Clerk announces less restrictive requirements for marriage licenses

Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry is pleased to announce that after careful review the Will County Clerk’s Office will ease the identification requirements necessary to obtain a license for marriages or civil unions.

Effective Nov. 4, 2019, the Will County Clerk’s Office will allow residents to provide one of the following forms of identification when applying for a marriage or civil union license: a valid Driver’s License, a State ID, a U.S. Military ID, a U.S. Passport, or a Foreign Passport.

This change will be less restrictive for citizens while keeping in full compliance with state statute. In the past, the County Clerk’s Office required citizens to provide a Birth Certificate or a Passport in addition to one of the above forms of photo identification. That requirement was more restrictive than what Illinois law and many neighboring counties required.

“My goal as the Will County Clerk is to eliminate unnecessary restrictions and barriers so that citizens may receive all of our services with convenience and courtesy,” said Staley Ferry. “It is both an honor and a joy to serve couples as they embark upon their new lives together. I hope this new policy makes their plans a little easier.”

Marriage or civil union licenses can be obtain with no appointment necessary at the Will County Clerk’s Office at 302 N. Chicago St. in downtown Joliet or at satellite offices by appointment.

More than two thousand marriage licenses are issued and registered with the Will County Clerk’s Office each year. There were 1,960 licenses issued through August of this year. This new identification process will streamline the application process and minimize any confusion or delay in receiving a marriage or civil union license.

For more information on marriage or civil union licenses, visit thewillcountyclerk.com.