Your Augusta Marriage License in One Trip: The Richmond County Probate Court Playbook. Richmond County GA marriage license.
To get a marriage license in Augusta, Georgia, you and your partner go together to the Richmond County Probate Court at 735 James Brown Blvd., Suite 1000, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Bring a valid photo ID, your Social Security numbers, and a certified divorce decree if either of you was married before. The license costs $76, or $36 if you finished six hours of premarital education in the last 12 months, and there is no waiting period in Georgia.
The details below will save you a second trip downtown and a small argument in the car.
Where do you get a marriage license in Augusta, GA? Richmond County GA marriage license
Every Augusta marriage license comes from the Richmond County Probate Court, which sits inside the Augusta Judicial Center at 735 James Brown Blvd., Suite 1000, Augusta, GA 30901. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, and the court does not start new applications after 4:00.
The court says the whole application takes about 20 to 30 minutes once you are at the counter. We tell couples to plan on an hour.
Can you apply for an Augusta marriage license online?
Partly. You can start the application online through the Georgia Probate Records portal at georgiaprobaterecords.com. You still have to finish the process in person at the probate court, and both of you must be there.
Do both people have to be there?
Yes. Both applicants must appear in person, with their own ID. You also need to be at least 18 to apply without parental consent.
What do you need to bring to get married in Richmond County?
Here is the checklist we text to our couples before their probate court visit:
One valid ID each. The court accepts a driver's license, a state ID card, a certified birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship, military discharge papers, and a few other documents showing your full name and date of birth.
Your Social Security numbers. You will be asked for them on the application.
A certified divorce or annulment decree if either of you was previously married. A photocopy will not do; it needs to be certified.
Your premarital education certificate if you are claiming the discount (more on that below).
The date and place of your wedding. The court asks for it, so know your venue before you go.
Payment. Cash, money order, or credit card. Card payments carry a convenience fee, and the court does not accept tap to pay.
No blood test is required in Georgia, and you will not need witnesses at the courthouse.
How much is a marriage license in Augusta, GA?
A Richmond County marriage license costs $76. If you and your partner completed at least six hours of premarital education within the past 12 months, bring the certificate and the fee drops to $36.
After your wedding, the court can issue certified copies of your license. Those run $10 per certified copy plus a $10 research fee, and a plain copy is $1. You will want one for your name change.
Fees and rules were checked against the Richmond County Probate Court website on October 7, 2026. Courts update these from time to time, so give the court a quick call before you go if your trip is weeks away.
Do you have to live in Richmond County to get married in Augusta?
Not at all. Georgia has no residency requirement and no waiting period. If at least one of you lives in Georgia, you can pick up your license from any Georgia probate court and use it anywhere in the state.
If neither of you lives in Georgia, the rule changes. You must get the license from the probate court in the county where the ceremony will happen. Marrying at a Richmond County venue? Get your license in Richmond County.
Can you get married at the Richmond County courthouse?
We get this question constantly, and the answer surprises people. The Richmond County Probate Judge does not perform marriage ceremonies at the courthouse. The court notes that a judge from another court may agree to marry you, but you have to contact that court directly and ask.
That leaves a lot of couples standing in the lobby with a fresh license and no one to sign it. This is exactly why Augusta Officiant exists. Plenty of couples walk out of the probate court with a brand new license and nobody lined up to sign it. That is where we come in. Augusta Officiant is a preferred partner of the Richmond County Probate Court, and our License Signing is made for couples who want it legal, simple, and done. It is $60 when you come to us, or $100 if we meet you anywhere in Augusta or Richmond County, like your favorite park, your living room, or a quiet bench on the Riverwalk. Say your I do's, sign the paperwork, and go celebrate over lunch.
Who can legally sign a marriage license in Georgia?
Georgia law allows judges, magistrates, city recorders, and ministers or others authorized by their religious society to perform a marriage. Here in Augusta, though, the law is only half the story. Many Richmond County venues now require your officiant to hold both a business license and liability insurance, which rules out most friends and family members. Nick, our officiating minister, carries both, and he has married more than 1,200 couples across the CSRA. A wrong date or a missing signature is not happening on his watch.
What happens to the license after the wedding?
Once your ceremony is done, your officiant completes and signs the license. With Augusta Officiant, Nick fills it out right there at the ceremony and hands it back to you. You then return it to the Richmond County Probate Court, in person or by mail, within 30 days of the wedding. Couples who drop it off themselves usually get their recorded copies faster.
According to the court, if your officiant signed the license you are legally married even before it is recorded. Your marriage just is not registered with the state of Georgia until the signed license makes it back to the probate court. So do not leave it in the glovebox.
Why Augusta venues now ask for a licensed, insured officiant
Here is something many couples do not hear until it is too late. A growing number of Richmond County wedding venues now require officiants to carry both a business license and a liability insurance policy. Venues have seen too many well meaning friends no show, get the paperwork wrong, or sign a license in a way that kept the marriage from going through.
Augusta Officiant holds a business license and is the only fully insured officiant in the CSRA, with $2 million in liability coverage. We have been the primary officiant team at Windsor Manor since 2022, and we also offer ceremonies in English and Spanish.
Which Augusta Officiant package fits your plans?
License Signing, $60. Short, legal, and sweet.
Elopement Ceremony, $200. Heartfelt words for the two of you or a small group.
Custom Ceremony, $400. Written around your story, with vows and unity rituals.
Payment plans are available. Every booking also supports the Augusta Birth Center, a 501(c)(3), because we are a family run, foster family operated business and our community matters to us.
Richmond County marriage license FAQ
How much does a marriage license cost in Augusta, GA?
$76 at the Richmond County Probate Court, or $36 with a certificate showing six hours of premarital education completed in the last 12 months.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Augusta?
No. Georgia has no waiting period, so you can get married the same day your license is issued.
What are the Richmond County Probate Court marriage license hours?
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. No new applications are accepted after 4:00 p.m.
Can the probate judge marry us at the Augusta courthouse?
No. The Richmond County Probate Judge does not perform marriage ceremonies. Many couples book a License Signing with Augusta Officiant instead, starting at $60.
Do we need a blood test or witnesses?
Georgia does not require a blood test, and the court does not require witnesses to issue your license.
How long do we have to return the signed marriage license?
The signed license must be back at the Richmond County Probate Court within 30 days of the wedding. You drop it off or mail it yourselves, and then you can order certified copies for your name change.
Ready to make it official in Augusta?
You handle the probate court. We will handle the rest. Whether you want a five minute license signing or a full ceremony at your dream venue, Katie and Nick would love to marry you. Check our dates and book at augustaofficiant.com, and read what couples are saying in our 5 star Google reviews.
Richmond County GA marriage license.
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