First: where do you apply?
This is the part couples get wrong, and it can cost you a wasted trip to Logan. Ohio ties the license to residency, not to the wedding location.
| Your situation | Where to apply | Where the license works |
|---|---|---|
| One of you lives in Hocking County | Hocking County Probate Court, Logan | Anywhere in Ohio |
| You both live elsewhere in Ohio (Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton...) | The Probate Court in the county where one of you lives — not Hocking County | Anywhere in Ohio, including Hocking Hills |
| You live outside Ohio | The Ohio county where the ceremony will be held — for Hocking Hills, that's Hocking County Probate Court in Logan | Anywhere in Ohio |
So a couple from Columbus goes to Franklin County Probate Court before they leave town. A couple from Pittsburgh or Indianapolis makes a weekday appointment in Logan. Either way, the ceremony at Ash Cave or a Rockbridge barn is equally legal.
Ohio residents, one more wrinkle: if you live in Ohio, the license must be issued by the county where one of you resides. Hocking County will not issue a license to two Ohio residents who both live in other counties, even if the wedding is here.
Applying at Hocking County Probate Court
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Start the application online (optional, but faster)
The court's site at juvenile.hocking.us has an online marriage application you can complete any time. It doesn't replace the visit, but it means your appointment is mostly verifying documents and paying rather than filling in forms at the counter.
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Book an appointment
Licenses are by appointment only. Call the Probate Court at (740) 385-3022. Appointments run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except legal holidays. There are no weekend hours, which matters for timing (see below).
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Both of you go to the courthouse, together
Hocking County Courthouse, 1 East Main Street, Logan, Ohio 43138 — the Probate Court office is on the second floor, office 204. Both applicants must appear in person. A parent, planner, or partner can't apply on the other's behalf.
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Bring ID and any prior-marriage paperwork
Each of you needs a government-issued photo ID: driver's license, state ID, passport or visa, or military ID. You'll be asked for your Social Security numbers, so know them. If either of you has been married before, see the checklist below — the court is specific about what it accepts.
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Pay $60 in cash
The court lists the fee as $60.00, cash only, and marks it subject to change. Bring cash; don't count on a card reader. The license is issued at the appointment. There's no waiting period.
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Hand the license to your officiant
After the ceremony, the officiant completes the license and returns it to the court that issued it. Ohio law gives them 30 days. Once it's recorded, you can request certified copies from Hocking County Probate Court for $5 each, in person or by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope — you'll want a couple for name changes, insurance, and the Social Security office.
What to bring: the checklist
- Government photo ID for each applicant (driver's license, state ID, passport/visa, or military ID).
- Social Security numbers — you don't need the card, but you need the number.
- $60 in cash.
- If divorced: your most recent divorce or dissolution decree. The court requires the version with a court file stamp and a judge's signature — a printout from a records site won't do.
- If widowed: a certified copy of the death certificate listing you as the surviving spouse.
- If under 21: some sources indicate the court asks for a birth certificate for applicants 18 to 20. Confirm when you book.
- Your online application confirmation, if you started it ahead.
Applicants must be 18. Ohio allows 17-year-olds to marry only with juvenile court approval and other conditions; that's a conversation with the court, not a walk-in.
Timing it around the wedding
The 60-day validity window and the weekday-only appointments are the two constraints that trip people up. A few patterns that work:
Ohio couple, Saturday wedding
Apply at your home county any weekday in the two months before. No trip to Logan needed. Pack the license with the rings.
Out-of-state couple, weekend wedding
Arrive Thursday, courthouse appointment Friday morning, ceremony Saturday. Book the Friday slot as soon as you have the date, and book cabins for Thursday night.
Out-of-state, mid-week elopement
Appointment in the morning, ceremony that afternoon. No waiting period makes same-day possible, as long as the courthouse slot and the park permit line up.
Long engagement
Don't apply early to get it out of the way. A license issued more than 60 days before the ceremony expires, and you'll pay again.
Holiday weekends: the courthouse is closed on legal holidays, so a Monday ceremony on Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend means the license appointment happens the Friday before. Check the court's holiday closures when you book.
Who can perform the ceremony
Ohio lets a licensed or ordained minister who is registered with the Ohio Secretary of State, a judge, or a mayor solemnize a marriage. Friends who get ordained online can officiate, but they must complete the Secretary of State registration before the ceremony; a certificate from the ordaining organization alone isn't enough. Ohio doesn't require witnesses to sign the license, though many couples include them anyway.
Hocking Hills has a deep bench of local officiants who do dozens of cave and waterfall ceremonies a season and know the park rules cold. If you'd like an introduction alongside venue quotes, mention it in the form below.
The license is not the park permit
Two different offices, two different fees, two different purposes:
- Marriage license — from a county Probate Court. Makes the marriage legal. $60 in Hocking County.
- Special Activity Permit — from Hocking Hills State Park. Reserves a ceremony spot at Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, or Rock House. $40, applied for at least 30 days out.
If your ceremony is at a private venue, you only need the license. If it's in the state park, you need both. Our state park wedding permit guide covers the second one step by step.
Common questions
How much is a marriage license in Hocking County, Ohio?
$60, cash only, according to Hocking County Probate Court. The fee is subject to change, so bring a little extra. A certified copy of the license afterward is $5.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes. Hocking County Probate Court issues marriage licenses by appointment only, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding legal holidays. Call (740) 385-3022 to schedule. You can start the application online, but both applicants still have to appear together at the appointment.
Is there a waiting period?
No. Ohio has no waiting period and no blood test. The license is issued the same day and is valid immediately, for 60 days.
We live in Columbus. Can we get our license in Logan?
No. Ohio residents must apply in the county where one of them lives. A Columbus couple applies at Franklin County Probate Court, and the license is valid for a ceremony anywhere in Ohio, including Hocking Hills. Only couples with a Hocking County resident, or couples from outside Ohio, apply in Logan.
We're from out of state. Where do we apply?
In the Ohio county where you'll marry. For a Hocking Hills wedding that's Hocking County Probate Court, 1 East Main Street, Logan, Ohio 43138, by appointment. Plan the courthouse visit for a weekday before the wedding, within the 60-day validity window.
How long is the license valid?
60 days from the date it's issued. If the ceremony doesn't happen inside that window, you apply and pay again.
Can we use the license in another state?
No. An Ohio marriage license is only valid for a ceremony performed in Ohio.
Does the license change my name?
No. Writing a new name on the application doesn't change it. After the marriage is recorded, you use a certified copy of the license to update Social Security, your driver's license, and so on.
Sources: Hocking County Juvenile & Probate Courts, "How to Apply for a Marriage License" (juvenile.hocking.us); Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3101. The court marks its fee and procedures as subject to change; call (740) 385-3022 to confirm before you drive.