Andrew County Marriage Records Office
Marriage records are Recorder of Deeds records in Andrew County. Recorder Chanler M. Williams issues and maintains marriage licenses, records real estate documents, files liens, and files military discharges. The Recorder's Office is on the main level of the courthouse and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM except legal holidays. The office contact is recorder@andrewcountymo.gov, P.O. Box 208, Savannah, and 816-324-4221 Ext. 6.
The Recorder is not the Circuit Clerk. That distinction matters because a marriage license is not a court case, while divorce is a dissolution case in the circuit court system. Certified marriage copies come from the Recorder after the license is returned and recorded. Divorce decrees and dissolution case files are handled by the Circuit Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted.
Apply for Andrew County Marriage License
Andrew County requires an appointment to apply for a marriage license. Both applicants must appear together in person, bring valid government-issued picture ID, be at least 18 years old, and bring the required cash fee. The applicants swear that the application information is true and that they are free to marry under Missouri law.
- Call the Recorder of Deeds to schedule the required marriage license appointment.
- Both applicants appear together in person at the Recorder's Office.
- Bring valid government-issued picture ID and prior-marriage dissolution date if either applicant was previously married.
- Pay the marriage license fee in cash at application.
- Complete the Missouri ceremony within the 30-day window and return the license after the ceremony.
Andrew County Marriage Requirements
The local marriage requirements are specific. Applicants must be 18 or older and cannot be related through and including first cousins. If either person was previously married, the application requires the date the last marriage dissolved. A ceremony must occur in Missouri within 30 days from issuance. It is a misdemeanor to perform the ceremony without the license being presented, and the marriage is invalid if the ceremony occurs before the license is picked up.
Officiants can include clergy in good standing, judges including municipal judges without compensation, and religious societies, institutions, or organizations under their customs when a party is a member. The person performing the ceremony must return the completed license to the Andrew County Recorder within 15 days. The license must be returned whether used or unused.
Note: A certified marriage copy is often needed for a name change after the returned license is recorded.
Andrew County Marriage Application Fields
The research did not find an online Andrew County marriage application. The county process is an in-person appointment, so the field inventory below reflects the documented application requirements rather than a web form.
| Field or Item | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant full legal names | Yes | Provided in person by both parties. |
| Government-issued picture ID | Yes | Valid ID is required for each applicant. |
| Age confirmation | Yes | Applicants must be 18 or older. |
| Prior marriage dissolution date | If applicable | Required if a person was previously married. |
| Free-to-marry affirmation | Yes | Applicants affirm the information is true and they are free to marry under Missouri law. |
| Relationship qualification | Yes | Parties cannot be related through and including first cousins. |
| Signatures | Yes | Signature acts as sworn affirmation. |
| License return | Yes after ceremony | Officiant returns the completed license within 15 days. |
Andrew County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage fees come from the Recorder's fee material, while divorce and court-copy fees come from the Fifth Circuit cost-deposit schedule. Do not use the marriage license fee to estimate divorce filing costs, and do not use circuit copy charges to estimate Recorder document charges.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $51 cash |
| Certified copy of marriage license | $10 once returned and recorded |
| Copy of marriage license per page | $2 |
| Recorder certification per document | $1 |
| Returned check service fee | $25 |
| Dissolution or legal separation filing | $102.50 |
| Motion to modify | $100.50 |
| Circuit Clerk photocopies | $2.50 first 10 pages, then $0.10 per page after |
| Circuit Clerk certified copies | $2.50 per certification up to two pages, regular copy charges after that |
Andrew County Marriage Ceremony Rules
Missouri law controls who may solemnize a marriage. RSMo 451.100 identifies authorized officiants, including clergy in good standing, judges, and certain religious societies or organizations under their customs. Andrew County's local requirements mirror that rule and add the county return process for the completed license.
The Missouri solemnization statute is the state-law source behind Andrew County marriage ceremony authority.
That law supports the local rule that a valid license must be presented before the ceremony occurs.
Search Andrew County Marriage Records
For a certified marriage record, contact the Andrew County Recorder of Deeds. For online recorded-document searching, Andrew County uses iCounty, but the Recorder research shows login or registration is required and subscription or printing fees may apply. iCounty is more than a marriage search because it also covers recorded land documents and other Recorder records.
The iCounty login field inventory includes User ID or email, password, a save-user-ID checkbox, register and password-reset links, and subscription options. Those options include a free registered user tier with printing and download charges, single-day access, monthly single-user access, monthly sharable access, and a higher volume sharable plan. DeedWatch is a separate free alert service for future recorded land-document name matches and is not a historical marriage-record search.
Find Andrew County Divorce Records
Divorce and legal separation records are circuit court records. Andrew County Health Department guidance cited in the research says divorce certificates are available from the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the divorce was granted. The Andrew County Circuit Clerk is Tannah Buhman, with court staff routing showing Tammie Schmitz for child support, civil, and domestic matters. The Domestic Division docket is called every Monday.
Start with Case.net for public dissolution case entries. Contact the Circuit Clerk for certified copies, older divorce records, sealed or restricted files, or records that do not appear online. Divorce files may include petitions, responses, docket entries, hearing notices, orders, judgments, support or custody terms, and modifications when public. Some family details, minor information, protected addresses, and sealed documents may be redacted or withheld.
For broader civil case context, Andrew County divorce filings sit inside the same Circuit Court system used for other Andrew County court records.
Certified Marriage and Divorce Copies
Certified copies are used when a record must serve as official proof. For marriage, the certified copy comes from the Recorder once the license is returned and recorded. For divorce, the certified decree or case document comes from the Circuit Clerk. The office that keeps the record is the office that certifies it.
| Record Needed | Office | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Certified marriage license copy | Andrew County Recorder of Deeds | Name change, benefit proof, personal legal record |
| Plain marriage copy | Andrew County Recorder of Deeds | Research or non-certified reference use |
| Certified divorce decree | Andrew County Circuit Clerk | Proof of divorce, remarriage, legal or agency filing |
| Public dissolution docket | Case.net or Circuit Clerk | Case status, hearing, disposition, and filing history when public |
Andrew County Record Limits
Marriage licenses are Recorder records, but not every related personal detail should be treated as broadly public for every purpose. Divorce cases are court records, yet family cases can contain restricted details. Missouri law and court rules can limit access to juvenile information, sealed records, protected addresses, financial account details, and other confidential material.
Use the proper custodian rather than a third-party name search. The Recorder can confirm marriage copy rules and the Circuit Clerk can confirm divorce copy rules. If a divorce case has sealed material, the public docket may show less than the full case file. If a record is old, not digitized, or unclear, an in-person, mail, or phone request may be more reliable than a web search.