Cobb County Marriage Records
Cobb Probate Court issues marriage licenses for Cobb County. The Probate Court office is at 32 Waddell Street in Marietta and lists probatecourt@cobbcounty.gov, (770) 528-1900, and weekday business hours in the research file. Georgia.gov also confirms that marriage licenses are issued by county probate courts, which makes Probate Court the correct county office for a Cobb County marriage license, certified marriage license copy, certified marriage application, or marriage certificate.
The Cobb Probate Court marriage license page is the county source assigned to this record type.
The county page is the place to check appointment rules, certified copy options, and Probate Court notices before applying.
Cobb Probate Court
32 Waddell Street
Marietta, GA 30090
(770) 528-1900
probatecourt@cobbcounty.gov
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Apply for Cobb County Marriage License
Marriage applicants should use the Probate Court process and should not contact the Superior Court Clerk for the license itself. Georgia rules require applicants to be at least 18, of sound mind, and without a living spouse from a prior undissolved marriage. A 17-year-old may be issued a license only under special legal conditions. Cobb also warns that couples who need a license for a weekday ceremony the same day must arrive at the licensing division before the late-afternoon cutoff in the research file.
The Georgia marriage license overview is the state source assigned to this page.
The state overview confirms the probate-court role, while Cobb's page gives the local office and copy details.
- Start with Cobb Probate Court's marriage license page and appointment information.
- Prepare identity details for both applicants, including the information required by Georgia marriage-license law.
- Bring any premarital counseling proof if seeking the reduced Cobb license fee.
- Pay the Probate Court license fee and ask about certified copies if a copy will be needed later.
- Use Magistrate Court ceremony information if the couple wants a courthouse ceremony.
Cobb County Marriage Application Fields
The research file does not reproduce Cobb's full application form, so the field inventory is limited to Probate Court page headings and Georgia marriage-license requirements. It still gives a useful checklist for a Cobb County marriage records search or new license application because the same identity details help locate the later license record.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant identities | Yes | Georgia law requires a written application by the persons seeking the license. |
| Date of birth, address, parents | Yes by statute | O.C.G.A. 19-3-33 requires names, dates of birth, present addresses, and parents if known. |
| Premarital counseling proof | Optional | Proof reduces the Cobb fee from the standard license amount to the lower counseling rate. |
| Appointment information | Likely | Cobb's page includes an appointment process. |
| Under-18 applicant details | Conditional | Special Georgia rules apply if an applicant is 17. |
Cobb County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Probate Court fees apply to marriage licenses and marriage certified copies. Superior Court Clerk copy fees apply to divorce decrees. These fees serve different record systems, so a marriage copy request should not be sent to the divorce clerk and a divorce decree request should not be sent to Probate Court.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license without premarital counseling | $56.00 |
| Marriage license with proof of premarital counseling | $16.00 |
| Certified copy of marriage license | $10.00 |
| Certified copy of marriage application | $10.00 |
| Marriage certificate | $10.00 |
| Final divorce decree, regular copy | $3.00 |
| Final divorce decree, certified copy | $10.00 |
| Final divorce decree with settlement agreement, regular copy | $9.00 |
Cobb County Divorce Records
Divorce records are Superior Court records in Cobb County. The county court directory says Superior Court hears divorce matters, and the Clerk of Superior Court maintains divorce decrees. Probate Court's own other-agency information also points divorce records to the Superior Court phone line. That split matters because a person can get married through Probate Court but must obtain a Cobb County divorce decree from the Superior Court Clerk.
The Superior Court Clerk copy request page is the manifest source for divorce decree copies.
Certified divorce decrees should be requested from the clerk that maintains the Superior Court case file.
- Identify the divorce case through the Superior Court Clerk record channels if the case is public.
- Confirm whether the needed document is the decree alone or the decree with settlement agreement.
- Request the copy from the Superior Court Clerk at 70 Haynes Street or through the clerk's copy request channel.
