Courthouse Wedding in Augusta, GA: The Probate Judge Will Not Marry You, So Do This

Short answer first. If you searched courthouse wedding Augusta GA hoping to pick up a license and be married by the judge down the hall, it does not work that way here. The Richmond County probate judge does not perform wedding ceremonies. You get your marriage license at the courthouse, and then an officiant marries you, often on the same day. Here is how couples actually do it, step by step.

Can you get married at the Richmond County courthouse?

Not by the probate judge. The Probate Court's own FAQ asks this exact question and answers that the Probate Judge does not perform marriage ceremonies. What the Probate Court does is issue your license.

The same FAQ notes that a judge from a different court may marry you, and that you must contact that court directly. The city's Civil and Magistrate Court page says its judges conduct marriage ceremonies periodically, and it links to a form for checking available dates and times. We cannot speak for their calendar or their process, so look there if being married by a judge matters to you.

Most couples we meet want something simpler. They want it legal, quick, and on a day that suits them. That takes three steps.

What do Augusta couples do instead?

Step 1: Get your marriage license at the Probate Court

The first stop for any courthouse wedding Augusta GA couples plan is the Richmond County Probate Court, at 735 James Brown Blvd, Suite 1000. Licenses are handled 8:30 to 4:00, Monday to Friday, and no applications start after 4. Both of you have to be there. The fee is $76, or $36 if you completed a qualifying premarital education course of at least six hours and bring the certificate, which the court wants dated within the last 12 months. The court takes cash, money order, or card with a fee, and no tap to pay.

The court says the application takes about 20 to 30 minutes and that you receive the license the day you apply. You can save time by starting the application online on the court's marriage license page, then finishing in person. Bring these with you.

• Proof of age for each of you, such as a valid driver's license. The court lists other documents it accepts.

• A certified copy of the divorce or annulment decree if either of you was married before, or a certified death certificate if a marriage ended with a spouse's death.

• Your Social Security numbers and your parents' names and birthplaces, which the application asks for.

• Payment in a form the court accepts.

Fees and hours here were checked in October 2026 and courts do change them, so call before you drive over. Our Richmond County marriage license guide covers the visit in more detail.

Step 2: Choose how you want to be married

The closest thing to a courthouse wedding Augusta GA couples can book with us is a License Signing. There is no ceremony. We meet, we complete the license properly, and you are legally married. If you would like a few words and a few guests, there are two more options.

• License Signing: $60 when you come to us, $100 when we meet you anywhere in Augusta or Richmond County. Often possible the same day.

• Elopement Ceremony: $200. A short ceremony with a set script, standard vows, and a ring exchange, for up to 20 guests. No rehearsal.

• Custom Ceremony: $400. Written from scratch for you, with one planning meeting, and we attend the rehearsal.

Payment plans are available on every package, split into as many payments as you like.

Step 3: Take the signed license back to the Probate Court

At the signing or ceremony we complete and sign your license and hand it to you. You return it to the Probate Court yourselves, in person or by mail, within 30 days. Doing it yourselves gets your recorded license back faster. The court's FAQ says a marriage is not recorded and registered with the state until the signed license comes back.

When you return it, ask for certified copies. They are $10 each in Richmond County. You will need them for a name change, and military couples need one for DEERS enrollment.

How fast can a courthouse style wedding happen in Augusta?

Fast. Georgia has no waiting period, no residency requirement, no witness requirement, and no blood test. The license is usually issued the same day, and a License Signing is often possible that day too. License in the morning and married by the afternoon is realistic on many days, as long as you message us before you head downtown.

Fort Eisenhower military couples are a big part of our work, and orders do not wait for a Saturday in June. One rule to know if you are coming from out of state: couples who do not live in Georgia must get the license in the county where the ceremony takes place.

What does it cost compared with a courthouse wedding?

Most people who search courthouse wedding Augusta GA want two things, quick and inexpensive. With a License Signing, the total is the court's license fee plus $60 or $100 to us. Our fees also support the Augusta Birth Center, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Some Georgia courts do hold ceremonies. Fulton County's probate court in Atlanta offers free Friday ceremonies from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for couples with a Fulton license and up to 6 guests. That is a long drive from Augusta for a short ceremony. We compared the two routes in our post on a courthouse wedding in Atlanta versus hiring an officiant.

Who will be signing our license?

One of our three officiants: Nick, Katie, or Jonathan. We are veteran owned and family run, we are a preferred partner of the Richmond County and Columbia County probate courts, and we have married more than 1,200 couples across the CSRA. A marriage license with a wrong date or a missing signature causes real trouble later, so filling it out correctly is the part we take most seriously.

Courthouse wedding Augusta GA FAQ

Does the Richmond County probate judge perform weddings?

No. The Richmond County Probate Court issues marriage licenses, but its own FAQ says the Probate Judge does not perform marriage ceremonies.

Can another judge in Augusta marry us?

Possibly. The city's Civil and Magistrate Court page says its judges conduct marriage ceremonies periodically. Contact that court directly for dates and details.

Can we get our license and be married on the same day?

Often, yes. Georgia has no waiting period, the license is usually issued the same day, and a License Signing with us is often possible the same day. Message us first to check.

How much does a License Signing cost?

It is $60 when you come to us, or $100 when we meet you anywhere in Augusta or Richmond County. The marriage license fee is separate and is paid to the probate court.

Do we need witnesses for a license signing in Georgia?

No. Georgia does not require witnesses, a blood test, or a waiting period.

Who returns the marriage license after it is signed?

You do. We complete and sign the license and hand it to you, and you take or mail it back to the probate court within 30 days of the ceremony.

Ready to make it legal?

If a courthouse wedding Augusta GA style is what you had in mind, simple and legal and done, tell us when you plan to get your license and we will check our calendar. Payment plans are available on every package. To see how it went for other couples, read our 5 star Google reviews.