Access Lincoln County Marriage Records
Lincoln County marriage records are maintained by the County Clerk at 300 S. Drew Street in Star City, with records available from 1871 when the county was established. The clerk's office is where you go to apply for a marriage license, request a certified copy of an existing record, or search for marriage information for legal or research purposes. All official copies come directly from the clerk in Star City.
Lincoln County Marriage Records
Lincoln County Clerk - Marriage Records
The Lincoln County Clerk is located at 300 S. Drew Street, Star City, AR 71667. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The office phone is (870) 628-5114. Call ahead to confirm hours and the current fee schedule before visiting, especially if you are traveling from outside the county.
The clerk maintains the official marriage register for Lincoln County from 1871 forward. All licenses issued in the county are recorded here, and all certified copies come from this office. There is no separate online portal for Lincoln County marriage records. In-person and mail requests are the available options for getting copies.
Note: Lincoln County was created in 1871 from parts of five predecessor counties, so marriages before that date may be in those earlier county records.
Getting a Marriage License in Lincoln County
Both people who want to marry must go to the clerk's office together. No one else can apply on your behalf, and there is no online application. You each need to show a valid photo ID: a driver's license, state ID card, or passport. The clerk records your names, dates of birth, and current addresses, then collects the license fee.
No blood test is needed. No residency in Lincoln County or in Arkansas is required. Age rules follow Title 9 of the Arkansas Code. Both parties must be 18 or older to proceed without extra steps. A 17-year-old can apply with a parent or legal guardian present who provides written consent. Anyone younger than 17 also needs a court order before the clerk can issue the license.
The license comes with a 72-hour waiting period. The ceremony cannot happen until those 72 hours are up. From the moment of issue, the license is valid for 60 days. If the marriage doesn't happen within that window, the license expires and a new application and fee are required. After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license to the clerk for recording.
Note: The 72-hour waiting period and 60-day validity apply to every marriage license issued in Arkansas, with no county-level exceptions.
Requesting Copies of Lincoln County Marriage Records
Certified copies from the Lincoln County Clerk carry the official seal and are accepted as legal proof of marriage. You need one for most name-change processes, including updates to a Social Security card, a driver's license, a passport, or financial accounts. Courts also require certified copies in proceedings that involve marital status.
Visit the clerk's office at 300 S. Drew Street in person with a valid photo ID. Complete a request form and pay the applicable fee. The clerk will pull the record from the register. Recent records are typically available the same day. Older records stored in physical books may take a bit more time to locate.
Mail requests work too. Write a clear request including both parties' names, the approximate marriage date, and your return address. Include payment by check or money order. Before mailing, call (870) 628-5114 to verify the current fee and confirm the correct mailing address for the clerk's office.
State-Level Records for Lincoln County Marriages
The Arkansas Department of Health has kept a statewide marriage record index since 1917. The state Vital Records office holds summary coupons sent in by county clerks each time a marriage is recorded. These coupons document that a marriage took place but are not full certified copies of the original license.
State copies cost $10 and can be ordered by mail or through VitalChek, the authorized online ordering service. For Lincoln County marriages before 1917, the county clerk is the only official source. The state's index simply doesn't reach back that far.
The Arkansas State Archives can help with research going back to Lincoln County's founding in 1871. Archives staff are experienced with southeastern Arkansas records and can help identify what materials are available for a specific time period or family.
Arkansas Marriage Statutes and Lincoln County
Marriage in Lincoln County is governed by Title 9 of the Arkansas Code, the same statutes that apply in every Arkansas county. Title 9 requires both parties to appear in person, present photo ID, and observe the 72-hour waiting period. The 60-day validity rule also comes from Title 9. None of these requirements can be waived by a county clerk.
Arkansas ended recognition of common law marriage in 1941. Every valid marriage in the state must be licensed. Title 20 adds the reporting requirement: after the clerk records a completed and returned license, a summary coupon is sent to the Arkansas Department of Health for the state's vital statistics system. This system is how the centralized statewide index is maintained.
The current text of Title 9 and Title 20 is available at the Arkansas Legislature website. If you have questions about a specific rule or situation, a licensed Arkansas attorney can help you interpret how the statutes apply to your case.
Historical Records and Genealogy in Lincoln County
Lincoln County's marriage records from 1871 onward are part of the post-Civil War and Reconstruction-era documentation of southeastern Arkansas. The county was carved from five predecessor counties, so researchers tracing families in this region should be aware that boundary lines shifted as Lincoln County was formed. Records for areas now within Lincoln County that predate 1871 are held by the original counties.
FamilySearch has a free online index for Lincoln County marriage records starting from 1871. It is a good first stop for genealogical searches and can help narrow down a time period and confirm that a record exists before contacting the clerk. Always confirm key facts with the original county record for citations used in genealogical reports or legal proceedings.
The Arkansas State Archives holds materials related to Lincoln County and can help with deeper research needs. The CDC's Arkansas vital records reference provides an overview of what state records exist and how far back they go.
Reference Images for Lincoln County Research
The image below is from the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records page, the state agency responsible for maintaining the centralized marriage record index for Arkansas since 1917.
The state Vital Records office can provide summary coupons for Lincoln County marriages from 1917 forward. For the full certified copy or for anything before 1917, contact the Lincoln County Clerk in Star City directly. Both sources serve different needs and cover different time periods.
The image below is from the Arkansas State Archives, which holds historical records and genealogical guides relevant to Lincoln County and the southeastern Arkansas region.
The Archives can assist researchers looking for Lincoln County marriages from earlier periods that may not be fully indexed online. Contacting the Archives directly with specific names and dates is the most effective approach for older record searches.