{"id":374390,"date":"2016-04-11T01:23:07","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T06:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/mississippi-law\/mississippi-marriage-license-and-blood-test-requirements.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T11:34:00","modified_gmt":"2016-06-20T16:34:00","slug":"mississippi-marriage-license-and-blood-test-requirements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/mississippi-law\/mississippi-marriage-license-and-blood-test-requirements.html","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi Marriage License and Blood Test Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mississippi Marriage License and Blood Test Requirements<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Before a couple can be legally married in Mississippi, they must obtain a marriage license<\/a> from the county clerk. As long as the applicants aren’t related to each other or already married to someone else (see incestuous and void marriages Mississippi Code section 93-1-1<\/a>), the clerk will likely issue a marriage license to the couple. The following table outlines Mississippi’s main marriage license requirements.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Code Section <\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

Mississippi Code section 93-1-15<\/a>: Requirements for a Valid Marriage<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

What’s Required?<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

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  • The couple must have a valid marriage license, and<\/li>\r\n
  • The marriage ceremony must be performed by a person, religious society, institution, or organization that is authorized to perform marriage ceremonies in Mississippi<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Who Can Perform a Marriage Ceremony?<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

In Mississippi, only the following people can perform a valid marriage ceremony:
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  • Ministers of the gospel who are in good standing and have been ordained according to the rules of his church or society<\/li>\r\n
  • Rabbis or other spiritual leaders who are in good standing and have been authorized by their religious body to perform marriage ceremonies, or<\/li>\r\n
  • Any judge of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit court, chancery court, or county court<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

What if These Requirements Aren’t Met?<\/b><\/p>\r\n

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If either of the above requirements aren’t met then the purported marriage is void.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\r\n

Age Requirements<\/h2>\r\n

In Mississippi, males who are at least 17 years old and females who are at least 15 years old are legally capable of getting married. However, a judge can waive this minimum age requirement if there is a sufficient reason for the couple to get married, the applicants want to marry each other, and the parents of the underage party consent to the marriage.<\/p>\r\n

Under Mississippi’s marriage license laws, any applicant who is less than 21 years old must have his or her parents’ (or guardian’s) consent before they can get married in Mississippi. County clerks can only issue a marriage license to an applicant who is less than 21 years old if the following requirements have been complied with:<\/p>\r\n

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  1. The marriage license application must be in writing and include: