Dade County Marriage Licenses
Dade County marriage licenses are handled by the Dade County Recorder of Deeds. Carolyn Kile is listed as Recorder. The Recorder's office is at the courthouse, and the official page lists a $51.00 marriage license fee. Applicants must bring a driver's license or government-issued ID and Social Security card. Both parties must sign in front of the Recorder. The page states applicants must be 18 and that no one under 18 is issued a license effective August 28, 2025.
The Recorder also provides certified marriage license copies for $9.00 and general recorder copies for $1.00 per page. Marriage records are not held by the Circuit Clerk in the same way divorce files are. A marriage license begins with the Recorder, is used within the statutory time limit, and is returned by the officiant. A certified copy later comes from the Recorder when proof of the recorded marriage license is needed.
The Dade County Recorder of Deeds page shows the local license fee, ID and Social Security card rules, copy fee, iCounty access, and title-search notice.
Those local Recorder details control Dade County marriage license access more directly than the court-record channels used for divorce files.
Apply for Dade County Marriage License
Missouri law backs the local Recorder requirements. RSMo 451.090 bars issuance to anyone under 18 and requires proof of age by certified birth certificate, passport, or another government-issued ID. RSMo 451.040 requires a license before marriage, requires application information such as Social Security number or a sworn no-SSN statement, makes the license void after 30 days, and voids common-law marriages. The local Dade page adds the effective August 28, 2025 age update in plain terms.
- Contact or visit the Dade County Recorder of Deeds at the courthouse.
- Bring a driver's license or government-issued ID and Social Security card.
- Make sure both applicants appear and sign in front of the Recorder.
- Pay the $51.00 marriage license fee.
- Use the license within 30 days.
- Have the officiant return the license within 15 days after issuance.
- Request a certified copy from the Recorder if proof is needed later.
Dade County Marriage Fees
The research does not provide a full image of the local marriage application form, so the field table uses the state-law and local Recorder requirements that were verified. Do not add fields such as prior-marriage detail or parental consent unless a Dade County or Missouri source supports them. The key distinction is that the Recorder collects license information and issues certified marriage copies, while the Circuit Clerk handles divorce court files.
| Field or Item | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Government ID or driver's license | Yes | Used for identity and proof of age. |
| Social Security card or no-SSN statement | Yes or conditional | State law requires SSN information or a sworn statement when no SSN exists. |
| Both applicant signatures | Yes | Dade says both parties must sign in front of the Recorder. |
| Age 18 or older | Yes | No one under 18 is issued a license effective August 28, 2025. |
| License use period | Yes | License is void after 30 days under RSMo 451.040. |
| Officiant return | Yes | Return is due within 15 days after issuance under RSMo 451.080. |
| Record or Filing | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dade County marriage license | $51.00 |
| Certified marriage license copy | $9.00 |
| General recorder copy | $1.00 per page |
| Dade County domestic relations filing cost | $102.50 |
| DHSS marriage or divorce statement | $15.00 per record |
The Missouri DHSS Bureau of Vital Records overview explains the state marriage and divorce statement registry that began July 1, 1948.
DHSS statements can help prove that an event was registered, but they do not replace the local certified license copy or decree.
Search Dade County Marriage Records
Dade Recorder materials point to iCounty for online access to indexed recorder records and images. The research found a Dade Recorder iCounty login page and registration page with user ID, password, registration, agreement, and subscription or copy pricing elements. Recorder indexing and images back to 1972 are on iCounty. Pre-1972 deeds can be accessed on the site only with a specific book and page number. The Recorder page also says the office does not perform title searches for anyone or any reason, which is useful for understanding how much research the office will do for a requester.
Marriage-copy requests should go to the Recorder, not the Circuit Clerk. A person looking for a divorce file should use the Circuit Clerk. A person looking for a marriage or divorce statement from the state should use DHSS. The source matters because each office issues a different document with a different legal use.
The DHSS ordering page provides state ordering rules, fees, and access limits for marriage and divorce statements.
Use DHSS when a statement is enough; use the Recorder or Circuit Clerk when the actual local certified record is needed.
Dade County Divorce Records
Divorce records are Circuit Court records. Use the Dade County Circuit Clerk and Missouri Case.net for divorce case lookup, and use the Circuit Clerk for certified decree copies. DHSS issues certified statements relating to divorce, not the actual certified divorce decree. A DHSS statement can show names, divorce date, and county. The decree itself comes from the Circuit Clerk where the divorce was granted.
Divorce filing is handled in Circuit Court. Dade's Circuit Clerk lists domestic relations filing cost at $102.50. RSMo 452.305 requires one party to be a Missouri resident or stationed servicemember for 90 days before filing, requires 30 days to pass after filing before judgment, and uses irretrievable breakdown as the dissolution standard. RSMo 452.310 lists petition contents, including residence, marriage date and place, separation date, child information, pregnancy, last four Social Security digits, custody, support, maintenance, and requested relief.
- Confirm Missouri residency or qualifying military stationing for 90 days.
- File in Circuit Court through the Dade County Circuit Clerk.
- Use Missouri Courts dissolution forms linked from the clerk's domestic forms area where applicable.
- Pay the domestic relations filing cost listed by the clerk.
- Complete service and response steps under court rules.
- Wait at least 30 days after filing before a judgment can be entered.
- Use Case.net for public status where available, and request certified decree copies from the Circuit Clerk.
Dade County Marriage Rules
Missouri marriage statutes explain why the Recorder asks for certain proof and why timing matters. RSMo 451.040 requires a license before marriage and says common-law marriages are void. RSMo 451.080 requires the officiant return within 15 days after issuance. RSMo 451.100 authorizes solemnization by clergy in good standing, judges including municipal judges without compensation, and qualifying religious societies.
The Missouri marriage-license statute is one of the core sources for Dade County marriage records and licensing rules.
The state statute and the local Recorder page work together: state law sets the license framework, and the Recorder supplies local fees and process details.
The Missouri marriage-license age statute supports the Dade Recorder's 18-and-older rule.
The August 28, 2025 Dade Recorder notice should be kept with the statute when checking current age requirements.
Dade County Certified Copies
Certified copies depend on the record type. A certified marriage license copy comes from the Dade County Recorder of Deeds for $9.00. A certified divorce decree comes from the Dade County Circuit Clerk because divorce is a court case. A DHSS marriage or divorce statement costs $15.00 per record, but it is a state statement, not the same as the local certified document. Domestic or family court copy requests can require photo ID, and the Circuit Clerk copy process may use the court's Request for Record/Copy form.
For legal name change, benefits, remarriage, estate, or court use, ask the receiving agency which document it needs before ordering. Some agencies accept a DHSS statement. Others require the certified license copy or certified divorce decree from the local custodian. If a divorce file includes restricted domestic or child information, the Circuit Clerk may limit access or require proof of identity, party status, or court order.