Courthouse Wedding Cost in Dallas–Fort Worth

01 / Compare the counties

Courthouse Wedding Costs by County

A Texas marriage license works for a ceremony anywhere in the state, so you can choose the clerk's office and the court separately. The cards show each county's license price, the lower price with a Twogether in Texas certificate, and court fees posted on September 22, 2026. Open a card for the particular courts, guest limits, and official sources. Confirm current details before you book.

Once you have chosen your court, plan the photographs around its appointment time, guest limit, and photography rules. Our Dallas courthouse wedding photography guide explains ceremony coverage and portrait planning. For a Tarrant County ceremony, use the Fort Worth courthouse guide.

02 / Choose your date

The 72-Hour Wait and How to Skip It

The license starts the clock. Give yourselves room between the clerk's counter and the ceremony, then check the hours of the court you choose.

Texas bars the ceremony during the 72 hours after the license is issued (Family Code §2.204). A license issued Friday morning means Monday morning at the earliest, and most posted ceremony hours are weekdays. The wait does not apply if either of you:

• is on active duty in the U.S. armed forces;
• works for the Department of Defense as an employee or contractor;
• gets a written waiver for good cause from a qualifying judge, a list that includes justices of the peace and judges of courts that hear family cases; or
• completed a premarital education course of at least eight hours in the year before you apply, and shows the clerk the certificate.

Some courts are stricter than the statute. Dallas County's JP 3-1 and JP 4-1 ask for a license issued at least 72 hours before the ceremony you book, so check your court's page before counting on an exception. Once issued, the license expires if you have not married within 90 days (§2.201).

Twogether in Texas: Up to $60 Off and No Wait

Twogether in Texas is the state's premarital education program, run by Texas Health and Human Services. Its site lists providers who teach the course in person and online. Texas law asks for a course of at least eight hours (Family Code §2.013), and the certificate is good for one year.

• The certificate waives the 72-hour wait and removes the $60 state portion of the license fee. Counties can add up to $22 in local fees that are not waived, according to the program's FAQ, which is why the discounted license in DFW is $16–$21 rather than free.
• Course prices are set by each provider. Some charge nothing, so the course can cost less than it saves.
• Bring the printed certificate when you apply. Collin County gives the reduced fee only if you present it at application, and Tarrant County asks you to show it to your officiant as well.
• In Dallas County, apply at the County Clerk's office at 500 Elm Street. The JP 3-1 license desk cannot process a license with a Twogether certificate.

03 / Make it your day

One Example, With Photography

A Dallas County license, a weekday ceremony at Justice of the Peace 3-1, and 3 hours of photography:

With a Twogether in Texas certificate, the license drops to $21 and the total to $1,371, plus whatever your course provider charges. Parking, attire, flowers, and a meal afterward are yours to add; they vary too much to price here.

Need more time for portraits or a meal with family? Compare the hours, prices, and included photographs on our wedding photography pricing page before choosing your coverage.

Adding a dinner or a few more guests? That is a micro wedding. See how we photograph micro weddings in Dallas and intimate weddings across Dallas–Fort Worth.

Frequently Asked Questions