Get a Marriage License in Iroquois County, IL
Here's what to expect at the County Clerk — fees, what to bring, and where to go.
Illinois law lets each county board set the fee: in every county but Cook it is “a fee to be determined by the county board of the county, not to exceed $75”, and $5 of every license goes to the Domestic Violence Fund (55 ILCS 5/4-4001). A county board may go above $75 by ordinance if a cost study justifies it, so a published figure over $75 is the county's own — confirm it with the clerk.
An Illinois marriage license becomes effective in the county where it was issued (750 ILCS 5/207). Get your license from the county where your CEREMONY will be — not where you live. Plan on a Cook County license for a Cook County wedding.
If it has already happened the other way round, you are probably fine. The same section says the marriage is not invalidated because it was inadvertentlysolemnized in a different Illinois county, and 750 ILCS 5/209(b)(2) says the same of the solemnization. That is a cure for an accident, not a way to plan around the rule — both provisions turn on the word “inadvertently”.
Illinois marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk (750 ILCS 5/203); the fee varies by county ($30–$90). There is a one-day waiting period — the license becomes effective the day after issuance (a court can waive it) — and it is valid 60 days from the effective date. No blood test, no residency requirement. Both parties appear in person with photo ID. If either party divorced within the last 6 months, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree. The officiant returns the certificate within 10 days (750 ILCS 5/209).
This page shows the best information we have for Iroquois County. Fees and hours may vary — call ahead to confirm before visiting.
Getting married somewhere else in Illinois? See the Illinois marriage license guide for statewide requirements and fees.