- Ask for certification when the decree must be used for official proof.
- Expect limits or redactions for sealed family details, minor information, or financial account numbers.
Certified Cobb County Copies
A certified copy is usually needed when the record must prove a legal status. Marriage certified copies can support name changes, benefits, immigration filings, or other official steps. A certified divorce decree can prove dissolution of a prior marriage or show the court's final order. A plain copy may be enough for personal review, but it should not be assumed to satisfy a formal agency request.
Marriage ceremony details are also distinct from marriage record access. Cobb research notes Magistrate Court ceremony times and the Probate Court warning about same-day weekday license timing. The marriage license does not marry the couple by itself; an authorized officiant or court ceremony still has to complete the marriage, and the completed record must be returned for official recordkeeping.
Note: Cobb County marriage and divorce records may require two offices because Probate Court licenses marriages and Superior Court keeps divorce decrees.
Cobb County Marriage Ceremonies
Marriage licensing and marriage ceremonies are related but separate steps. Probate Court issues the license, while Cobb's research notes that wedding ceremonies are routed through Magistrate Court. The Probate page's other-agency information gives Magistrate Court's phone number for wedding ceremonies, and the marriage research notes updated ceremony times of Monday through Thursday at 6:00 p.m. and Friday through Sunday at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Couples should make sure the license is issued before relying on a ceremony time. The Cobb Probate Court warning about same-day weekday licenses is practical: if the couple needs the license before a weekday ceremony, they must reach the Probate Court Licensing Division before the stated late-afternoon cutoff. A ceremony without a valid license will not create a complete Cobb County marriage record.
After the ceremony, the completed license record becomes the source for certified marriage copies. The research notes that Cobb's FAQ topics include whether the license marries the couple automatically, who can marry the couple, name change, certificate mailing, whether the first certificate is free, witnesses, officiant submissions, and officiant records. Those topics show why a marriage-record search may need both the license history and the post-ceremony certificate status.
Cobb County Family Record Routing
Cobb County family records can be easy to misroute because marriage, divorce, and adoption use different rules. Probate Court is the correct office for marriage licenses and certified marriage copies. Superior Court is the correct court for divorce filings and final divorce decrees. Adoption records are sealed under Georgia law and are not searched like ordinary marriage licenses or divorce decrees.
For divorce, the Superior Court Clerk copy channel is the better request route when the goal is a final decree. The research also notes that Superior Court Forms include divorce with children, divorce without children, legitimation, contempt, child-support modification, custody declarations, and name changes. A case file may therefore contain far more than the final decree, but the certified decree is the record most often requested as proof that the marriage ended.
| Record Needed | Cobb Office | Best Starting Point |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license or certified marriage copy | Probate Court | Marriage license page or Probate Court Licensing Division |
| Marriage ceremony information | Magistrate Court | Probate Court's other-agency ceremony reference |
| Final divorce decree | Superior Court Clerk | Copy request page or clerk counter |
| Divorce case filings | Superior Court | Superior Court Clerk records channel |
| Adoption file | Court process under sealed-record law | Not an ordinary public search |
Restricted Cobb County Family Records
Marriage license records are generally more open than many family-court files, but not every piece of application or family information is displayed online. Divorce files can include financial account data, minor-child information, sealed exhibits, and settlement terms that may be limited or redacted. Georgia public-access law allows inspection and copying unless a record is exempt, sealed, or restricted by court order.
Access limits: O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 lists exempt and confidential categories, while O.C.G.A. 19-8-23 seals adoption records.
Adoption records are not ordinary marriage or divorce records, but they often arise in family-record searches. Cobb searchers should treat adoption files as sealed and use the court process required by Georgia law rather than expecting public portal access.
Divorce case files may also include pleadings beyond the decree. The research identifies Superior Court forms for divorce with children, divorce without children, legitimation, contempt, child-support modification, custody declarations, and name changes. Those filings are court records when filed, but sensitive exhibits, minor details, and financial account information may be withheld from public display.