Nelson County Marriage License
Marriage licenses in Nelson County are issued by the Nelson County Clerk, not by the Circuit Court Clerk. The county clerk is the local office for the license application, the oath, the signatures, and the local marriage record after the license is issued. Both applicants must appear together and must be present to sign and swear to the application information. The license is valid for 30 days from issuance, must be used in Kentucky, and the fee is nonrefundable.
Kentucky does not require a waiting period or a blood test before a Nelson County marriage license is issued. Each applicant must bring photo identification, such as a driver's license, identification card, passport, or other photo ID. A person must be 18 to marry without special court permission. If either party is 17, the clerk may issue no license unless the person presents a certified Family Court or District Court order granting permission to marry and removing the disability of minority, and at least 15 days have passed since that order. No Nelson County marriage license is issued if either party is under 17.
The Nelson County Clerk contact page lists the clerk office at 113 E Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown, KY 40004. The main phone is 502-348-1820, and the recording or marriage-license phone option is option 5. Public hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the second Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Apply for Nelson County Marriage Records
The clerk links an official online marriage-license application vendor, but the online form is only part of the Nelson County marriage process. Applicants still need to appear together at the county clerk's office before the license is issued. Prepare names, birth details, parents' names, prior-marriage status, and photo ID before starting the application.
- Start with the county clerk's marriage-license instructions and, if useful, complete the Nelson County online marriage application.
- Both applicants should gather photo ID and the required personal and family-history details before visiting the clerk.
- Appear together at the county clerk's office so both parties can sign and swear to the application information.
- Pay the nonrefundable license fee using a payment method accepted by the clerk at the time of issuance.
- Use the license within Kentucky before the 30-day validity period ends.
The Nelson County Clerk marriage-license page is the source for local license rules and should be checked before a visit because office closings or payment instructions can change.
The county-linked online application page shows the vendor channel used before office issuance.
The application screenshot supports the key distinction: online entry can speed the license process, but final issuance still belongs to the Nelson County Clerk.
Nelson County Marriage Application Fields
The Nelson County marriage-license application asks for identifying details for each applicant and several facts tied to Kentucky eligibility rules. These fields help the clerk confirm age, identity, prior marital status, and prohibited relationships before the license is issued.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name and address | Yes | Required for each applicant. |
| Date of birth and age | Yes | Used to confirm Kentucky age rules. |
| Place of birth | Yes | Kentucky county or other state is requested. |
| Parents' names | Yes | Father's full name and mother's full first and maiden name. |
| Current status | Yes | Single, divorced, annulled, or widowed. |
| Previous marriages | Yes | Number of prior marriages for each applicant. |
| Photo ID | Yes | Driver's license, identification card, passport, or other photo ID. |
Other Nelson County marriage application fields include occupation, race, and a relationship question because first cousins are not permitted to marry in Kentucky.
Nelson County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Only fees documented in the research are listed here. The county clerk's local marriage-license fee was described as nonrefundable, but the amount was not published in the captured source. Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics certificate fees are statewide and apply to certified marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 forward.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Nelson County marriage license | Nonrefundable fee, amount not captured in source |
| Kentucky certified marriage certificate | $6 per certificate |
| Kentucky certified divorce certificate | $6 per certificate |
| OVS certificate search | $6 nonrefundable search fee included per certificate request |
| Mail payment to OVS | Check or money order payable to Kentucky State Treasurer |
Divorce filing fees and court copy charges can change. KYeCourts displayed a notice that civil filing fees increase effective July 1, 2026, under Kentucky Supreme Court orders, so divorce-case filing or copy costs should be verified with the Nelson County Circuit Court Clerk before filing or ordering.
Look Up Nelson County Marriage Records
Nelson County marriage records may be searched through the county clerk's recorded-record channels. The EZ Document Search page states that it covers land records, marriage records, and financing statements. The clerk also offers Premium Document Search for subscription access, and records remain available for public viewing at the county clerk's office. County clerk records date back to 1785, which makes the office important for older local marriage and genealogy research.
For a certified statewide marriage certificate, the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics handles marriages from June 1958 forward. Pre-June 1958 marriage certificates require calling the county clerk where the license was issued. For a Nelson County marriage, that means the local county clerk in Bardstown. Searchers should have both party names, the county where the license was issued, and the date or close date range of the marriage.
The Nelson County Clerk marriage-license page shows the local license rules used before a Nelson County marriage record is created.
That local clerk source is the practical starting point for current licenses and for questions about older Nelson County marriage entries.
Find Nelson County Divorce Records
Divorce records are court records in Kentucky. Nelson County divorce filings and decrees are handled through Circuit Court or the Family Court division where applicable, and copies start with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the Nelson County Justice Center. Kentucky Court of Justice makes clear that the Administrative Office of the Courts does not maintain court case records for public copying. Requests for a divorce decree, case-file copy, or older divorce file should start with the local circuit clerk.
A Nelson County divorce case file may include the petition for dissolution of marriage, certificate of dissolution, findings of fact, financial disclosure forms, orders, and the final decree. Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms include AOC-252 and AOC-252A for dissolution without children, AOC-250 for the certificate of dissolution, AOC-245 for findings of fact, and AOC-238 or AOC-239 disclosure statements. Some family-law details may be restricted, sealed, or redacted when they contain protected information, minor details, financial identifiers, or court-restricted material.
For the broader court file, use the Nelson County Circuit Court Clerk. For a certified divorce certificate from June 1958 forward, use the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Those two records are not the same: the court file shows case activity and orders, while the state certificate verifies the vital event.
Certified Nelson County Copies
Certified copies are used when a record must prove the marriage or divorce for legal, benefit, immigration, insurance, or name-change purposes. The Kentucky marriage and divorce certificate page states that the Office of Vital Statistics issues certified marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 to the present. The office does not issue photocopies, faxed copies, non-certified copies, or electronic copies.
Ordering channels include VitalChek online, phone, or fax, in-person service, a drop box, and mail. Mail and drop-box requests are filled within five business days when possible, but OVS says to allow up to 30 working days by mail. Same-day service is not guaranteed after 3:45 p.m. In-person and drop-box service uses the state vital-records office in Frankfort, while mail goes to the Office of Vital Statistics, 275 E. Main St., 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621.
The Kentucky vital-record purchase page lists the statewide channels for buying certified Nelson County marriage or divorce certificates.
Use the state channel for certificates and the local clerk or court office for local record searches, older files, and court case documents.
Kentucky Vital Records Office
The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics is the state office for certified marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 forward. Its marriage/divorce application asks for the first party's current and prior legal name, the second party's current and prior legal name, the county where the marriage license was issued or divorce decree was granted, the date of marriage or divorce, requester name, phone, mailing address, signature, number of certificates, and fee total.
Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics
275 E. Main St., 1E-A
Frankfort, KY 40621
800-241-8322
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET
The Office of Vital Statistics main page identifies the state office that issues certified certificates for Nelson County events in the statewide date range.
The state office is useful for certificates, while Nelson County offices remain the better source for local licensing details, recorded marriage entries, and court case files.
The Kentucky marriage and divorce certificate page separates marriage and divorce certificate service from local court-file searches.
That distinction matters when a certified certificate is enough, but a full divorce decree or local marriage-license record is needed from Nelson County.