Minnesota Civil Marriage Application
On-line Marriage Application Confirmation
By completing and submitting this on-line marriage application, applicants acknowledge and accept that the application is deemed not to be accepted by the St. Louis County Recorder’s office, does not confer upon them any legal standing regarding the application for a marriage license, and does not entitle the applicants to the issuance of a marriage license until such time as the parties meet all requirements under Minnesota Law for the issuance of a marriage license.
On-line Marriage Application Submission Confirmation
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Premarital Education Requirements
- Education must be completed prior to application.
- Applicants participated in 12 hours or more premarital education.
- Education provided by a licensed or ordained minister or designee, a person authorized to solemnize civil marriages under MN Statute, Section 517.18, or a person licensed to practice marriage and family therapy under MN Statute, Section 148B.33.
- Statement must be on educator's letterhead.
- Educator's signed statement before a notary public or signed and affixed with a church seal.
- Statement contains the full legal names of the applicants.
- Statement confirms the premarital inventory, the teaching of communication and conflict management skills were taught.
All of the above requirements must be met to qualify for the reduced Marriage License fee of $40.
If requirements are not met, filing fee will be $115.00.
MN Statute 517.03 PROHIBITED CIVIL MARRIAGES.
Subdivision 1. General.
The following civil marriages are prohibited:
(1) A civil marriage entered into before the dissolution of an earlier civil marriage of one of the parties becomes final, as provided in Section 518.145 or by the law of the jurisdiction where the dissolution was granted;
(2) A civil marriage between an ancestor and a descendant, or between siblings, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood or by adoption; and
(3) A civil marriage between an uncle or aunt and a niece or nephew, or between first cousins, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood, except as to civil marriages permitted by the established customs of aboriginal cultures.
Applicants must be 18 years or older to apply for marriage in Minnesota. According to Minnesota Statute 517.02 applicants who have attained the full age of 18 years are capable in law of contracting into a civil marriage.
For more information, please call 218-726-2559.
Felon Name Change Not Allowed
- Effective August 1st, 2023, applicants with a felony conviction for a crime committed under Minnesota law or the law of another state or federal jurisdiction may no longer change their name through the marriage process.
- Individuals with a felony conviction will need to apply for a legal name change with the Court Administrator’s office in their county of residence.
- MN residents with a felony conviction may apply for a name change through district court at no charge if the person files within 180 days of the marriage and submits to the court a certified copy of the marriage certificate.
- Reference MN Statute 517.08 Sub 1a. Click here to view the statute.
Previously Married Requirements
If either party has previously been married, the application must include:
- The applicant's married name.
- The exact date, city, state and county in which the civil marriage was dissolved or annulled.
- Or the exact date, city, state and county of the death of the former spouse.