Burnsville Marriage License Lookup

Burnsville residents apply for a marriage license at the Dakota County Burnsville License Center, not at Burnsville City Hall. The city of Burnsville does not issue marriage licenses. Dakota County handles this service through its network of license centers across the south metro. The Burnsville location at 1380 Highway 13 W is right in the city and easy to reach. You and your partner both need to show up in person, bring ID, and pay the fee. Search past Burnsville marriage records at no cost through moms.mn.gov.

Dakota County Burnsville License Center

The Dakota County Burnsville License Center is at 1380 Highway 13 W, Burnsville, MN 55337. This is where Burnsville residents go to apply for a marriage license. The center handles marriage licenses alongside other county services. Call 952-891-7850 to reach the Burnsville location directly. You can also email burnsvillelicensecenter@co.dakota.mn.us with questions before your visit.

Dakota County has license centers in other south metro locations too, including West St. Paul, Lakeville, Rosemount, and Hastings. You are not required to go to the Burnsville center. Any of them can issue your license. The full list of locations and hours is at co.dakota.mn.us/PropertyRecordsTaxes/LicenseCenters. The main marriage license page is at co.dakota.mn.us/Permits/MarriageLicensesCertificates.

Burnsville City Hall at 100 Civic Center Pkwy is a separate entity. The Burnsville City Clerk at 952-895-4490 handles city functions like permits and council records. Marriage licenses are not among those city functions. The City of Burnsville website covers local government services but refers residents to Dakota County for marriage licenses.

Burnsville City and Marriage License Services

The City of Burnsville offers local government services to residents, while the Dakota County License Center handles marriage licenses right in Burnsville.

Burnsville is one of the few south metro cities with a Dakota County License Center located within city limits, making it convenient for residents to apply at 1380 Highway 13 W without having to travel out of town.

What You Need When You Apply

Both people must come to the license center at the same time. You each need a valid, unexpired photo ID. A Minnesota driver's license, a state-issued ID, or a current passport all work. You also need to know your Social Security number. Most offices do not require you to bring the physical card, but you must provide the number.

If either applicant was previously married, bring documentation showing that marriage is over. A certified final divorce decree or a death certificate is what the county accepts. The requirement applies to both people. Under Minn. Stat. sec. 517.03, existing marriages and certain prohibited relationships must be resolved before a new license can be issued.

Both applicants must be 18. If one is 16 or 17, a parent or guardian must provide written consent as required by Minn. Stat. sec. 517.04. No one under 16 may get a license in Minnesota. There is no residency rule. You can be from another state and still apply at the Burnsville center. There is no blood test required. Once issued, the license is valid anywhere in Minnesota for six months.

License Fees and Timing

The standard Dakota County marriage license fee is $125. If both applicants complete 12 or more hours of premarital education from an approved program, the fee is reduced to $50. Bring proof of the course when you apply. You cannot claim the discount after the fact. The license is issued the same day you apply. There is no waiting period in Minnesota. The old 5-day wait was dropped in 2016.

The license is good for six months from the date it is issued. Plan ahead so you do not let it expire. If it does expire before your wedding, you must apply again and pay the fee again. Pick your wedding date before you apply so you can time the application correctly.

You can get married anywhere in Minnesota, not just in Dakota County or Burnsville. The license works statewide. You could apply in Burnsville and get married in the Boundary Waters if you wanted to.

Search Burnsville Marriage Records

Dakota County is a participant in MOMS, the Minnesota Official Marriage System. MOMS is free to use and open to the public. Go to moms.mn.gov and enter a last name to start a search. You can also add a first name to narrow the results. Results show both spouses, the county, and the date the license was issued. No login is needed. Dakota County records in MOMS go back into the mid-1800s.

MOMS gives you index data, not a full copy of the certificate. To get an official certified copy, contact the Minnesota Department of Health. MDH charges $9 per copy. The process is explained at health.state.mn.us. You can order by mail or in person. The MDH registrar directory at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/registrars.html also lists how to contact the Dakota County office for records issued in the county.

Certified copies are commonly needed for name changes, updating government IDs, or insurance records. Keep one on file after your wedding so you have it when you need it.

Older Dakota County Marriage Records

For historical marriage research covering Burnsville and Dakota County, start with the Minnesota Historical Society. The MNHS marriage records guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/marriage describes what years are covered in various archives and how to find records that may not be digitized. Dakota County was organized in the 1850s, so records from the county's early years exist in physical form at the MNHS or at the county archives.

MOMS covers most of what has been digitized from Dakota County records. For records that do not show up there, the MNHS State Archives in St. Paul is the next step. Researchers can contact the MNHS for guidance on finding specific records or visit the MNHS library in person.

The MDH marriage reporting page explains how Minnesota's registration system distributes records across county and state offices. It is a useful reference when you are not sure which office to contact.

Nearby Cities

These Minnesota cities also route marriage license applications through their county offices.

County Marriage License Office

Marriage license applications for Burnsville are handled by Dakota County. The Dakota County Burnsville License Center at 1380 Highway 13 W, Burnsville, MN 55337 is the local Dakota County office serving Burnsville residents.