How to Get Married in Victoria County (Waiving Texas's 72‑Hour Waiting Period)
Texas requires a 72-hour waiting period after your marriage license is issued before the ceremony can happen. In Victoria County, you can skip that wait if you qualify for an exception under Texas Family Code §2.204—or if you get a judge to sign a court order permitting the marriage during those 72 hours.
Under Texas Family Code §2.204, your marriage ceremony can't happen until 72 hours after your license is issued - unless you qualify for an exception. In Victoria County, one way around this is getting a written court order signed by a judge that specifically allows you to marry during that waiting period.
Key point: The waiver is not automatic - your permission to marry during the 72-hour period must be in a written order signed by a judge.
Victoria County follows Texas Family Code §2.204, which lists several ways to avoid the waiting period. You may qualify if you're active-duty military, if you work for the U.S. Department of Defense (as an employee or contractor), or if you've completed an approved premarital education course and can show the certificate to the county clerk. Another option: request a written waiver from a judge granting permission to hold the ceremony during those first 72 hours.
If you're going the court order route, you need a written order that permits your marriage during the 72 hours right after your license is issued. The critical part: a judge must sign it. When you're gathering paperwork or talking to court staff, keep your eye on that goal - a signed order clearly granting permission to marry during the waiting period.
Sample wording you may see on the order: “permission to marry during the 72 hour period immediately following the issuance of the marriage license is granted.”
Take your order to the District Clerk's Office on the 3rd floor of the Victoria County Courthouse at 115 N. Bridge St., Victoria, TX 77901. Staff there will direct you to a District Judge.
When you're ready to get your marriage license, head to the County Clerk's Office with your signed "Order Permitting Marriage During the 72 Hour Waiting Period." Give it to the deputy county clerk issuing your license. They'll note the waiver on the license itself - that's what tells whoever performs your ceremony that the waiting period has been waived.
Questions about the 72-hour waiver process? Call the Victoria County Clerk's Office at 361-575-1478.
Checklist
- ✓ A signed “Order Permitting Marriage During the 72 Hour Waiting Period” (judge-signed)
- ✓ Plan to present that signed order to the deputy county clerk when you obtain your marriage license
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