Sabine Parish Marriage License
Marriage licenses are issued by Sabine Parish Clerk of Court Shelly Salter's office, which operates from the Sabine Parish Courthouse records system in Many. At least one party must apply in person, and the Clerk says the application takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Applicants must bring information and documents for both parties, including certified birth certificates unless a waiver is obtained from the District Judge. A waiver has no charge, but it does not remove the need to provide the birth-record facts requested by the Clerk.
The license costs $27.50 and may be paid by cash, check, or credit card. The Clerk cites R.S. 13:841 and R.S. 46:2126 for the license charge. The couple must wait 24 hours from issuance before the ceremony unless a waiver is obtained from a District Judge or Justice of the Peace, and the waiver must be obtained before the ceremony and returned with the license. A Louisiana marriage license must be used within Louisiana and expires 30 days from issuance.
The screenshot assigned to this section comes from the Sabine Parish Clerk marriage license requirements page.
The Clerk source controls local application rules, fees, wait periods, expiration, and the documents needed before a license can be issued.
Apply for a Marriage License
Prepare before visiting the Clerk because the application requires facts for both people, not just the person who appears. The Clerk collects mailing addresses, parish of residence, Social Security numbers, education completed, and prior-marriage details. If either person was married before, bring a certified divorce judgment or decree showing the date of divorce. No blood test is required.
- Confirm both parties' names, birth facts, mailing addresses, parish of residence, Social Security numbers, and education information.
- Bring certified birth certificates for both parties, or obtain a District Judge waiver before relying on birth-record facts alone.
- If either party was previously married, bring the certified divorce judgment or decree showing the divorce date.
- Have at least one party apply in person at the Sabine Parish Clerk of Court during office hours.
- Pay the $27.50 fee, wait 24 hours unless waived, hold the Louisiana ceremony within 30 days, and return the signed certificates.
A Minister of the Gospel, judge, or Justice of the Peace may perform the ceremony. Two adult witnesses must sign the certificates. Louisiana Civil Code art. 90 also bars marriage within the fourth collateral degree by blood or adoption, so applicants with close family relationships should ask the Clerk or counsel before applying.
Marriage Application Fields
The Clerk's marriage page provides enough detail to build a practical field checklist. The table below follows the local source and avoids adding requirements that were not found in the research.
| Field or Item | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant appears in person | Process | Yes | At least one party must apply in person. |
| Certified birth certificate or waiver | Document | Yes | District Judge waiver has no charge. |
| Full legal names | Text | Yes | If birth record is waived, use names as on the birth record. |
| Date and state of birth | Date and text | Yes | Needed for both parties. |
| Parents' names and birth states | Text | Yes | Mother's maiden name is requested. |
| Mailing address and parish of residence | Text | Yes | Needed for both parties. |
| Social Security numbers | Text | Yes | Needed for both parties. |
| Prior divorce judgment or decree | Document | Conditional | Required if either party was previously married. |
Sabine Marriage and Divorce Fees
The research confirms the marriage license fee, common Clerk copy fees, and an advance deposit for uncontested divorce with waiver. It does not confirm a separate certified marriage-copy fee from the marriage page. Use the Clerk for current certification costs before mailing a request or using a copy for legal purposes.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $27.50 |
| Plain Clerk copy | $1 per page |
| Mail-out copy | $2 per page plus SASE or postage |
| Certified copy, civil/probate table | $5 listed by Clerk; confirm record type before ordering |
| Uncontested divorce with waiver | $250 advance deposit |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Confirm with Clerk based on page count and certification needed |
Find Sabine Marriage Records
Sabine Parish marriage records are indexed online from 1843 to present, but the Clerk's online access table says marriage images are not online. That means a searcher may locate an index entry but still need the Clerk for a certified copy. The statewide LCRAA portal can search marriage indices for participating parishes, but the Sabine Clerk states that document images are not available through that statewide portal.
For local online research, use the Clerk's online access page and Cott eSearch. For statewide index research, use the LCRAA land and marriage records portal. For certified marriage certificates outside Orleans Parish, Louisiana guidance says certified copies are obtained from the parish Clerk of Court where the marriage occurred. The Clerk phone number for marriage-license questions is (318) 256-6223.
Note: Sabine Parish marriage records are indexed online from 1843, but no marriage images are online.
Find Sabine Divorce Records
Divorce records in Sabine Parish are civil court records. The Clerk civil/probate materials list divorce among civil matters, and the 11th Judicial District Court is the local district court for Sabine Parish. Divorce files may include the petition, waiver, service, orders, judgment, ancillary domestic filings, and related court minutes. Some family, adoption, minor, financial, or protected information may be restricted or redacted even when the docket exists.
Use the Clerk's civil record channels for a Sabine Parish divorce decree: Cott eSearch if the case is within online coverage, the Clerk counter, phone, or mail to P.O. Box 419, Many, LA 71449. Louisiana Department of Health guidance says the Vital Records Registry cannot issue certified divorce decrees; certified divorce decrees come from the Clerk of Court in the parish where the divorce was granted.
Louisiana Vital Records Limits
Louisiana vital-record sources help explain where marriage and divorce records are held, but they do not replace the Sabine Parish Clerk for certified parish marriage certificates or divorce decrees. The screenshot assigned to this section comes from the Louisiana Department of Health marriage and divorce guidance.
LDH guidance supports the routing rule: parish Clerks issue certified marriage certificates outside Orleans and divorce decrees come from the parish Clerk where granted.
The assigned broader vital-record source comes from the Louisiana Vital Records central office.
Use Louisiana Vital Records for state-held vital-record topics, but use the Sabine Parish Clerk for the local marriage index, certified marriage copy, and divorce decree copy routes described in the research.
Sabine Parish Clerk of Court
P.O. Box 419
Many, LA 71449
(318) 256-6223
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Louisiana Vital Records
State vital-record information and central office services
Use LDH guidance to confirm state custody limits before ordering.
Certified Copy Requests
Certified copies are used when a plain index printout is not enough. For a Sabine Parish marriage certificate, request the certified copy from the Sabine Parish Clerk because the Clerk issued the license and holds the parish record. For a divorce decree, request the certified copy from the Clerk in the parish where the divorce was granted. If the divorce was not granted in Sabine Parish, Sabine's Clerk is not the custodian.
When mailing a request, include the names, date range, record type, case number or license information if known, copy type, and return contact information. The Clerk's fee materials say mail-out copies use a higher per-page amount plus a self-addressed stamped envelope or postage. If the copy is for benefits, remarriage, name change, passport, immigration, land, or court use, ask for the certification type required before ordering.
Restricted Family Records
Marriage records are generally less restricted than family-court files, but copies can still require correct identification, payment, and Clerk handling. Divorce case files may contain sensitive financial, minor-child, protective-order, victim, or sealed material. Adoption records are treated differently and are not ordinary public divorce records. Sheriff Aaron Mitchell's office is not the custodian for marriage or divorce decrees, except where separate courthouse security or law-enforcement issues arise.
Louisiana public-record law supports access to public records, but it does not override confidentiality rules, sealed orders, juvenile protections, victim protections, or court-ordered restrictions. For an older Sabine marriage index entry, expect an index-only online result and a Clerk copy request. For a divorce decree, expect a civil court-record request to the parish Clerk where the judgment was entered.