Conway Marriage Records

Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, and all marriage records for the city are handled by the Faulkner County Clerk. Whether you need a new license, a certified copy of a past certificate, or want to search historical records going back to 1873, this guide walks you through the process step by step. The clerk office is located in downtown Conway and serves residents across the entire county, including students and staff at the three colleges that give Conway its well-known local identity.

Faulkner County Clerk: Where to Get Your License

The Faulkner County Clerk is the only office in Conway that can issue a marriage license. You go to 801 Locust Street in downtown Conway. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with extended hours on Thursday until 6:00 PM. That Thursday evening option is useful if your work schedule makes daytime visits hard. Both people getting married must appear in person to apply. You cannot send a proxy or mail in the application.

When you show up, bring a valid government-issued photo ID for each person. A driver's license, state ID, or passport all work. If either party was married before, you need to show proof of how that marriage ended, whether through a divorce decree or a death certificate. The clerk will review these documents, collect the license fee, and issue the license the same day. There is no waiting period in Arkansas, so you can get married as soon as the license is in hand. The license stays valid for 60 days from the date it is issued.

You can reach the Faulkner County Clerk at (501) 450-4903 with questions before you visit. More general county information is available at Faulkner County's official website. The City of Conway website also has local contact directories if you need other city services.

Note: The Thursday extended hours are subject to change on holidays, so call ahead if you plan to visit on a holiday week.

How to Get a Certified Copy of a Marriage Certificate

After a marriage takes place in Faulkner County, the officiant files the completed license with the clerk's office. That filed document becomes the official record. If you need a certified copy, your two main options are the Faulkner County Clerk and the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office in Little Rock.

The Arkansas Department of Health keeps statewide marriage records from 1917 to the present. Their office is at 4815 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205. You can call them at (501) 661-2336 or visit the Arkansas Department of Health website to review the request process. Each certified copy costs $10. You can request records in person, by mail, or through the authorized online vendor. For online orders, the state uses VitalChek, which processes requests for an added service fee. Mail orders take longer, typically several weeks, so plan ahead if you need the record for legal purposes.

For records from before 1917, the county clerk is your best starting point. Faulkner County records go back to 1873. Some older records have also been digitized and indexed by genealogy projects.

Note: Certified copies from the county clerk and from ADH Vital Records are both legally valid for official use.

Searching Marriage Records Online

Several tools let you search for Arkansas marriage records from home. The Arkansas State Archives holds historical collections and offers research assistance. Visit the Arkansas State Archives website to learn what is available and how to submit a research request. The archives hold many older county records that have been transferred for preservation.

FamilySearch is a free genealogy platform with indexed Arkansas vital records. Their Arkansas research guide at FamilySearch Arkansas Vital Records explains what has been digitized and how to find it. For Faulkner County specifically, some records from the late 1800s and early 1900s appear in FamilySearch databases. The coverage is not complete, but it is a good first stop before requesting physical copies.

VitalChek provides an online ordering path for certified copies from the ADH. The turnaround is generally faster than mail requests. Keep in mind that online searches through genealogy platforms do not produce certified copies. You need to order those separately through official channels.

Arkansas Marriage Laws: Key Rules

Arkansas marriage law is found in Title 9 of the Arkansas Code. The full text of relevant statutes is available at the Arkansas General Assembly website. Below are the rules that apply most directly to people getting married in Conway or anywhere else in the state.

You must be at least 18 years old to marry without parental consent. At age 17, you can marry with the written consent of a parent or legal guardian. Anyone under 17 needs a court order, and a judge must review the circumstances before the license can be issued. Arkansas does not require a blood test. There is no residency requirement, so you do not need to live in Arkansas or in Faulkner County to get a license here. The state has not recognized common law marriages formed after 1941, so a license and ceremony are required for a legal marriage.

The license fee is approximately $60, though you should confirm the current amount with the clerk's office since it can change. The license is valid for 60 days. After the ceremony, the officiant must return the completed license to the county clerk within 60 days.

Note: Arkansas does not have a mandatory waiting period between applying for and receiving a marriage license.

Historical Records and Genealogy Research

Faulkner County was established in 1873, and marriage records from that point forward exist at the county level. For family history research, the combination of the county clerk's holdings and the state archives provides broad coverage. The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock is the best place to start for pre-1917 records that may not be indexed online.

The Saline County Library system and the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce can sometimes point researchers toward local historical societies that hold family records, newspaper archives, and church registers. Church records predate civil registration in many cases and can fill gaps when official county records are missing or damaged. The three universities in Conway, including the University of Central Arkansas, also hold local history collections that may be useful for deep genealogical research.

When searching historical records, use variations of the surname if searches come up empty. Spelling was less standardized in older records, and names were sometimes recorded phonetically. The FamilySearch wiki page for Arkansas vital records gives useful tips on these kinds of search strategies.

The CDC's reference page for Arkansas vital statistics is a helpful guide to understanding what records exist at the state level. The Arkansas state reference page at the CDC is shown below, which outlines the scope of the state's vital records program and directs researchers to the right agencies.

This CDC reference page confirms the Arkansas Department of Health as the official keeper of statewide vital records and provides contact information for ordering certified copies.

Who Can Request a Marriage Record

Arkansas marriage licenses are public records. Any person can request a copy. You do not need to be the person named in the record or show a direct interest in the document. This open-access rule makes it straightforward to search records for genealogy, legal verification, or personal reference.

Certified copies carry the official seal of the issuing office and are accepted by courts, lenders, employers, and government agencies as proof of marriage. Uncertified copies or informational printouts are useful for research but will not satisfy official requirements. If you need to prove a marriage for a legal or financial purpose, ask specifically for a certified copy when you place your order.

If the marriage occurred in Faulkner County but the license was filed many years ago, the clerk may need extra time to retrieve the physical record. It helps to have the names of both parties and the approximate year of marriage when you make your request.

Nearby Cities

Conway is centrally located in Arkansas and is near several other cities that also handle marriage records through their respective county clerks. If you are looking for records from a nearby area, these cities may be relevant.

• Little Rock - State capital, Pulaski County
• North Little Rock - Pulaski County, across the river from Little Rock
• Cabot - Lonoke County
• Russellville - Pope County