West Virginia Marriage License Guide (2026)
A West Virginia marriage license is issued by the County Clerk. W. Va. Code § 59-1-10(c) sets the fee at $55.00; of the 21 county clerks whose own pages we have read giving a figure, 19 charge $57.00, Berkeley County's page says $56.00 and Ohio County's $62.00. With a premarital education certificate the statute sets $35.00; of the clerks whose pages give a reduced figure, 13 charge $37.00 and three more take $20.00 off $57.00, while Berkeley County's page says $36.00 and Ohio County's takes $20.00 off its $62.00. Confirm the total with your clerk.
The one thing to knowThe statute says $55.00, but 19 of the 21 clerks whose pages we have read charge $57.00, and two charge something else: Berkeley County $56.00 and Ohio County $62.00. Call your clerk before you go.
The process
- Apply at the County Clerk
West Virginia marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk.
- Pay the fee
Most clerks whose pages we have read charge $57.00, or $37.00 with a premarital education certificate dated within one year of the application — the statute's own figures are $55.00 and $35.00. Berkeley County's page says $56.00, or $36.00 with a certificate; Ohio County's says $62.00, less $20.00 with a course. Confirm with your clerk.
Marriage license fees by county — all 55 West Virginia counties
A figure marked “clerk’s own page” was read on that county clerk’s own site. The other counties show the $57.00 most clerks charge; we have not read their figure, so call to confirm.
| County | Fee |
|---|---|
| Barbour County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Berkeley County | $56.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Boone County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Braxton County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Brooke County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Cabell County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Calhoun County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Clay County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Doddridge County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Fayette County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Gilmer County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Grant County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Greenbrier County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Hampshire County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Hancock County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Hardy County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Harrison County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Jackson County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Jefferson County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Kanawha County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Lewis County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Lincoln County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Logan County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Marion County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Marshall County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Mason County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| McDowell County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Mercer County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Mineral County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Mingo County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Monongalia County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Monroe County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Morgan County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Nicholas County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Ohio County | $62.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Pendleton County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Pleasants County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Pocahontas County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Preston County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Putnam County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Raleigh County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Randolph County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Ritchie County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Roane County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Summers County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Taylor County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Tucker County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Tyler County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Upshur County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Wayne County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Webster County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Wetzel County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Wirt County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
| Wood County | $57.00 — clerk’s own page |
| Wyoming County | $57.00 — not read; call to confirm |
West Virginia-specific details
W. Va. Code § 59-1-10(c) sets the fee at $55.00, reduced to $35.00 with a premarital education certificate. Of the 21 county clerks whose own pages we have read giving a figure, 19 publish $57.00 instead, and the 13 that print a reduced figure print $37.00 — the same $2 above the statute. Three more take $20.00 off $57.00; Hancock County's page gives $37.00 in one paragraph and $36.00 in the next. A probable source of the $2 difference is W. Va. Code § 5A-8-15(h), which has the clerk collect, on top of the § 59-1-10 fees, an additional $2 fee for every document of fewer than 20 pages filed for recording; § 59-1-10(c) counts registering and recording the license among the clerk's duties. Nothing we have read applies § 5A-8-15(h) to a marriage license in so many words, so treat it as the likeliest explanation, not a settled one. Berkeley County's page says $56.00 ($36.00 with a certificate), one dollar below what that would predict, and Ohio County's says $62.00. No section we have read lets a county add to the license fee.
What to bring
- Both of you, in person — six of the clerks' pages we have read say to appear together: Brooke, Cabell, Fayette, Jefferson and Upshur counties, and Ohio County
- Proof of age — what counts varies by county: Marion's page lists a driver's license or birth certificate
- The fee — $57.00 at most clerks whose pages we have read, or $37.00 with a premarital education certificate ($56.00 or $36.00 in Berkeley County; $62.00 in Ohio County, less $20.00 with a course); call to confirm
Frequently asked questions
How much is a West Virginia marriage license?
W. Va. Code § 59-1-10(c) sets $55.00. Of the 21 county clerks whose pages we have read giving a figure, 19 charge $57.00; Berkeley County's page says $56.00 and Ohio County's $62.00. With a premarital education certificate the statute sets $35.00; of the clerks whose pages give a reduced figure, 13 charge $37.00 and three more take $20.00 off $57.00, while Berkeley County's page says $36.00 and Ohio County's takes $20.00 off its $62.00.
Who issues the license?
The County Clerk issues West Virginia marriage licenses.
Why is the fee higher than $55.00?
The likeliest explanation is the $2 recording fee in W. Va. Code § 5A-8-15(h), but nothing we have read applies it to a marriage license in so many words. Berkeley County's page says $56.00 and Ohio County's $62.00; no section we have read lets a county add to the license fee. Call your clerk to confirm.
How is the fee set?
By W. Va. Code § 59-1-10(c), which fixes the marriage license fee and reduces it by $20 for applicants with a premarital education certificate (§ 48-2-701).