passport, birth record, or other accepted record.
- Bring Social Security number information, prior marriage end dates, and parent family details for both applicants.
- Both applicants appear at the Howard County Clerk's Office in Room 202.
- Pay the resident or out-of-state license fee and ask whether any document fee is collected locally.
- Use the license within 60 days or apply for a new license if the ceremony does not occur in time.
Howard County's clerk page also lists after-hours wedding ceremony contacts by appointment. The listed contacts are Leonard P. Burch, Mandy Lynn Carney, Mary Gibson, Diane Howard, Nicholas LaCaille, Monica Skinner, with phone numbers published by the clerk. The page says appointments are required and to leave a message if an answering machine responds.
After-hours ceremony contacts are not the same as the marriage-license application. The license still comes from the clerk, and the officiant or ceremony appointment does not replace the state requirements for eligibility, appearance, identification, fee payment, and return of the completed license. Couples should secure the license first, then confirm ceremony scheduling and return responsibilities with the officiant.
Howard Marriage Application Fields
The marriage application field inventory below follows the statewide Indiana requirements captured in the research file. The clerk may require the official state or local form exactly as presented, so applicants should use the clerk's current instructions if a field label or proof requirement changes.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal names | Yes | Both future spouses provide identifying information. |
| Date of birth proof | Yes | Birth record, judicial decree, passport, valid driver's license, immigration record, armed-forces record, or similar record may qualify. |
| Current address | Yes | Needed to determine resident versus out-of-state application path. |
| Social Security number | Yes | The number is required; the physical card may not be required. |
| Prior marriage end date | If applicable | Some counties require a certified divorce decree. |
| Parent information | Yes | Full names, last known addresses, and birthplaces for both parents. |
| Translated documents | If applicable | Non-English documents may need translated and notarized support. |
Howard County Marriage Fees
The researched fee amounts come from the Indiana Judicial Branch marriage-license page and the research notes for Howard County Clerk copy practices. Howard County-specific divorce copy and filing totals were not located in the clerk page body, so those amounts should be confirmed with the clerk before filing or mailing a copy request.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license, Indiana resident couple | $25 if one or both applicants are Indiana residents. |
| Marriage license, out-of-state residents | $65 for out-of-state residents. |
| Additional document fee | Some clerk offices add $4; verify Howard County collection with the clerk. |
| Certified marriage-license copy | $4 each. |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Amount not located in Howard County official page body; call 765-456-2000. |
| Divorce filing fee or fee waiver | Use clerk confirmation and fee-waiver form where applicable. |
Look Up Howard Marriage Records
The Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup is the public search path for many Indiana marriage-license records from 1993 forward. It contains many but not all records. Search by applicant first name, applicant last name, second applicant name, county, and date or year range where available. A lookup can help identify the county and license information, but it is not the certified certificate.
Certified copies of Howard County marriage licenses must be requested from the Howard County Clerk because the Department of Health and Indiana courts both point certified marriage copies back to the county clerk that issued the license. For older, missing, or uncertain records, call the clerk before mailing a request so the correct names, dates, fee, certification need, and return method are clear.
The official Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup is shown here.
The lookup source is useful for search, while the clerk remains the certified-copy source.
Find Howard Divorce Records
Howard County divorce case information can be searched in Indiana MyCase when the case is public. A divorce court record may show the petition, service, provisional orders, child-support entries, custody or parenting-time orders, mediation, settlement, decree, and post-decree enforcement or modification. Not all documents are online, and older-case availability varies.
Certified divorce decrees are not available online as certified records. Indiana record-request guidance says certified divorce decrees must be requested from the clerk in the county where the divorce was issued. For Howard County, that means the Howard County Clerk. Sensitive family, child, financial, medical, adoption, and identifying information may be redacted or excluded under Access Rule 5 or court order.
A divorce filing often follows this sequence: prepare Indiana divorce forms or counsel-drafted pleadings, file through e-filing if represented, file in the clerk-approved way if self-represented, pay the filing fee or request a fee waiver, serve the other party, attend hearings, and request a certified decree if needed for name change, benefits, or enforcement.
Certified Copies in Howard
A certified copy is the clerk-issued version used for legal proof. Marriage lookup results, screenshots, and ordinary printouts do not carry the same official status. Contact the Howard County Clerk at 765-456-2000 or visit Room 202 at the courthouse for certified marriage copies and certified divorce decrees. Ask for the current fee, whether a mail request is accepted, what identification is needed, and how payment should be made.
The Howard County Clerk is also the correct route when a record is not displayed online. Indiana's public-record guidance says marriage certificates and divorce decrees are not available online as certified records. The same clerk office handles marriage licenses, filings on all case types, traffic tickets, child-support histories, fines, fees, and judgment payments, so clear case or license details will help staff locate the right record.
For marriage copies, provide both spouses' names, the approximate license or ceremony date, and any lookup information found in the public marriage-license portal. For divorce decrees, provide the party names, cause number if known, and approximate filing or decree date. If a document includes child, financial, sealed, or otherwise restricted material, the public copy may be redacted or the clerk may require party status, attorney authority, or a court order.
Restricted Howard Family Records
Marriage-license information is generally more public than divorce case documents, but neither category is unlimited. Divorce cases can contain Social Security numbers, financial account details, child information, medical records, victim or witness contact details, and sealed filings. Indiana Access Rule 5 supports redaction or exclusion of protected information even when the case itself can be found in MyCase.
Adoption records are confidential and not online. Juvenile paternity records filed before July 1, 2014 remain confidential, and newer juvenile paternity records are not automatically displayed online. A party, attorney, or other authorized requester may need to use court procedures rather than public lookup when a family record is restricted.
Indiana Vital Records Role
The Indiana Department of Health marriage records page confirms that certified marriage licenses and divorce decrees are obtained from the county clerk. The state page can point users to the marriage lookup and state form options, but it does not replace the county clerk for Howard County certified copies.
The Department of Health source is assigned to this marriage and divorce record page.
The state source reinforces the local rule: lookup may be statewide, but certified marriage and divorce documents come from the county clerk.
Howard County Clerk
104 N. Buckeye St., Room 202
Kokomo, IN 46901
765-456-2000
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.