Warren County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Warren County are handled by the Warren County Recorder of Deeds, not by the Circuit Clerk. The Recorder is Christy Bonstell. The office is in the Warren County Administration Building at 101 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 303, Warrenton, MO 63383. The phone number is 636-456-9800, and the office email is rod@warrencountymo.org. General office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but marriage license work is accepted from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Both applicants must meet Missouri and Warren County requirements before a license can issue. In-office applicants appear together, show valid government-issued photo ID, and know their Social Security numbers. A person without a Social Security number needs an affidavit of no Social Security number. Applicants must be 18, cannot be married to someone else, and cannot be related by blood through and including first cousins. A prior marriage must be disclosed by month and year of ending. If a divorce judgment is less than 30 days old, the applicant completes a statement that the judgment may still be appealed or set aside.
Warren County Recorder of Deeds
Recorder: Christy Bonstell
101 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 303
Warrenton, MO 63383
636-456-9800
rod@warrencountymo.org
Office: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Licenses accepted until 4:00 p.m.
Apply for Warren County Marriage Records
The Recorder offers both an in-office process and an online application path. The online marriage application has extra Warren County rules: it must be completed on a computer, not a tablet or phone, and one applicant must be a Warren County resident. Both applicants still take part in the online process by signing electronically, uploading valid government-issued identification, answering security questions, and making sure the ID name matches the Social Security Administration name. If the online process cannot be completed, both applicants apply together in person.
- Choose the in-office process or the Recorder's online marriage application path.
- Gather government-issued photo ID and Social Security information before starting.
- For an online application, both applicants complete the electronic signatures, ID uploads, and security questions from a computer.
- Wait for the confirmation email if using the online path, then one applicant brings photo ID to pick up the license.
- Use the license for a ceremony in Missouri within 30 days from the date the license is issued.
Absent-applicant procedures are limited. The Recorder lists incarceration, active military service, and ADA disability as the situations where the proper affidavit or verification may support an absent applicant. Those details should be checked directly with the Recorder before relying on the online form.
Warren County Marriage Application Fields
The marriage application asks for identity and eligibility details for both applicants. Warren County research did not expose a full field-by-field form capture, but the Recorder's instructions identify the core items that applicants must be ready to provide. The Social Security name match is important because the Recorder warns that the name on ID should match the Social Security Administration record.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant identity | Yes | Both applicants provide identifying information and valid government-issued photo ID. |
| Social Security information | Yes, unless no number exists | Applicants must know the number or provide the no-Social-Security affidavit. |
| Electronic signatures | Yes for online application | Both applicants sign electronically during the online process. |
| Security questions | Yes for online application | Both applicants answer identity questions. |
| Prior marriage information | When applicable | Month and year of the prior marriage ending are required. |
| Absent applicant affidavit | When applicable | Used only for the Recorder's listed qualifying situations. |
Warren County Marriage and Divorce Fees
The Recorder publishes the marriage-license and certified-copy amounts. Divorce copy and certification costs were not located in official Warren County sources, so divorce requesters should ask the Circuit Clerk for the current charge before ordering a decree or docket copy. Personal checks are not accepted for marriage licenses, and credit cards carry a processor convenience fee.
| Item | Amount / Source Note |
|---|---|
| Marriage license plus certified copy | $61 total, including $52 license and $9 certified copy |
| Certified marriage copy only | $9 in office |
| Lost or destroyed replica license | $10 |
| Marriage-license payment | Cash or credit card; credit card convenience fee applies |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Not located in official Warren County sources; contact the Circuit Clerk |
Note: The Recorder's broader copy fee schedule also lists $1 per page for copies under RSMo 59.310 and $1 per page plus $1 per certification for certified recorded documents.
Search Warren County Marriage Records
Recorded marriage-license searches use the Recorder's records tools. The Recorder links a Warren County Fidlar Apex WebPortal for online recorded-document searching. The Recorder also describes Laredo as a subscriber option and LandRecords.com as a one-time recorded-document search and copy option. The research notes that field capture from the Fidlar portal was partial, so a searcher should expect to search by names and record details rather than by a court case number.
The Recorder's FAQ adds two local search rules that matter for older Warren County marriage records and land records. Public records are indexed alphabetically by name, not by address or location, and staff will show visitors how to use the public computer and index books. A person who needs a certified marriage copy may contact or visit the Recorder, and the FAQ also points to an online certified-copy ordering path for mail or overnight handling.
Certified Warren County Marriage Copies
After a Warren County marriage license is issued, the applicants take it to the ceremony. The officiant and two witnesses sign on the ceremony date. Under the Recorder's instructions, the officiant must return the completed license within 15 days under RSMo 451.080. Recorder staff then record the license and mail a certified copy and keepsake version. The Recorder advises allowing 30 days after the ceremony date because mail delays can affect delivery.
Courthouse marriage ceremonies are a separate step from getting the license. Couples must still obtain the license from the Recorder first. The Recorder says to call 636-456-9800 for schedule information or dates when a 12th Judicial Circuit judge will perform ceremonies. The listed ceremony time begins at 3:30 and is first come, first served with Judge Kathleen Joyce.
Find Warren County Divorce Records
Divorce records are family case files in the Warren County Circuit Court. They are not Recorder marriage-license records. A divorce search can start in Missouri Case.net by case number or litigant name if the case is public and electronically available. For older files, certified divorce decrees, or records that do not appear online, contact the Warren County Circuit Clerk at 104 West Main Street, Suite G, Warrenton, MO 63383, phone 636-456-3363.
The 12th Judicial Circuit page links family-law forms for dissolution of marriage, child support modification, custody and visitation, and paternity. It also states that self-represented parties in divorce, child custody or support modification, and paternity matters must complete the Litigant Awareness Program. Divorce files may include pleadings, orders, parenting-plan material, support entries, docket events, and final judgments, but sensitive family, child, financial, or protection-order details may be restricted or redacted by rule, statute, or court order.