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I previously wrote about the marriage license laws that will be going into effect come September 1, 2008, in the state of Texas. However controversial the subject, come September 1, this will be important information for all Texas brides to know.
If the couple chooses to attend a 8-hour premarital class, there will be no waiting period on the marriage license (normally three days) and the fee will only be $12, as opposed to new, raised rate of $72. Today, I searched everywhere online to obtain more information on the rules as to what constitutes an official premarital class, as Mr. H and I already did a whole weekend of marriage prep through the Catholic church.
I’m still awaiting a response to find out whether or not our class is considered “valid” by the state. Otherwise Mr. H and I will have to decide whether or not it’s worth spending the extra money to take another prep class.
While I was more positive about this concept when I first read of it, knowing that the classes and time we put into our marriage prep this past year might not be accepted by the state, and the raised license rate if we choose not to take their course in addition to ours, is a little perturbing. I can understand the desire for couples to take a more active role in preparing for marriage, but this might be a little extreme.
If you are a Texas bride, you can get more information and find the contact information for your local Healthy Marriage Regional Intermediaries here, or you can contact your local county clerk’s office.
What do you think about this, and would you participate if this were offered in your state?
That’s ridiculous. Most often than not, couples taking premarital classes do it through the church. Shouldn’t they have thought of that before bringing in the new requirements? As if your class isn’t “valid” …blurg!
I live in Texas and I’m getting married in April and this infuriates me! That rate is outrageous in a world of continually rising costs they want us to pay even more out of our pockets. If two people choose to get married then that’s their choice. It’s not the state’s responsibility to educate people on the responsibilities of marriage. These classes are not going to deter anyone from getting divorced down the road either. I’m fuming!
Florida has a similar program, but it doesn’t apply to couples from out of state marrying there. I really don’t see a problem with it, but I do think that your classes taken through your spiritual center should absolutely count towards it.
PS - Count your blessings, TX - the marriage license rate in FL is $93.50! In-state residents who have completed a marriage course can waive the normal three-day waiting period and are entitled to a discount that brings the cost to around $60, from what I can find. Out-of-state residents have no waiting period, but can not receive a discount for taking the course.
I’m with Miss Gardenia–it does seem like the state getting overly paternal and overly involved in what should be a decision between two people and, if applicable, their faith/church/officiant/etc. While I like the goal of getting people more prepared for marriage and I’m not opposed to the state offering some sort of civil course like that, I don’t like that it’s tied to a benefit, i.e. the reduced license fee.
I can see why the state might not accept a faith-based course though–if the state has goals for what the program is supposed to cover that aren’t approved of by a certain religion, it doesn’t really advance the state’s program. I’d *hope* the state would accept the course, but I can see the argument for why they wouldn’t.
Was this something that was voted on? Wow $72 is a steal it is $90 here in CA. It seems like this should only be if you are being married in the courthouse or by a judge somewhere else. Hopefully your classes will be ok.
Thanks for the info Miss Hydrangea! I’m getting married in Dallas in April. Please keep us posted!
Yeah, licenses are $60 in Oregon. So $72 doesn’t sound bad to me.
I am unfamiliar with this law. Interesting concept, but I have questions about the execution. (1) Most couples are already required (or strongly encouraged) to do prep classes through their religious organization - Do those sessions count? (2) There’s only a $60 difference in license fees, and I don’t know what marriage counseling costs in TX, but I bet it’s more than that. - Has the state arranged for counseling that meets requirements that cost $60 or less? (3) Couples for whom a $60 savings is important are also the couples who will be less able to pay out of pocket for counseling services - Are there scholarship funds to assist those who can’t pay for counseling?
In MN there is a similar program. I believe the thought process behind it is that couples who go through marital prep are less likely to divorce in comparison to couples who don’t.
Our marriage license in $110 w/o prep, and $40 with prep. We did the standard marriage retreat through our (Catholic) church, and it absolutely counts toward the state requirements. (In fact our church even uses the discount as an upside to going through the class.)
For me, it would really depend on what “counted” as premarital counseling. If the only options were church-based, we’d just pay the extra fee, because I would never ask FH to participate in counseling that didn’t jive with his personal beliefs. If there were secular alternatives, though, we’d definitely consider it!
