Grant Parish Marriage Records
Grant Parish marriage records are filed and kept at the Clerk of Court office in Colfax. The 9th Judicial District Court covers Grant Parish, and the Clerk of Court is the only office that issues and stores marriage licenses for this parish. If you need to apply for a new license, get a certified copy of an existing record, or search for a past marriage in Grant Parish, the courthouse in Colfax is where you need to go. Online access through eClerksLA is also available for searching marriage license indexes.
Grant Parish Quick Facts
Grant Parish Clerk of Court
The Clerk of Court in Grant Parish manages all marriage records for the parish. The office issues new licenses, stores all marriage documents, and provides certified copies on request. It operates under the 9th Judicial District Court and is located at 200 Main Street in Colfax. If you need anything related to a Grant Parish marriage license, this is the office to contact.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed on state and federal holidays. If you plan to apply for a license, arrive with enough time before closing to complete your paperwork. Call ahead at (318) 627-3246 if you have questions about what to bring or how the process works. The fax number is (318) 627-9585 for written requests sent by fax.
The mailing address is P.O. Box 187, Colfax, LA 71417. If you are sending a written request for a certified copy, include the full names of both parties, the approximate marriage date, and your return contact information. Allow extra processing time for mail requests versus in-person visits.
Grant Parish participates in eClerksLA, the statewide online records portal, which includes marriage license indexes. You can search these online without making the trip to the courthouse in Colfax.
The eClerksLA portal above covers Grant Parish marriage records and other court records from this parish. Use it to search indexes and locate a record before contacting the office for a certified copy.
| Office Address |
200 Main Street Colfax, LA 71417 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 187, Colfax, LA 71417 |
| Phone | (318) 627-3246 |
| Fax | (318) 627-9585 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Judicial District | 9th Judicial District Court |
Getting a Marriage License in Grant Parish
Both people must appear in person at the Clerk of Court office in Colfax to apply for a marriage license. You cannot do this by mail or online. Both applicants must be present at the same time. Have all your documents ready when you go, or you may have to make a second trip.
Under Louisiana law at R.S. 9:222, a marriage license issued in any Louisiana parish is valid across the entire state. You can get your license in Grant Parish and hold your ceremony anywhere in Louisiana. The license stays valid for 30 days from the date it is issued. If you do not use it within that time, it expires and you must start the application process over.
Grant Parish has a 72-hour waiting period. Under R.S. 9:241, the waiting period begins the moment the license is issued. That means you cannot get married on the same day or even the next day after applying. A judge can waive this requirement in limited circumstances, but it is not a common outcome. Make sure your ceremony date falls at least 72 hours after the license issue time.
The fee for a marriage license in Grant Parish falls in the standard Louisiana range. Bring cash or a check to be safe, and confirm the exact amount and accepted payment methods when you call the office. Certified copies of the record cost extra and are purchased separately once the marriage is on file.
If either applicant was previously married, Louisiana law under R.S. 9:225 requires proof the prior marriage ended. A certified divorce decree or death certificate of the former spouse is required. A plain copy will not be accepted. Bring the official certified document with a seal or stamp from the issuing court or agency.
Note: Same-sex couples may apply for a marriage license in Grant Parish on the same terms as all other applicants under current Louisiana law.
Documents for Grant Parish Marriage License Applications
Come prepared. The clerk cannot issue a license without all required documents from both parties. Each person must bring their own paperwork. Do not show up with one set of documents and expect the application to go through.
Both applicants must bring a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or state ID. You each need a certified birth certificate with the official seal from the issuing office. A regular photocopy is not accepted. Social Security numbers are required for both parties. You also need to provide both parents' full names and birthplaces and each mother's maiden name. Having these facts written down before your visit saves time at the counter.
Applicants between 16 and 17 years old must have written consent from both parents. No one under 16 can receive a marriage license in Louisiana under any circumstances. For minor applicants, both parents must either appear in person or submit notarized written consent. Bring valid proof of age for any minor applying.
The Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority portal above provides statewide access to clerk of court records. Grant Parish marriage license indexes may be searchable through this system, which is useful for confirming record details before your visit.
Search Grant Parish Marriage Records Online
The primary online tool for Grant Parish marriage records is eClerksLA. This statewide portal gives you access to marriage license indexes from Grant Parish and many other Louisiana parishes without requiring a visit to the courthouse. It is available any time of day and covers multiple record types from the Clerk of Court office.
The Louisiana Clerks Remote Access Authority (LCRAA) portal is another statewide option. It connects to participating clerks of court across Louisiana and may include Grant Parish marriage records. If one portal does not return what you need, try the other. Both give you index-level information. Neither replaces a certified copy from the Clerk of Court when you need a legal document.
For older Grant Parish marriage records, the Louisiana State Archives is worth checking. The archives hold historical vital records from parishes across the state. Older documents may be available through the archives when they are not easily found through online clerk portals. The archives accept written research requests and are open to the public.
The Louisiana State Archives site above is a solid resource for searching older Grant Parish marriage records that may not appear in online clerk portals. Check there when your search through eClerksLA or the LCRAA comes up short.
The Louisiana Department of Health issues certified marriage certificates for events after 1946. These shorter documents confirm that a marriage occurred and are accepted for many legal purposes. They do not include the full license application details. For a complete certified copy of the marriage license, the Grant Parish Clerk of Court at (318) 627-3246 is the right contact.
Cities in Grant Parish
Grant Parish includes several communities, with Colfax as the parish seat. All marriage licenses for residents of Grant Parish and ceremonies held in the parish are issued by the Clerk of Court in Colfax. Communities in the parish include Colfax, Pollock, Georgetown, and Montgomery.
Nearby Parishes
These parishes are near Grant Parish. Each has its own Clerk of Court that handles marriage records for that area. Contact the clerk in the parish where you plan to marry or where you currently live.