Getting a Marriage License in Cameron County
Marriage licenses are County Clerk records. Sylvia Garza-Perez is the Cameron County Clerk, and her office handles marriage license information and vital statistics along with official public records. You apply in person at a County Clerk office. The main office is at 835 East Levee Street, 3rd Floor, in Brownsville. Branch offices in Harlingen, San Benito, and La Feria also serve county residents, though the La Feria annex keeps limited days. A license issued by the County Clerk is valid for a Texas ceremony, so most couples in Brownsville, Harlingen, and the rest of the county start here.
Both parties usually need to appear together. Each person brings a valid government photo ID. Texas does not require a blood test. After the clerk issues the license, Texas sets a 72-hour waiting period before the ceremony. That wait can be waived for active-duty military members or by a court order. The license then expires if it is not used within 90 days. Couples who finish a state-approved premarital education course may pay a reduced license fee. Confirm the current new-license fee with the County Clerk before you go, since fee schedules change.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The steps are simple, but it helps to plan ahead. Bring the right ID, leave time for the waiting period, and decide on the ceremony date first. Here is the basic order.
- Both applicants go to a Cameron County Clerk office together, in Brownsville, Harlingen, or San Benito.
- Each person presents a valid government-issued photo ID and gives basic identity and prior-marriage information.
- Both parties complete and sign the marriage license application in front of the clerk.
- Pay the license fee; ask about the discount if you finished an approved premarital education course.
- Observe the 72-hour waiting period after issuance, unless you qualify for a military or court-ordered waiver.
- Hold the ceremony within 90 days, since the license expires after that window.
Note: The 72-hour wait runs from the time the license is issued, not from the day of the ceremony, so apply at least three days early.
Marriage License Application Fields
The County Clerk marriage forms ask for the same core facts you would expect on any Texas license. The certified copy request form, used to order a record after the fact, gives a good picture of the data the office keeps. You will give names for both applicants, the marriage date, and your own contact details. Maiden names and other prior last names matter, since a record can be filed under a former name.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full Legal Name (both applicants) | Yes | First, middle, and last for each party. |
| Maiden / Other Last Names | Yes | Applicant 2 form asks for maiden or other last name; helps find older records. |
| Date of Marriage | Yes | Month, day, and year; needed on the certified copy request. |
| Requester Name and Address | Yes | Street, apartment, city, state, ZIP, and phone for the person ordering. |
| Mailing Address (if different) | No | Checkbox for "same as above"; fill only if mail goes elsewhere. |
| Number of Copies | Yes | Drives the fee, since each certified copy is priced per copy. |
| Signature and Date | Yes | Requester signs; office-use fields record receipt and license number. |
Texas law also protects some marriage application information under Government Code Section 552.141, which is one reason the clerk asks for specific identifiers before releasing a record.
Cameron County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage record fees are set by the County Clerk. Divorce filing and decree fees run through the District Clerk and the district court. The amounts below come from official County Clerk forms and the county fee schedule. Marriage record prices are firm; new-license and divorce filing amounts can shift, so confirm before you pay.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified marriage record | $21 per copy |
| Verification of marriage only | $20 |
| Debit/credit surcharge (in person) | $5.95 added per transaction |
| Plain copy of a court document | $1 per page |
| Certified copy of a court document | $5 plus $1 per page, per document |
| Records search | $5 |
By mail, the County Clerk accepts checks or money orders only, and no refunds are given. In person, you may also pay by cash, debit, or credit, with the $5.95 card surcharge added.
How to Look Up Cameron County Marriage Records
Marriage records are County Clerk records, so a Cameron County marriage records search starts there. The County Clerk page lists marriage license information and vital statistics among its services. You can order a certified copy in person at a County Clerk office or by mail. The County Clerk also points users to its official records and judicial search tools, and the Cameron County Clerk page is the hub for those services.
To find a record, you usually need the names of both spouses and the marriage date. The certified copy request form asks for applicant 1 and applicant 2 names, including maiden or other last names, plus the month, day, and year of the marriage. Mail requests go to the Cameron County Clerk's Office, ATTN: Marriage License, P.O. Box 2178, Brownsville, TX 78522. Include a money order or check, since the office does not accept cash by mail. For older or hard-to-find records, call the Civil and Probate office at (956) 544-0826 before mailing payment.
How to Find Cameron County Divorce Records
Divorce records are district court files. Laura Perez-Reyes is the Cameron County District Clerk, and her office is the custodian for divorces filed in the district courts. The District Clerk page lists divorces among the case types filed in district court, alongside child support, adoptions, and personal injury. So a divorce decree, the petition, and the case docket all live with the District Clerk, not the County Clerk.
You can search divorce cases through the District Clerk's linked court tools, which include the Tyler Public Portal, the statewide re:SearchTX site, a Kofile quick link, and iDocket for calendars. The statewide portal is at re:SearchTX, where public users can search by party name and case number. To order copies, contact the District Clerk Records Department at dcrecords@co.cameron.tx.us or (956) 574-8130. A divorce decree is often public, but filings that involve children, financial account numbers, protective orders, or adoption can be redacted or sealed. For a deeper look at the office that holds these files, see the Cameron County District Clerk page.
Texas allows no-fault divorce based on insupportability, which means the marriage broke down with no reasonable chance of reconciliation. Fault grounds also exist. Residency rules generally require that a spouse has lived in Texas for six months and in the county for 90 days before filing. Petitions are filed in a Cameron County district court, often through e-filing, and the final decree is signed by the judge and filed with the District Clerk.
Getting Certified Copies
A certified copy is more than a photocopy. The clerk issues it as an official copy suitable for legal use, with a seal and signature. A plain copy is fine for personal review, but many agencies will not accept it. Certified divorce decrees come up for benefits, retirement claims, real property, and remarriage. Certified marriage records come up for immigration, insurance, and benefits matters.
Certified vs plain: Banks, title companies, and government agencies usually require a certified copy. An uncertified printout from an online portal is generally not accepted as official proof.
For court documents, the County Clerk charges $5 plus $1 per page for a certified copy, per document, and $1 per page for a plain copy. A records search runs $5. The District Clerk Records Department handles divorce copy requests through its own email and phone. Have the names, the approximate year, and the cause number ready if you know it. That speeds up the search and cuts down on page charges across a long file.
Texas Vital Records and Statewide Search
Cameron County keeps the local marriage record, but Texas also runs statewide tools. The Texas Department of State Health Services keeps a verification index of marriages and divorces recorded across the state. That index confirms whether and where an event was recorded; it does not replace the certified copy from the county. For court files statewide, the District Clerk links the public re:SearchTX portal. The County Clerk also lists Texas Court Help and the Texas State Law Library as self-help resources for forms and guidance.
Cameron County Clerk, Civil & Probate
974 E. Harrison St., 2nd Floor
Brownsville, TX 78520
(956) 544-0826
Texas Court Help (Self-Help)
Statewide online resource
Forms and guides for family cases
No fee to use
Use the statewide tools to confirm where a record is filed, then order the certified copy from the office that holds it.