How to Get a Marriage License When One Partner Is in Obion County Jail

In Obion County, both applicants are normally required to appear in person at the County Clerk’s office to apply for a marriage license. The county makes an exception when one applicant is incarcerated or disabled.

When one partner is incarcerated (including at Obion County Jail) or disabled and can't make it to the office, the County Clerk uses an affidavit process instead. Here's how it works: the clerk provides an affidavit form, the incarcerated or disabled applicant fills it out and gets it notarized, then submits it back. That notarized affidavit counts as their in-person appearance.

1. Start with the Obion County Clerk’s office - Both applicants are typically required to appear in person, so tell the clerk right away that one applicant is incarcerated and can’t come in.
2. Request the clerk-provided affidavit - Obion County’s process for an incarcerated applicant is to use an affidavit provided by the Clerk’s office in place of that person’s physical presence.
3. Confirm what you’ll need to return - The affidavit must be notarized, so make sure you understand exactly what the clerk expects back to complete the application.

1. Get the affidavit to your incarcerated partner - The affidavit has to be completed by the incarcerated applicant, so it needs to reach them in a way the jail will accept.
2. Arrange notarization of the affidavit - Obion County requires the incarcerated applicant’s affidavit to be notarized. In practice, this usually means coordinating with whatever notary access is available to the person inside.
3. Double-check signatures before it leaves the jail - A missing signature or a notary section that isn’t completed can delay everything, so it’s worth confirming the affidavit is fully executed before it’s returned.

1. Return the notarized affidavit to the County Clerk - The incarcerated applicant’s notarized affidavit is what Obion County uses in lieu of that person appearing.
2. Complete the rest of the license application with the clerk - Once the clerk has the notarized affidavit from the incarcerated applicant, you can finish the application steps the office requires for issuing the license.
3. Ask the clerk what happens next - Before you leave (or before you send anything), confirm the clerk’s preferred method for submitting the affidavit and how the office will handle the next steps after it’s received.

The standard Obion County marriage license fee is $99.50. Budget for this amount if you're applying without premarital counseling paperwork.

Complete premarital counseling and bring the qualifying form, and the fee drops to $39.50. One catch: the premarital counseling form must be completed by the instructor and notarized. Don't skip that notarization step when collecting your paperwork.

The course must be at least four hours long to qualify for the discount. If you're signing up specifically to save on the license fee, confirm the total hours upfront - the clerk won't accept a certificate from a shorter course.

Timing matters: the course must have been completed within one year of your application date. If your counseling was longer ago, you'll either pay the standard fee or need to complete a new qualifying course.

Head to the Obion County Clerk's office on the first floor of the courthouse. This is where you'll pick up the incarcerated-applicant affidavit and submit the notarized paperwork.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you're juggling jail schedules and notary appointments, these weekday hours are your window for questions, drop-offs, and processing.

Common Questions Checklist

• ✓ Where the clerk wants you to send or drop off the incarcerated applicant’s notarized affidavit
• ✓ Whether you’ll be paying the standard $99.50 fee or the reduced $39.50 fee with premarital counseling
• ✓ Whether your premarital counseling form is completed by the instructor and notarized (so it qualifies for the reduced fee)
• ✓ What turnaround time to expect once the clerk receives the notarized affidavit