The Dane County County Clerk
The County Clerk is a county officer, not a court officer. The office handles statutory county-clerk duties, which include marriage licenses, county board records, and elections. It is the place to apply to marry in Dane County, and it is a key office for county-government records. For marriage-license help, the office can be reached by email at county.clerk@danecounty.gov or by phone at (608) 266-4121.
This office sits apart from the Clerk of Circuit Court, which keeps court case files. The distinction matters whenever someone is unsure where a record lives. A lawsuit, a criminal case, or a divorce file belongs to the court clerk. A marriage license, a county board minute, or an election record belongs to the County Clerk.
The County Clerk's duties are set by state law and tied to county government rather than the courts. The office supports the county board, keeps official county records, and runs the administrative side of elections in Dane County. For the public, the most common reason to contact the office is a marriage license, so most of this page focuses on that service. The other duties matter when you need a county board record or election information, and the open-records law applies to those requests the same way it applies to court records.
Dane County County Clerk
Marriage licenses by virtual appointment
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-4121
county.clerk@danecounty.gov
Marriage Licenses From the County Clerk
The Dane County County Clerk issues marriage licenses, not the Clerk of Circuit Court. All applications are processed virtually by Zoom and by appointment only. Each applicant joins the video appointment, and the two may join from separate locations if needed. Wisconsin lets applicants apply in any county and hold the ceremony in any Wisconsin county within 60 days of issue. Couples who both live outside Wisconsin may also apply in any county.
The marriage process is unusually specific. Appointments open 45 days out on the scheduler, document uploads happen inside the scheduling workflow, and the office handles only the license, not the ceremony. The couple must know the officiant and the ceremony location before applying.
Going virtual changed the routine but not the substance. Both applicants still appear, now over Zoom, and still present the same documents the office has always required. The benefit is that a couple can apply without traveling to the courthouse, and the two can even join from separate locations when needed. The trade-off is that documents must be ready as clear scans or photos at the appointment, since the clerk reviews them live. Planning the ceremony details first keeps the appointment short.
The County Clerk marriage page explains the virtual process, the requirements, the fee, and the waiting period.
Marriage License Requirements
The County Clerk asks for several documents at the appointment. A government photo ID and Social Security number are needed, though the card itself is not. Applicants must prove a current physical address and know their city, village, or town and county. A certified birth record is required, and a hospital birth certificate or photocopy is not accepted. The fields below list what to gather.
| Requirement | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID | Yes | Government-issued photo identification. |
| Social Security number | If available | Card not needed; marked "none" if no SSN. |
| Proof of address | Yes | License, lease, utility bill, or bank statement. |
| Certified birth record | Yes | Electronic scan of a certified record is fine; photocopy is not. |
| Parent names | Yes | Includes mother's full maiden name. |
| Prior marriage proof | If applicable | Divorce judgment, annulment, or death certificate; a CCAP printout is not accepted. |
Note: A divorced person may not remarry until six months after the divorce judgment, regardless of state.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The application is fully virtual, so gather scanned documents and confirm ceremony details before booking. The steps below walk through it.
- Arrange the ceremony date, location, and officiant before applying.
- Gather scans or photos of the required documents.
- Schedule the virtual appointment through the County Clerk scheduler.
- Join the Zoom appointment; separate locations are allowed.
- Provide the ceremony county and city, and the officiant's name and contact.
- Pay the license fee, plus the waiver fee if it applies.
- Follow the Clerk's instructions for license delivery and use.
If an applicant does not speak English, a third-party interpreter must take part, and a couple cannot translate for each other. Spanish appointments are available. An applicant aged 16 or 17 needs consent signed by both parents or guardians before the County Clerk, and a divorced person may not remarry until six months after the divorce judgment.
Marriage License Fees and Timing
The County Clerk lists a set fee paid by card at the time of application. A waiting period applies, and a waiver fee can shorten it. The schedule below covers the common charges.
| Item | Amount / Rule |
|---|---|
| License fee | $120, paid by credit or debit card, nonrefundable |
| Waiting period | 3 days; license issued on the 4th day, valid 60 days |
| Waiting-period waiver | $25 additional; allows use on the application date |
| Late application | Less than 4 days before the ceremony is charged the waiver fee |
Plan the timing with care. A holiday closure can affect the three-day waiting period, so check the office calendar before booking a date close to the wedding. Do not schedule more than 60 days before the wedding, since the license is valid for 60 days from issue. An application made less than four days before the ceremony is charged the waiver fee with no exceptions.
County Board, Elections, and Other Records
Beyond marriage licenses, the County Clerk keeps county-government records. These include county board proceedings and minutes, and election records for Dane County. Because Madison is the seat of both the county and the state, the County Clerk's election work draws steady public interest. Requests for these records follow the same Wisconsin open-records rules that govern other public records.
The County Clerk is one of several county offices that hold public records. The Register of Deeds keeps recorded deeds and vital-record certificates, the Treasurer handles county taxes, and the Clerk of Circuit Court keeps court files. Matching the record to the office is the first step, and the open-records framework is covered on the public records page.
Because Dane County is the seat of state government, public interest in county and election records runs high here. The same rules that open court files open these records: a requester does not need a reason, fees are limited to actual cost, and a custodian must respond as soon as practicable. When a request involves a state office rather than the county, it goes to that state agency under the same open-records law.
County Clerk Versus Clerk of Circuit Court
The two offices share the word "clerk," which causes constant mix-ups. The comparison below shows what each one does so you can reach the right office the first time.
| County Clerk | Clerk of Circuit Court |
|---|---|
| Issues marriage licenses | Holds court case files |
| County board and election records | Civil, criminal, family, probate records |
| Marriage by virtual appointment | Record Center in Room 1002 |
| Phone (608) 266-4121 | Phone (608) 266-4311 |
For court files and certified court copies, see the Clerk of Circuit Court page. For divorce cases, which are court matters, see the marriage and divorce records page.
Marriage License Versus Marriage Certificate
A license and a certificate are not the same document. The County Clerk issues the marriage license, which is the permit to marry. After the ceremony, the recorded proof of the marriage is the marriage certificate, kept by the Register of Deeds for events recorded in Dane County. The Wisconsin State Vital Records Office keeps statewide copies.
This split trips up people who need proof of a past marriage. For a certified marriage certificate, go to the Register of Deeds, not the County Clerk. For the license to marry, the County Clerk is the office. The marriage and divorce records page covers the Register of Deeds path in more detail. The same logic applies to a divorce: the court clerk holds the divorce case and judgment, while the Register of Deeds holds the recorded divorce certificate for an event in Dane County.