Benton County Marriage License Records
Benton County Records & Elections handles marriage licenses and domestic partnerships, not Benton County Circuit Court. The office is at 4500 SW Research Way, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Corvallis, OR 97333, with mailing address P.O. Box 888, Corvallis, OR 97339. Records and license help is available at 541-766-6831 and records@bentoncountyor.gov. The office lists Monday through Friday hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with appointment hours for marriage, domestic partnership, dog licensing, passports, and recording generally from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
A license issued in Benton County is valid throughout Oregon and only within Oregon. Both parties must appear, each must show valid government-issued photo ID, and both must be 18 or older. Blood tests and medical exams are not required. First cousins or nearer kin may not marry. If a prior marriage ended in divorce, the application needs the exact divorce date, and Benton County can issue a new license one day after the final divorce date.
The Benton County marriage license source identifies Records & Elections as the office for marriage and domestic partnership services.
Use that office for Benton-issued marriage license copies, while divorce files stay with the Circuit Court family law process.
Benton County Marriage Application Records
The application starts online and then moves to an appointment. Benton County states that marriage license appointments can be booked each business day by calling 541-766-6831. The research also found county language stating appointments are available from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for purchasing a license, booking a civil ceremony, or registering a domestic partnership. Because both time windows appear in official county material, calling the office before arrival is the safest way to confirm the current appointment slot.
The Benton County online marriage application is the application entry point before the in-person license appointment.
The online application does not replace the required appearance, proof of identity, payment, and license issuance appointment.
- Complete the Benton County online marriage application before the appointment.
- Call Records & Elections at 541-766-6831 to schedule the license appointment and confirm the current appointment window.
- Both parties appear with valid government-issued photo ID and the exact divorce date for any prior marriage.
- Pay the license fee and any optional waiting-period waiver, certified-copy, ceremony, or witness fees.
- After the ceremony, return the completed license to Benton County so the record can be recorded and certified copies can be issued.
Benton County Marriage Record Fields
The research did not expose every internal screen of the online application, but it does identify the core facts a couple must be ready to provide. Both parties must be eligible adults and must prove identity. A prior marriage requires the exact final divorce date. Name-change choices are also part of the Benton marriage and domestic partnership process, with limits on first, middle, and last names. If a person wants a separate court-ordered name change reflected on the license, the court order must be obtained before applying and must be shown as a certified court order.
| Field or Topic | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant legal identity | Yes | Both parties must appear and present valid government-issued photo ID. |
| Age eligibility | Yes | Both parties must be 18 or older. |
| Prior marriage information | When applicable | The exact divorce date is needed if either party was previously married. |
| Kinship eligibility | Yes | First cousins or nearer kin are prohibited. |
| Middle-name choice | Optional choice | Middle name may stay the same, be dropped, be replaced by current last name, or add current last name to create two middle names. |
| Last-name choice | Optional choice | Last name may stay the same, change to spouse or partner's current last name, or combine last names with or without hyphen. |
| Court-ordered name change | Only if used | Must be completed before applying and supported by a certified court order. |
Benton County Marriage Record Fees
Benton County publishes detailed marriage and domestic partnership fees. The license has a three-day waiting period after purchase. Benton County allows that waiting period to be waived for an added fee. The license is valid for 60 days after the effective date, with no extensions or refunds once issued. A lost or destroyed issued license can be replaced at the County Clerk's office.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $52 |
| Waiver of three-day waiting period | $25 |
| Certified copies pre-purchased | $4 each |
| Certified copies after recording | $7.75 noted by online application |
| Commemorative certificate | $2 |
| Domestic partnership registration | $50 |
| County civil ceremony | $117 |
| County-provided witness | $25 |
| Card convenience fee | 2.49% |
Look Up Benton Marriage Records
Marriage records are county records when Benton County issued the license or registered the domestic partnership. Records & Elections handles copy and search requests. The county records request form supports marriage license requests, domestic partnership requests, hard copy or PDF formats, search by name, date or range, document number, and delivery by mail, email, fax, will call, over the counter, or verbal search. Certified copies cannot be emailed or faxed.
Records & Elections will waive the marriage or domestic partnership search fee when the requester has the license or registration number. Otherwise, county copy and research fees may apply. The department's general fee schedule lists copies at $0.25 per page, records or data searches at $3.75 per search, certification at $3.75 per document, in-depth search at $40 per hour, transmission at $3.00, and a 2.49% card convenience fee.
The county records request form also separates the requested record type from the delivery method. A requester can mark Recording, Marriage License, Domestic Partnership, Dog License, or Other, then choose hard copy, PDF, or verbal search. The form also asks for useful search scope, such as names, date or date range, document number, or another identifier. Orders are processed after the request is received and transmitted after payment is processed.
Note: Certified Benton County marriage copies must come through the county process when an official certified copy is needed.
Benton County Divorce Records
Divorce and dissolution records are family law records in Benton County Circuit Court. The Family Law Unit handles dissolution, legal separation, annulment, child custody and parenting time, support, paternity, and restraining orders. Filing and response routes include attorney eFile, Guide and File with online File and Serve, Guide and File followed by printed documents, printed OJD forms taken to Room 101 for review and filing, or purchased forms in Room 101.
In-person review and filing requires an appointment by emailing BEN.FamilyLaw@ojd.state.or.us. Questions about family law forms may be sent to Ben.FamilyLaw@ojd.state.or.us. Fee waiver or deferral can be requested with a written application and documentation of income, expenses, and public assistance. Divorce records may include petitions, responses, orders, judgments, support terms, custody terms, and hearing events, but confidential details may be sealed or redacted.
The Benton Circuit Court Family Law Unit source documents the local court route for dissolution and related family law filings.
Use Family Law Unit channels for divorce filings and court records rather than the county marriage-license office.
Benton County Certified Marriage Records
Certified marriage copies and certified divorce copies come from different sources. For a Benton-issued marriage license, Records & Elections handles certification after the marriage license has been returned and recorded. For a divorce judgment or decree, Benton County Circuit Court is the court record source. OJD public search can show basic case information, but the case register does not include copies of documents in the file.
For Circuit Court family law copies, Benton court research identifies the copy request channel as benton.copy.requests@ojd.state.or.us, the secure first-floor drop box, or mail. The court says requesters should expect one to two weeks for completion after initial receipt. Staff can give general process information but cannot provide legal advice under ORS 9.160. Adoption records and some family-related protected records are confidential or limited by law.
That split should guide the request. A certified marriage record request should give Records & Elections the license number when known because the county waives the marriage or domestic partnership search fee when that number is supplied. A certified divorce judgment request should give the Circuit Court the case number, party names, and enough detail to locate the family law file.
Oregon Marriage and Divorce Records
Benton County marriage records are local county records when the license was issued by Benton County. Benton County divorce records are court records in the Oregon Judicial Department system when the divorce was filed in Benton Circuit Court. Oregon court access rules and public-record limits still apply. OJD free search may exclude adoption, juvenile, mental health, Violence Against Women Act, sealed, or protected records. ORS 192.311 through 192.478 describes Oregon Public Records Law for public bodies, while judicial records have separate treatment under ORS 192.478.
Benton County Records & Elections
4500 SW Research Way, 2nd Floor, Suite 200
Corvallis, OR 97333
541-766-6831