La Salle County Marriage Records

La Salle County marriage records are kept by the County Clerk in Cotulla. You can search for licenses, get certified copies, or apply for a new marriage license at the clerk's office. Records go back to 1880 when the county was first organized.

La Salle County Clerk

The La Salle County Clerk handles all marriage licenses and vital records for the county. The office is located in the courthouse in Cotulla. Staff can help you apply for a license, get copies of records, or look up older files. You must visit in person to apply for a marriage license since both parties are required to appear.

La Salle County was organized in 1880 from parts of Nueces, Live Oak, Webb, and McMullen counties. Marriage records here begin with the county's organization. If you need records from before 1880, you may need to search those parent counties depending on where your family lived at the time.

The Texas Department of State Health Services maintains a statewide index of marriage records from 1966 onward, but certified copies must come from the county clerk where the license was issued.

The state office can verify a marriage took place but cannot issue certified copies. For official documents, contact the La Salle County Clerk directly.

Getting a Marriage License in La Salle County

Both people must go to the County Clerk's office together to apply. You each need a valid government-issued photo ID and your Social Security number. The clerk will take your information and issue the license. You pay the fee at that time.

Texas law requires a 72-hour waiting period after you get the license before you can use it. This rule comes from Texas Family Code Section 2.204. The license is then valid for 90 days under Section 2.201. If you don't get married before it expires, you'll need a new one. The waiting period can be waived if you complete the free Twogether in Texas premarital course.

The Twogether in Texas program gives couples a $60 discount on the license fee and removes the 72-hour wait. You bring the completion certificate when you apply. The course is free and available online or in person through certified providers.

Marriage Record Copies in La Salle County

Certified copies of marriage licenses are only available from the county clerk where the license was filed. If the marriage took place in La Salle County, the clerk in Cotulla is where you go. The state office in Austin cannot issue certified copies.

You can request a copy in person or by mail. In-person requests are processed the same day. Mail requests take longer. You'll need to provide the names of both parties and the approximate date or year of the marriage. A small per-page fee applies. Call the office at (830) 483-5120 to confirm current copy fees before you send a request.

For marriages after 1966, you can also contact the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Section for a verification letter. The state charges $20 for a search and verification. This is not a certified copy but can confirm whether a marriage was registered with the state.

Note: The state index of marriages goes back only to 1966. For older records, the county clerk's files and historical collections are your best source.

What La Salle County Marriage Records Show

A marriage license and its application contain key details about the couple and the ceremony. The application form includes both parties' full names, ages, dates of birth, places of residence, and Social Security numbers. It also notes whether either party has been married before.

Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 194, the county clerk sends a copy of each completed application to the state vital statistics unit within 90 days. This creates both a local and a state record of the marriage. The local record held by the clerk includes the signed return, showing who performed the ceremony and on what date.

Marriage records typically show:

• Full names of both parties
• Date and place of marriage
• Name and title of the person who performed the ceremony
• Date the license was issued
• Prior marriage history

Informal Marriage in La Salle County

Texas allows couples to formalize a common law marriage by filing a Declaration of Informal Marriage with the County Clerk. Under Texas Family Code Section 2.401, an informal marriage requires three things: an agreement to be married, living together in Texas as a couple, and representing yourselves as married to others.

Signing the declaration at the county clerk's office is the easiest way to create an official record of an informal marriage. Both parties must appear together. The declaration becomes a public record just like a formal marriage license. If you believe you have a common law marriage but haven't signed a declaration, you may need to prove the three elements in court if a dispute arises.

The standard fee for filing an informal marriage declaration at La Salle County follows the statewide schedule set by the Texas Legislature. Contact the clerk's office for the exact current amount.

Historical Marriage Records in La Salle County

La Salle County's marriage records date to 1880. The county was formed from parts of Nueces, Live Oak, Webb, and McMullen counties. If you're researching family history from before 1880, those counties may hold the records you need.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission holds some early Texas vital records and historical collections. FamilySearch has digitized courthouse records for many Texas counties, including some older La Salle County materials. These free collections are searchable online and can be a good starting point for genealogy research before the state began maintaining centralized records in 1966.

The CDC's guide on Texas vital records explains the division between state and county records and can help you understand where to look for different time periods.

Nearby Counties

La Salle County borders several counties in south Texas. Marriage cases for this area are all handled at local county clerks' offices.