We paid $68 here in WA. In answer to your question, we probably would not have taken the *state-sanctioned* class. First of all, a whole day of our time (8 hours x 2 = 16 hours) is worth way more than $60. And secondly, we spent more than that much time with our pastor over the six months prior to our wedding, in our apparently *non-state-sanctioned* pre-marital counseling. Which I would guess was perhaps worth more than a day-long class from the state as regards ensuring our readiness for marriage.
California licenses are $89, no options for discounts whatsoever.
I live in AZ, ours is $50, open without restrictions to out of state residents as well. The only catch is a certified copy is an extra 18 and you must apply in person. There is also something deemed a covenant license (which I don’t understand at all), which I believe is an additional 20. They changed the law to force people to apply in person so that there was no way a same sex couple could obtain a license. The upside… no blood tests, and you can be married the same day you apply (in case you are a ridiculously lame procrastinator, like me). There is no way any state could ethically obligate a couple to receive incentives to take a sanctioned course. It is just morally repugnant. What sort of rights does this leave couples who are outside faith norms or apparently state-recommended faiths?
I think its ridiculous and I am a Texas bride. Mr. Mims and I are both over 40 and have lived together for 3 years. I find it offensive that the State thinks it has the answer for a healthy marriage.
$60 savings for 8 hours of time investment doesn’t give us any value. Any dual income couple who earn more than $5.00 an hour, per person is better off just paying the difference.
That seems rediculous! In Missouri it’s $45, another $9 if you want a certified copy which you need to change your name. We discussed counseling simply to prepare us for marriage and decided on a book and workbook program that we both really enjoyed and I think was a great way to strengthen our relationship. I don’t understand where that $75 is going. I’d like to know more about where these ideas came up.
We have a similar law here in TN. We get a $60 discount on marriage licenses here if we do premarital counseling (it’s $99.50 before and goes down to $39.50). The requirements for the class here are: Taking a 4 hour course within the past year. A certification of completion must be completed by a certified course provider. These include Psychologist, Licensed Marital and Family Therapist, Professional Counselor, Official representative of a religious Institution, Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Pastoral Therapist, Psychological Examiner, or Any other instructor approved for the judicial district.
Our officiant provides an online course for us to do in our free time. Then we just have to answer a questionnaire he provides to show we did the course for at least 4 hours and he gives us the certificate.
Im with CarolineG in Florida. So the concept doesn’t annoy me and the price is cheaper than ours. Do I think its over reaching? Yes. But as others have already said, it doesn’t seem like the worst idea ever for those who just show up at the courthouse… but then where do you draw the line? So I understand that in an attempt to not have Vegas style morning after divorces they just made it a blanket rule. And at least in Florida, almost all religious meetings count.
I’m in Texas, and what ever happened to a marriage license costing $25.00!? This is crazy to charge $72 dollars. I work at a law firm, and i’m definitely going to ask my attorney to look into it for me. How nuts! But it better include church premarital classes, before we have to do an 8 hour one in order to get married at a certain church.
From a public health standpoint, I think this is a great idea. Studies have shown that pre-marital counseling decreases divorce rates. This shows that your state wants marriages there to succeed.
I do, however, hope that your religiously based course counts toward this. I would understand though if they wanted you to get a curriculum that has an evidence base of success.
Personally, I don’t think religious counseling should count. I know its not a popular stance, but it seems to be a blurring of the line between church and state.
If they ok pastoral counseling for the major religions, will they give the same credit to more unusual religions? What about atheists and agnostics, will they have to pay for the more expensive private counseling options?
It just seems like its ripe for confusion, litigation, etc. If the state offered a secular program at no cost, then I could maybe get on board. As it is, I see it as being divisive.
Wow- I didn’t realize how lucky I was! In Maryland the license is $35 and you don’t have to do anything- you don’t even have to apply in person.
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Mrs. Hydrangea, Dallas Age and Occupation: 26, Administrative Assistant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Network Analyst Engagement Date: June 2007 Wedding Date: September 2008 Blogging Since: January 14, 2008 Venue: Catholic Church and Reception at The W Hotel About Me: Mr. H and I come from very different cultures and backgrounds so I'm excited to plan our wedding with a balance of both traditions. My mom has always been a DIY queen, and I'm just now starting to get into it with a new house and a wedding to plan!
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