How to Apply for a Ramsey County Marriage License
Ramsey County Vital Records at the Plato Building issues marriage licenses. Address: 90 Plato Boulevard West, Saint Paul, MN 55107. Phone: 651-266-1333. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The county page says marriage licenses must be requested in person. A license must be used within six months or it expires, and a Minnesota license is valid only in Minnesota.
The Ramsey County marriage license page is at ramseycountymn.gov/marriage-licenses.
The page covers requirements, ID, fees, and the Vital Records office contact for the Ramsey County marriage and divorce records workflow.
- Confirm both applicants are at least 18 and gather valid identification.
- Complete the Ramsey County marriage application; if one applicant cannot appear, prepare notarized supplemental documents.
- Go to Vital Records at the Plato Building during business hours.
- Provide names, residence, phone, SSN or no-SSN certification, birth dates, prior-marriage termination details, after-marriage names, and mailing address.
- Pay the county license fee at the counter.
- Use the license within six months and only in Minnesota.
Ramsey County Marriage Application Field Inventory
The marriage license application form gathers identifying information for both applicants, prior-marriage details, and post-marriage names. Minnesota Statutes § 517.07 and § 517.08 require statutory content on every license. The Ramsey County form is the local implementation. The fields below come from the official Ramsey County marriage license application.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Applicant Legal Name | Text | Yes | First, middle, last |
| Phone | Text | Yes | With area code |
| Address | Text | Yes | Number and street |
| Social Security Number | Text | Yes if any | Certification if no SSN |
| City / County / State / ZIP | Text | Yes | Residence |
| Age | Number | Yes | Must meet 18-year requirement |
| Birth Date | Date | Yes | Date of birth |
| How was last marriage terminated | Checkbox | Conditional | Death, dissolution, annulment |
| Date of termination or death | Date | Conditional | If prior marriage |
| Second Applicant fields | Same set | Yes | Mirror of first applicant |
| Related by blood or adoption | Yes / No | Yes | State relationship if yes |
| Names after marriage | Text | Yes | First and second applicant first, middle, last |
| Mailing address after marriage | Text | Yes | Street, city, state, ZIP |
Ramsey County Marriage License Requirements
The county lists clear requirements on its marriage license page. Both applicants must be at least 18. Each must bring valid identification. Both parties must be present unless one provides a notarized Supplemental Marriage License Application along with a notarized application. Each applicant must provide a full legal name, address, phone, and Social Security number if they have one. Each must also provide the after-marriage name and address.
The licenses, permits, and records landing page at ramseycountymn.gov licenses-permits-records covers birth, death, marriage, and divorce links in one place.
The licenses, permits, and records page is the single intake point for the Ramsey County marriage and divorce records ecosystem.
Ramsey County Marriage License Fees
Minnesota law sets the framework for marriage license fees. The county collects the local amount under the statute. Premarital education can reduce the fee under state law. The exact dollar amount changes; users should confirm the current fee at the Vital Records counter. The table below summarizes the items.
| Item | Source |
|---|---|
| Standard marriage license | Set by Minnesota Statutes § 517.08 framework |
| Reduced fee with premarital education | Available under statute when documentation is filed |
| Certified marriage record copy | Issued by Vital Records after the marriage is recorded |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Issued by District Court Records, not Vital Records |
The statutory framework is at Minnesota Statutes § 517.08, and the application statute is at section 517.07.
The Self-Help Service Center page covers family court assistance that ties into a Ramsey County divorce record path.
Ramsey County Divorce Records
Divorce records are District Court records. The county Licenses, Permits & Records landing page has a Locate Divorce Records option, but the file itself lives in District Court. To search a Ramsey County divorce case, use MCRO Case Search by party name or case number and pick Ramsey under Court Locations. For documents, remote access is limited to court-prepared orders, opinions, and notices for family cases filed July 1, 2015 or later. Certified divorce decree copies are ordered from Ramsey District Court Records at Room #72, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd., Saint Paul, phone 651-266-8237.
Minnesota's dissolution residency rule sits at section 518.07. Filing in Ramsey County District Court requires meeting those residency or domicile requirements. The Self-Help Service Center at 651-266-5125 helps self-represented people with family court forms, juvenile delinquency, adult criminal expungement, and civil name changes. The Ramsey County Self-Help page sits at mncourts.gov ramsey/self-help.
How to Search a Ramsey County Divorce Case
Use MCRO Case Search at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch. Pick Name. Pick Person. Pick Court Locations and choose Ramsey. Enter the spouse name or the case number when known. Family case categories return as Family. Remote document access is limited, so the result page shows the case caption, the Register of Actions, and any court-prepared orders, opinions, and notices.
The Self-Help Service Center can help with family court matters. The Family Court clinic at the Ramsey County Law Library takes phone appointments on Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m. The phone is 651-266-5125. The clinic requires an existing Ramsey Family Court case or Ramsey residence and intent to start a family case. The Courts and Public Defender page includes information on the unified District Court and eligibility examples for public defender services.
The Courts and Public Defender page explains the unified Ramsey County District Court structure tied to divorce filings.
Ramsey County Law Library and Family Forms
The Ramsey County Law Library is on the 18th floor of the main courthouse at 15 Kellogg Boulevard West. Phone: 651-266-8391. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Staff are trained in legal research and can help with Minnesota family law forms. Remote-hearing space and equipment are available by appointment for self-represented litigants without stable technology access. Digital library access includes Minnesota civil and family practice materials for eligible patrons.
The Law Library page is at ramseycountymn.gov law-library.
The Law Library page lists the clinic schedule that supports a Ramsey County marriage and divorce records lookup.
Paternity, Custody, and Child Support Records
Family court files in Ramsey County also include paternity, custody, child support, and post-decree motions. These records sit at the Juvenile and Family Justice Center at 25 West 7th Street, Saint Paul. MCRO remote document access is limited: only court-prepared orders, opinions, and notices are available online for family and post-adjudication paternity case documents filed July 1, 2015 or later. Parties to the case have broader courthouse access through public access terminals.
For child support enforcement, the case usually runs through county child support services in coordination with the District Court. The Self-Help Service Center supports self-represented people in family court matters. The Volunteer Lawyers Network and Minnesota Justice Foundation provide brief-advice clinics on the 18th floor.
Filing a Divorce in Ramsey County District Court
To file a dissolution of marriage in Ramsey County, one spouse must meet Minnesota's residency or domicile rule under section 518.07. The petition opens a family case in the Second Judicial District. Filing fees, fee waivers, and certified copy costs follow the statewide Minnesota Judicial Branch schedule. Self-represented filers can use the Self-Help Service Center, the Family Court phone clinic, and the Law Library digital resources for forms and process questions.
Marriage Records vs Divorce Records
The split between marriage and divorce records is the most frequently asked question. The table below puts the two next to each other so users walk into the right office on the first try.
| Topic | Marriage Record | Divorce Record |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing office | Ramsey County Vital Records, Plato Building | Ramsey County District Court Records, Room #72 |
| Type | License and certificate | Petition, judgment, decree |
| Required for | Getting married in Minnesota | Dissolution of marriage |
| Search portal | Vital Records office | MCRO Case Search, Family category |
| Certified copy | Vital Records counter | District Court Records counter |