How to Apply for a Forsyth County Marriage License
Forsyth County marriage licenses are issued by the Probate Court at 100 West Courthouse Square, Suite 008, Cumming, GA 30040. Judge Daisy Weeks-Marisko presides. The court runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and asks marriage and weapons-carry applicants to arrive no later than 4:00 p.m. The phone is 770-781-2140.
The Probate Court accepts an online pre-application through Georgia Probate Records, but both applicants must appear in person to complete the license.
The Georgia Probate Records site at georgiaprobaterecords.com opens the application for Forsyth County, county number 058. The application collects identity, address, parent, and ceremony-location fields.
- Submit the marriage application online at georgiaprobaterecords.com with both applicants' information.
- Print or save the confirmation and bring valid photo ID for each applicant.
- Both applicants must appear at the Probate Court Clerk's Office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
- Confirm age. Applicants must be 18 or older unless meeting the 17-year-old exception in O.C.G.A. 19-3-2(b).
- Pay the $56 fee by cash, check, or card. Card payments add a 4.7% convenience fee.
- Bring a court-approved premarital counseling certificate under O.C.G.A. 19-3-30.1 to reduce the fee to $16.
- After the ceremony, the officiant returns the license per Probate Court instructions for recording.
Forsyth County Marriage License Fees
Marriage fees in Forsyth County run through Probate Court. The base license fee is $56, dropping to $16 with a qualifying premarital counseling certificate. Certified marriage certificate copies are separate from the license fee.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $56.00 |
| Marriage license with counseling certificate | $16.00 |
| Credit/debit card convenience fee | 4.7% |
| Standard copy per page (court records) | $0.50 |
| Certified copy, first page | $2.50 |
| Certified copy, each additional page | $0.50 |
Note: Cash, check, and card are accepted. Verify exact fee totals with Probate Court at 770-781-2140 before paying by mail.
The Probate Court Marriage Application Form
The Georgia Probate Records online application asks both applicants for identity, address, parent, and ceremony information. The full field list below comes from the inspected application HTML.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| County of Application | Dropdown | Yes | Select Forsyth from the Georgia county list. |
| Applicant Last Name | Text | Yes | One required field per applicant. |
| Applicant First Name | Text | Yes | One per applicant. |
| Address, ZIP, City, State, County | Text / Dropdown | Yes | One set per applicant; county dropdown is Georgia counties. |
| Applicant Phone | Phone | Yes | Split into prefix, area, and line fields. |
| Applicant Race | Dropdown | Yes | Required at submission. |
| Applicant Date of Birth | Dropdowns | Yes | Month, day, year fields. |
| Applicant Birth City | Text | Yes | City of birth for each applicant. |
| Parent Information | Text | Optional | Father, mother name, birthplace, and address fields. |
| Contemplated Date of Marriage | Date | Unspecified | Calendar date picker. |
| City / County of Marriage | Text | Unspecified | Two free-text fields for where the ceremony will happen. |
| Surname After Marriage | Text | Unspecified | One per applicant. |
| Last Name at Birth | Text | Unspecified | One per applicant. |
| Premarital Education Course | Checkbox | Optional | Triggers the $16 reduced fee under O.C.G.A. 19-3-30.1. |
Marriage Certificate Copies and Verification
Certified marriage certificate copies can be requested from Probate Court in writing or in person using the court's marriage certificate request form. Out-of-state requesters can mail the form with payment. The Probate Court email for marriage and vital-records work is probatevital@forsythco.com.
Verification for legal use, name change at the Social Security Administration, or insurance enrollment typically requires a certified copy rather than a plain photocopy. Banks, real-estate closings, and immigration filings also expect certified copies.
A request for a certified marriage certificate normally needs the names of both spouses, the date of the ceremony, and the requester's identification. Mailed requests should include a self-addressed stamped envelope when the court requires one. Fees and processing time vary based on volume and the type of search needed. Couples married in another Georgia county should request the certificate from that county's Probate Court instead of Forsyth.
Forsyth County Divorce Records in Superior Court
Divorce records in Forsyth County are Superior Court records. The Clerk's Superior Court page states Superior Court has exclusive constitutional authority over divorce in Georgia. Divorce filings include the complaint, answer, service of process, temporary orders, parenting plan, child support worksheets, mediation notices, settlement agreement, final decree, contempt motions, and modification orders. Protective-order filings can sit alongside the divorce file.
The Juvenile Court clerk page covers related family-court matters when minors are involved.
The Juvenile Court clerk page covers juvenile family-law matters. Most juvenile records are restricted by Georgia law.
Forsyth County Divorce Filing Steps
Divorce filings in Forsyth County follow the Georgia Superior Court process. The unified Clerk's office accepts e-filings through the statewide system. Self-represented filers should plan for filing fees, service of process costs, and copies. Contested divorces often need a lawyer.
- Confirm Forsyth County is the correct venue under Georgia residency rules.
- Prepare the complaint for divorce and any parenting plan or child support worksheet.
- E-file through the Clerk's Superior & State Court Civil e-filing tool, or file in person at Suite 1007.
- Arrange service of process on the other spouse.
- Track temporary orders, mediation, and discovery on the Superior Court calendar.
- Attend any required hearing and accept the final decree.
- Request certified copies through GSCCCA eCertification or the Clerk.
Annulment, Legal Separation, and Modification
Annulment voids the marriage entirely under Georgia law and requires specific grounds. Georgia does not use the term "legal separation," but a "separate maintenance" action handles the same role for spouses who do not want a divorce yet. Modification and contempt actions live in Superior Court after the final decree to handle changes in custody, child support, or alimony.
Each of these case types becomes part of the Superior Court record set held by the Clerk. Specialty work, including high-conflict custody, often runs through mediation before a contested hearing. The Clerk's Superior & State Court Civil division accepts the filings and routes them to the assigned judge. Final orders are recorded by the Clerk and certified copies are pulled through the same office or GSCCCA.
Sealed and Redacted Forsyth County Family Records
Family cases often include sensitive material that gets sealed or redacted. Minor names, financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, and abuse-related details are common redactions. Adoption records are sealed by Georgia law. Juvenile dependency files are restricted.
If a sealed file is needed for legitimate use, a motion in the court that sealed the record is the standard path. The Clerk cannot release a sealed family file without a court order.