Clay County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Clay County are issued by the Clay County Recorder, not by District Court Administration. The Recorder is Kimberly S. Savageau. The office is at the Clay County Government Center, Door 1, 3510 12th Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56560. General office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the county marriage license page says license applications are accepted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. No appointment is needed. Both applicants must appear in person, present proof of age, complete signatures at the Recorder's Office, and pay the required fee.
The Clay County marriage license page is the controlling local source for license requirements. Acceptable proof of age includes a certified birth certificate, driver's license, other government-issued identification card, or a school, immigration, naturalization, court, or other government-issued document that contains date of birth. Applicants must be at least 18. No blood test is required. The county also allows an online pre-application through the Minnesota Official Marriage System, but the form does not replace the in-person completion step at the Recorder's Office.
The official Clay County marriage license source shows the local license process and fee rules.
That local license page is useful because it separates Clay County marriage license steps from later marriage certificate requests.
Apply for Clay County Marriage Records
The Clay County marriage application starts online if applicants choose the pre-application route, but it ends in person at the Recorder's Office. The county says the online application does not need to be printed. Applicants must complete the in-person process within 90 days. If one applicant cannot appear in person, the county tells applicants to contact the Recorder's Office to discuss options, so that exception should not be assumed from the online form alone.
- Open the MOMS pre-application if using the online start, or go directly to the Recorder's Office during Clay County marriage application hours.
- Bring proof of age for both applicants. Use one of the document types Clay County lists, such as a driver's license or certified birth certificate.
- Disclose any prior marriage. The application must state whether it ended by death, divorce, or annulment, plus the termination date and location.
- Sign the application in person at the Recorder's Office. Both applicants sign when the application is completed and paid.
- Pay the standard or reduced fee. A reduced fee requires the premarital education statement at the time of application.
- Use the issued license in Minnesota within the county's stated validity period. Clay County says no refunds are issued.
The Minnesota Official Marriage System supports online marriage searching and pre-application activity for Clay County records.
MOMS is best read as a statewide tool tied to the county that holds the marriage certificate, not as a District Court divorce lookup.
Clay County Marriage Application Fields
The application field inventory comes from Clay County's own requirements. Some fields are always needed, such as both applicants' legal names and proof of age. Other fields are conditional. Prior marriage details matter only if an applicant was married before. The premarital education statement matters only for the reduced fee. Payment is required in all cases, and credit card use may add a convenience fee.
| Field or item | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant 1 legal name | Text | Yes | Used in the online pre-application and final in-person signing. |
| Applicant 2 legal name | Text | Yes | Both applicants must appear in person unless the Recorder discusses another option. |
| Date of birth and proof of age | Date and document | Yes | Clay County lists government, school, immigration, naturalization, court, and birth records as possible proof. |
| Prior marriage termination type | Text or selection | Conditional | Death, divorce, or annulment must be reported when there was a prior marriage. |
| Prior marriage termination details | Date and place | Conditional | Date, city, state, and county of termination are required when applicable. |
| Premarital education statement | Document | Optional | Needed only for the reduced license fee. |
| Payment | Cash, check, or card | Yes | Card payments may include a convenience fee. |
| Signatures | In-person signature | Yes | Completed at the Recorder's Office when the application is finished. |
Note: The online pre-application helps start the license record, but Clay County still requires in-person completion and payment.
Clay County Marriage Record Fees
Clay County publishes license amounts in the marriage license instructions. The county also says requesters must pay the corresponding certificate fees when ordering marriage certificates, but the open research text did not locate the exact certificate copy amount. Divorce copy fees were not located in the Clay-specific research either. For divorce decrees, the better path is to contact District Court Administration before mailing payment because certified court copies are handled by the court office, not by the Recorder.
| Item | Amount or rule | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Standard marriage license | $125 | Clay County marriage license page. |
| Reduced marriage license | $50 | Requires at least 12 hours of premarital education and a signed, dated, notarized or church-sealed educator statement on letterhead. |
| Replacement marriage license | $25 | Clay County marriage license page. |
| Marriage certificate copy | Fee not located in captured Clay text | Clay County says to pay corresponding fees when requesting by mail, in person, or online. |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Fee not located in captured Clay text | Request through Clay County District Court Administration. |
The county also gives a special name-change warning. Applicants with a felony conviction cannot change a name through the marriage application. Clay County points those applicants to the District Court name-change process under Minn. Stat. 259.10 and the felony-related marriage name-change rule in Minn. Stat. 259.13.
The Minnesota name-change statute is part of the Clay County marriage guidance for applicants who need a court order.
The statute link matters because a court name change is separate from a routine marriage license name selection.
The Minnesota felony name-change statute explains why Clay County flags felony convictions in marriage application instructions.
That follow-up court route prevents a marriage license from being used where Minnesota law requires District Court review.
Look Up Clay County Marriage Records
Marriage certificate requests go through the Clay County Recorder because the marriage certificate is filed in the county where the license was obtained. That is not always the county where the ceremony occurred. Clay County lists three request channels: in person at the Government Center, by mail to the Recorder, or online through MOMS. In-person and mail requests need the names of the two applicants and the date of marriage. Mail requests use the county's Request for Marriage Certificate PDF and payment by check or money order.
Online requests start with MOMS. Clay County says MOMS is best searched by first and last name only. After finding the record, a requester clicks Request Copy, completes the request form, and follows the payment site prompts. The statewide system can route the request to the custodial county. If Clay County issued the license, Clay County is the relevant county. If a couple married in Clay County but obtained the license elsewhere, the certificate should be requested from the issuing county instead.
The Clay County marriage records page lays out the in-person, mail, and online certificate channels.
Those certificate channels are Recorder services, while divorce decrees remain District Court family records.
Clay County Divorce Record Search
Divorce records are District Court family files. They are not Recorder marriage records. A Clay County divorce case can be searched in MCRO Case Search by party name or case number, with the Family category and Clay court location used as filters when needed. Public remote documents in family case types are limited. The research notes that for documents filed on or after July 1, 2015, MCRO provides only orders, appellate opinions, and court-generated notices in family case types. Pleadings, financial affidavits, parenting papers, and sensitive items may not be remotely available even when the case itself is public.
For a certified copy of a divorce decree, contact Clay County District Court Administration at the Clay County Courthouse, 807 N. 11th Street, Moorhead, MN 56560, phone 218-227-7040. Court Administration is the local office for certified court documents because MCRO is not the certified official record. A divorce file may include the petition, summons, financial affidavits, parenting documents, child support materials, orders, judgment and decree, and post-decree motions. Sensitive financial identifiers and minor information may be restricted or redacted.
The manifest also includes the Moorhead Police Department mobile app listing, which is a local law-enforcement channel rather than a divorce record source.
That distinction is important: police reports and tips do not replace a District Court divorce decree or family case record.
Note: For legal use, request a certified divorce decree from Court Administration rather than relying on an online case display.