Beginning Tuesday, August 28, applicants for marriage licenses issued by
Missouri's county recorders of deeds are no longer subject to a three-day
waiting period between application and pick-up of license.

    "Customers benefit the most from this change. They won't have to make two trips
to the marriage license office. It also makes things less complicated for brides
and grooms who travel here for their ceremonies, such as military personnel,"
said Sharon Quigley Carpenter, St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds & Vital Records
Registrar.

    "The circuit courts also benefit. Eliminating the need for waiting period waiver
requests reduces their workload," said Carpenter.

    "Our marriage license records preservation project benefits from a one-trip
marriage license. The staff time spent on the second trip, document retrieval,
can now be spent scanning more documents and indexing data entry."

    Repeal of the three-day waiting period comes about from an amendment to Senate
Bill 22 in the most recent regular session of the Missouri Legislature. The
change takes effect next Tuesday.

    Most states no longer have waiting periods for issuance of marriage licenses
explained Carpenter. In Illinois, the license is issued at the time of
application but is not effective for 24 hours ( cannot be used for a valid
ceremony for 24 hours).

    "The buyer beware for applying and receiving the marriage license on same day is
that you have to use it for a ceremony in Missouri within thirty days. You have
6 months to pick up the license after you apply. However, once you walk out with
it, you have to use in thirty days or return it to us unused. The fee is
nonrefundable," warns Carpenter.

    The fees vary in Missouri from county to county: Jefferson County $51, St. Louis
City $48, St. Charles County $48, Franklin County $46, St. Louis County $45.

    In Illinois, county clerks issue marriage licenses and the fees vary from county
to county. In both Illinois and Missouri, payment for marriage license
applications is cash only.

    Unlike Missouri, which permits its marriage licenses to be used for ceremonies
in any Missouri county, a license issued in Illinois may only be used for a
ceremony in the county issuing the license.

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