A person wanting to apply for a Dakota County marriage license can go to the Dakota County website for further information.
Marriage licenses in Dakota County are currently available at:
- Administration Center – Hastings
- Northern Service Center – West St. Paul
- Western Service Center – Apple Valley
Both parties must be present, there is a general fee of $115.00 (however, that fee is reduced to $40 if 12 hours of premarital is completed), and the marriage ceremony must take place in Minnesota.
Below is the actual language of the law as stated in Minnesota Statute 517.07 as it relates to marriage licenses in the state:
Section 517.07 LicenseBefore any persons are joined in marriage in Minnesota, a license shall be obtained from the local registrar of any county within Minnesota. The marriage need not take place in the county where the license is obtained but must take place within the geographical borders of Minnesota.
Furthermore, below is the actual language contained in Minnesota State 517.08 for the form that married couples must fill out at the licensing office:
Subd. 1a. Form.
Application for a marriage license shall be made by both of the parties upon a form provided for the purpose and shall contain the following information:
(1) the full names of the parties and the sex of each party;
(2) their post office addresses and county and state of residence;
(3) their full ages;
(4) if either party has previously been married, the party’s married name, and the date, place and court in which the marriage was dissolved or annulled or the date and place of death of the former spouse;
(5) if either party is a minor, the name and address of the minor’s parents or guardian;
(6) whether the parties are related to each other, and, if so, their relationship;
(7) address of the bride and groom after the marriage to which the local registrar shall send a certified copy of the marriage certificate;
(8) the full names the parties will have after marriage and the parties’ Social Security numbers. The Social Security numbers must be collected for the application but must not appear on the marriage license. If a party listed on a marriage application does not have a Social Security number, the party must certify on the application, or a supplement to the application, that the party does not have a Social Security number;
(9) if one or both of the parties to the marriage license has a felony conviction under Minnesota law or the law of another state or federal jurisdiction, the parties shall provide to the county proof of service upon the prosecuting authority and, if applicable, the attorney general, as required by section 259.13 ; and
(10) notice that a party who has a felony conviction under Minnesota law or the law of anotherstate or federal jurisdiction may not use a different name after marriage except as authorized by section 259.13 , and that doing so is a gross misdemeanor.
. . .
The form includes identifying information on the people who wish to be married. This enables the State of Minnesota to have valid record on all marrying couples.
As I discussed in a prior post, Minnesota marriages are a civil contract. This means that marrying couples are “contracting” with each other and the state, in turn, will recognize the validity of the marriage. Once a valid marriage is entered into, the married couple is entitled to many extra-benefits which are only available to married persons.
-For further information about Minnesota marraiges licenses or questions about Minnesota law as it relates to marriages, contact Joseph M. Flanders, an Apple Valley MN family lawyer.
