Bell County Marriage License: Requirements, Fees, and Waiting Period

A Bell County marriage license costs $66, is issued the same day at the County Clerk offices in Belton, Killeen, or Temple, and carries a 72-hour waiting period before the ceremony. Both applicants must appear together in person with government-issued photo ID. Couples who complete the state’s Twogether in Texas premarital course pay just $6 and skip the waiting period entirely.¹

Who Can Apply

Texas Family Code Chapter 2 sets the eligibility rules. You must be at least 18 to apply on your own. Applicants under 18 can only get a license if a Texas court has issued an order removing the disabilities of minority. Parental consent alone is not enough.²

Neither applicant can already be married to someone else. The clerk will not issue a license if either person has an existing marriage that hasn’t been legally dissolved.²

Marriage between close relatives is prohibited. A marriage is void if the parties are related as parent and child (or any direct ancestor/descendant), siblings including half-siblings, aunt or uncle and niece or nephew, or any of those same relationships created through adoption.³

Recently divorced? There’s a 30-day wait. The clerk cannot issue a license until the 31st day after your divorce decree was signed. The one exception is remarrying your former spouse.⁴

What to Bring

Each applicant needs unexpired, government-issued photo ID. Bell County accepts a driver’s license, state-issued ID, military ID, or passport. A foreign passport must contain a valid visa. A Matricula Consular card is not accepted. If you’re using a foreign birth certificate, bring a certified English translation.¹

You’ll also need to provide your Social Security number if you have one. The physical card isn’t required; knowing the number is enough. The SSN is kept confidential and doesn’t appear on the printed license.² Applicants without an SSN can note that on the application.

How to Apply

Start online. Bell County uses a web portal where you enter names, dates of birth, birthplaces, and parent information before your visit. Completing this step generates a transaction number you’ll bring to the counter.¹ Check every field carefully. A misspelled name or wrong date flows straight onto your license, and fixing it later means filing a formal amendment.

Both applicants then visit one of the three County Clerk locations, in Belton, Killeen, or Temple, together and in person. You’ll verify your identities, show your photo IDs, and sign the application under oath. The clerk processes payment and prints the license on the spot. The printed license is what you hand to your officiant. The clerk’s office doesn’t perform ceremonies.¹

Fees and the Twogether in Texas Discount

The standard fee is $66. Personal checks are not accepted. Bring cash, a money order, or a debit or credit card.¹

Couples who complete a Twogether in Texas premarital education course pay only $6, a $60 savings, and the 72-hour waiting period is waived.¹ The course has to be completed within one year before you apply, and you must present the official Twogether in Texas certificate at the counter. Certificates from other premarital programs don’t qualify. Approved providers offer both in-person and online courses, and you can search by ZIP code on the Twogether in Texas website.⁵

Waiting Period, Waivers, and Expiration

Texas law requires a 72-hour wait after the license is issued before the ceremony can happen.⁶ Three groups can skip it:

Active-duty military members, by presenting a military ID at application.
Civilian Department of Defense employees and contractors.
Couples who present a valid Twogether in Texas certificate.

A judge can also grant a written waiver for good cause. County judges, family court judges, appellate judges, and justices of the Texas Supreme Court or Court of Criminal Appeals all have authority to issue one.⁶

The license expires if it hasn’t been used before the 90th day after issuance. If it expires, you’ll have to start over with a new application and pay the fee again.²

Who Can Perform the Ceremony

Texas limits officiants to four categories:

Licensed or ordained Christian ministers and priests.
Jewish rabbis.
Officers of a religious organization who are authorized by that organization to conduct marriages.
Current, former, or retired federal or state judges.

Bell County’s Justice of the Peace offices perform civil ceremonies as well.⁷⁸ If you’re choosing a religious officiant or judge from outside the county, confirm they fall within one of the authorized categories before the wedding, because a ceremony performed by someone who doesn’t qualify can create problems when the marriage is recorded.

Returning the License After the Ceremony

Your officiant has to record the ceremony date and county on the license, sign it, and return it to the Bell County Clerk who issued it within 30 days.² That return is what makes your marriage part of the public record. If the officiant doesn’t send it back on time, follow up. You’ll need a certified copy of the recorded license for name changes, insurance enrollment, and other tasks that come after the wedding.

1
Bell County, Texas. Marriage Licenses
2
State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 2 – The Marriage Relationship
3
State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 6.201 – Void Marriage Based on Relationship
4
State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 6.801 – Remarriage
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Twogether In Texas. Welcome to Twogether In Texas
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State of Texas. Texas Family Code Section 2-204 – 72-Hour Waiting Period
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State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 2.202 – Persons Authorized to Conduct Ceremony
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Bell County, Texas. Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, Place 2 – Wedding Information