Butler County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Butler County are issued by the Butler County Clerk, not the Circuit Court Clerk. County Clerk Sherry Johnson's office is at 110 North Main Street, P.O. Box 449, Morgantown, KY 42261. The county clerk phone number is 270-526-5676, the fax number is 270-526-2658, and the listed email is sherrye.johnson@ky.gov. Office hours in the research source are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Both applicants must appear together for the standard adult marriage-license process. Kentucky allows two adults to go to any county clerk in the state for a marriage license, and the license may be used in any Kentucky county. It cannot be used outside Kentucky. Butler County marriage records are created when the license is issued and then completed after the authorized officiant returns the signed marriage application to the clerk.
Butler County Clerk
Clerk: Sherry Johnson
110 North Main Street, P.O. Box 449
Morgantown, KY 42261
270-526-5676
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Butler County Marriage Requirements
The Butler County Clerk services page gives practical license rules that matter before applying. The listed adult process requires both parties to be present. Acceptable identification includes a driver's license, government-issued picture ID, original birth certificate, passport, or Social Security card. Applicants also need the correct spelling of the father's full name and the mother's full maiden name, including first, middle, and last names.
| Requirement | Butler County detail |
|---|---|
| Presence | Both parties apply together at the County Clerk office. |
| Age | Standard process applies when both parties are 18 or older. |
| Identification | Driver's license, government picture ID, original birth certificate, passport, or Social Security card. |
| Residency | No Kentucky residency requirement for a Kentucky license used in Kentucky. |
| Waiting period | No waiting period is listed by the clerk. |
| Validity | License is valid for 30 days, including the date issued. |
| Blood test or physical | None listed. |
Butler County marriage records also reflect Kentucky limits on who may marry. The clerk lists restricted or prohibited marriages involving close kin nearer than second cousins by blood, first cousins, a person mentally incompetent, a party still married to a living person from whom the party is not divorced, common-law marriages, proxy marriages, and marriages not solemnized or contracted in the presence of an authorized person or society.
Apply for Butler County Marriage Records
The marriage-license process is short, but the record is not complete until the ceremony is solemnized and the signed application is returned. Kentucky allows clergy, justices and judges of the Court of Justice, retired qualifying justices and judges, county judge/executives, authorized justices of the peace, fiscal court commissioners, and certain religious societies to solemnize marriages. At least two persons besides the parties and the solemnizer must be present.
- Both applicants go to the Butler County Clerk during office hours.
- Bring acceptable identification and parent-name spelling information.
- Pay the marriage-license fee by one of the accepted payment methods.
- Use the license within Kentucky before the 30-day license period ends.
- Have an authorized officiant solemnize the marriage with two witnesses present.
- The officiant returns the signed application to the Butler County Clerk for filing and certified-record access.
If the marriage is not solemnized within the 30-day period, the parties must apply for a new license. Ministers and priests do not need Kentucky residency or licensing to perform a Kentucky marriage, and they may perform marriages anywhere in the state.
Butler County Marriage Application Fields
Butler County's official instructions identify the information needed for license applications and later copy requests. Some names changed in the clerk's copy instructions after June 25, 2020, so older and newer marriage records may need different name labels when requesting a certified copy.
| Field or information | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant names | Yes | Both parties apply together for the license. |
| Acceptable ID | Yes | Government picture ID, driver's license, birth certificate, passport, or Social Security card may be used. |
| Father's full name | Yes | Correct first, middle, and last name spelling is requested. |
| Mother's full maiden name | Yes | Correct first, middle, and last maiden-name spelling is requested. |
| Bride's maiden name and groom's name | For older copy requests | Used for marriages before June 26, 2020. |
| Partner 1 or Partner 2 maiden name | For newer copy requests | Used for marriages after June 25, 2020. |
| Date or year of marriage | Yes for copies | The clerk asks for the date of marriage or year. |
Butler County Marriage and Divorce Fees
The Butler County Clerk publishes marriage-license and certified marriage-copy fees. The research did not locate official Butler County court-copy fees, divorce filing fees, or certified divorce decree fees. For divorce records, confirm the current court-copy cost with the Butler County Circuit Court Clerk before sending payment or relying on an older fee schedule.
| Item | Amount or payment detail |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $60.00 |
| Certified marriage copy by mail | $6.00 |
| Certified marriage copy in person | $5.00 |
| Marriage-license payment methods | Cash, certified check, cashier's check, money order, personal check, Visa, Discover, AMEX, MasterCard. |
| Divorce filing or certified divorce copy | Official Butler County fee not located in the research source. |
Note: Certified marriage-copy fees differ by mail and in-person request, so match payment to the request channel.
Look Up Butler County Marriage Records
Certified Butler County marriage records come from the County Clerk. A mailed request goes to Butler County Clerk, P.O. Box 449, 110 North Main Street, Morgantown, KY 42261. For marriages before June 26, 2020, include the bride's maiden name, groom's name, and date or year of marriage. For records after June 25, 2020, include Partner 1 or Partner 2 maiden name and the marriage date or year.
The County Clerk also has an online records route through eCCLIX/CCLIX county-clerk records, which is used for indexed county-clerk documents. That system is useful for county records, but a certified marriage copy still follows the clerk's copy instructions. If an online index does not locate the record, call the County Clerk because spelling, date range, and post-2020 partner-name labels can affect the search.
Find Butler County Divorce Records
Divorce records are court records. They are not County Clerk marriage-license records. Kentucky Family Court jurisdiction includes dissolution of marriage, spousal support, equitable distribution, child custody, visitation, paternity, adoption, and related family matters. In Butler County, Family Court is part of the 38th Judicial Circuit, and divorce copies or case review start with the Butler County Circuit Court Clerk.
Divorce access can include the KYeCourts/CourtNet account system for online case lookup, the Kentucky trial-court docket generator for public court-date checks, and in-person or phone requests to the Circuit Court Clerk for full file availability. If an older divorce file is stored outside the clerk's office, the clerk can provide case and file locator numbers for the State Records Center or Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives route.
Certified Butler County Divorce Copies
A certified divorce decree or court order should be requested from the Circuit Court Clerk, because the clerk manages Circuit, Family, and District Court records. Useful request details include the case number if known, both party names, approximate filing or decree date, the document requested, and whether a certified copy is needed. Certified court copies are often needed for name changes, benefits, title matters, remarriage questions, and legal filings.
Marriage and divorce records can contain private material. Financial filings, child-related orders, adoption material, domestic-violence records, and sealed attachments may be restricted or redacted. The public part of the case may be available while sensitive parts stay outside ordinary public access.
Butler County Record Boundaries
Marriage and divorce records are often requested together, but the proof they provide is different. A Butler County marriage record proves a license was issued, returned, and recorded by the County Clerk. A Butler County divorce record proves a court case was filed and resolved by court order. The County Clerk cannot replace a divorce decree with a marriage certificate, and the Circuit Court Clerk does not issue a new marriage license.
When the record is old, ask the correct office about the next route before sending a request. Court divorce records may be in the clerk's office, a record facility, or the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. County Clerk marriage records follow the County Clerk's marriage-copy rules. If the year, name format, or case number is uncertain, a short phone call can prevent the request from going to the wrong custodian.
Family Court timing is also distinct from marriage-license service. The local clerk page lists Family Court on the first and third Wednesday of each month, with separate non-confidential and confidential docket times. Those hearing schedules help with divorce court dates, not marriage-copy requests.