Please note that the following are ADDITIONAL requirements for applicants who are 17 years of age. All other laws, rules, and procedures for marriage licenses apply.  See R.C. 3101.05 and the Court’s main Marriage License page for more details (e.g., how to apply, acceptable forms of proof of age).

*Minors under the age of 17 may not marry under Ohio law. R.C. 3101.01(A).

Under Ohio law, the Juvenile Court must consent (https://juvenile-court.org/) to a marriage when both applicants are 17 years of age. R.C. 3101.02(A). The couple cannot be joined in marriage until the Juvenile Court has filed a Consent to Marriage under section 3101.04 of the Revised Code. R.C. 3101.02(A).

After the Consent to Marriage is filed by the Juvenile Court, the applicants must wait 14 days.  Probate Court may not issue a marriage license earlier than fourteen calendar days after the Juvenile Court files the consent.  R.C. 3101.04. The applicants must present a certified copy of the Consent to Marriage to the Probate Court to ensure the waiting period has been satisfied.

The applicants must also provide a pre-marriage counseling letter to satisfy the requirement that they received marriage counseling that is satisfactory to the Probate Court. R.C. 3101.05(A). The marriage counseling letter can be obtained through a licensed minister or a counseling agency. If the letter is from a minister, it must be on church letterhead or church stationery.

WHEN ONE APPLICANT IS 17 YEARS OF AGE

When one applicant is 17 years of age and the other is an adult, ALL of the above provisions apply (Juvenile Court consent to marry is needed for a person who is 17 years of age)

AND …

The adult applicant to be joined in marriage cannot be more than four years older than the applicant who is 17 years of age. R.C. 3101.02(B)(2).