Goodhue County Marriage License and Records

Goodhue County marriage licenses are issued through the County Recorder in Red Wing. Both applicants must appear at the office in person to complete the application. The Recorder keeps all county marriage records and reports them to the Minnesota Department of Health. MOMS covers Goodhue County licenses from 1854 to the present day. If you are applying for a new license or searching for an existing record, this page has the details you need.

Goodhue County Recorder

The Goodhue County Recorder is at 509 W 5th St in Red Wing. The office handles marriage license applications, issues licenses, files the completed certificates after ceremonies, and keeps vital records. It is the official local registrar for Goodhue County, meaning marriage data flows from this office to the Minnesota Department of Health's statewide system.

The Recorder's main page is at co.goodhue.mn.us/304/Recorder. The marriage license page at co.goodhue.mn.us/305/Marriage-License covers the local application process in more detail. It's worth reading before you make the trip to Red Wing. The office phone is 651-385-3040 for any questions you want to ask before coming in.

The MDH registrar directory also lists the Goodhue County Recorder. It's a reliable backup if you want to confirm contact information from a second source.

How to Apply for a Goodhue County Marriage License

Both people who plan to marry must appear at the Goodhue County Recorder's office together. You cannot send someone in your place, and there is no remote or online application process. State law under Minn. Stat. § 517.08 requires both parties to be present when the application is submitted.

Each applicant must bring a valid photo ID. A driver's license, Minnesota state ID, or passport all qualify. You also need to provide your Social Security numbers. If you or your partner have been married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate for the prior spouse. Plain copies do not count. They need to be certified official documents.

Both parties must be at least 18. If one applicant is 16 or 17, a parent or legal guardian must come to the Recorder's office and give written consent at the time of application. This is required by Minn. Stat. § 517.04. There is no residency requirement. People who live outside Goodhue County or outside Minnesota can apply here. The license is good for six months. There is no waiting period, so you can hold a ceremony on the same day the license is issued.

Marriages between close relatives are prohibited by Minn. Stat. § 517.03. If you have questions about eligibility, call 651-385-3040 before visiting. Staff can give you a clear answer based on your situation.

Fees for a Goodhue County Marriage License

The standard fee is between $115 and $125. This is what most applicants pay. If both parties complete a 12-hour premarital education program before applying, the fee may drop to $40 to $50. The course must be from an approved provider. Bring proof of completion when you apply for the reduced rate to apply.

Payment is collected at the time of application. Call 651-385-3040 before your visit to confirm the current fee and find out what payment methods the office accepts. Some offices take cash or check only. Confirming this in advance avoids any issues when you arrive at the counter. The Recorder will not issue the license without the fee being paid first.

Note: The license fee is separate from any fee for certified copies of the marriage certificate. If you know you will need official copies after the ceremony, budget for those as an additional cost when you're ready to order them.

Search Goodhue County Marriage Records

The Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS) is the place to start when searching for marriage records in Goodhue County. MOMS covers county records going back to 1854. The free search portal is at moms.mn.gov. Enter a last name and optionally a first name. Results show both parties' names, the marriage date, and the county where the license was issued.

MOMS is a public index. Anyone can search it for free. It doesn't require you to have a case number or know the exact date. A last name is enough to start. The results give you the basic facts about each matching marriage record. This is often all that's needed to confirm a marriage happened or to verify which county holds the record.

For records that aren't in MOMS, or if you need the full license document rather than just index information, contact the Goodhue County Recorder at 651-385-3040. Staff can search county records manually and may be able to find older or unusual cases that aren't captured in the online index. In-person visits to the office in Red Wing are also an option for more involved research requests.

Genealogy researchers working on southeast Minnesota families will find Goodhue County's MOMS coverage helpful. Records from 1854 give a long view into the county's history. For older or more fragmented records, the Minnesota Historical Society at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/marriage maintains additional collections worth checking.

Certified Copies of Goodhue County Marriage Certificates

After a wedding ceremony in Goodhue County, the officiant signs the marriage license and returns it to the Recorder. The Recorder processes the certificate and submits the record to MDH. Once that's done, certified copies are available through either the county or the state.

To get a copy from the county, call the Recorder at 651-385-3040 or visit the office at 509 W 5th St in Red Wing. Staff can tell you the fee, how to submit a request, and how long it will take. In-person requests at the office are often the fastest way to get a certified copy, especially if you need one quickly.

MDH certified copies cost $9 each. You order through the MDH vital records page by mail or online. MDH can provide a copy for any Minnesota marriage that was properly registered. Their processing time is typically several days to a few weeks depending on the method you use and current volume.

For marriages that need to be verified internationally, an apostille from the Minnesota Secretary of State is usually required. The fee is $5 per document. You need a certified copy of the marriage certificate before you can apply for the apostille. Details are at sos.mn.gov/notary-apostille.

State Vital Records and Marriage Law

Minnesota tracks marriages through a two-level system. County recorders like Goodhue County issue licenses and collect completed certificates at the local level. MDH maintains the statewide vital records system and can issue certified copies for any county. MOMS is the public-facing search tool that connects both levels.

The MDH vital records page at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords explains the full statewide system. The screenshot below shows the page as it appeared during site research.

MDH is the statewide agency that backs up county records. What the Goodhue County Recorder files locally, MDH archives at the state level. Both sources point to the same underlying marriage record.

The MOMS portal at moms.mn.gov gives free public access to the statewide marriage index. The screenshot below shows the MOMS search interface as it appeared during research for this site.

The full text of Chapter 517, which governs all marriages in the state, is at revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/517/full. Goodhue County follows this law in every step of the license and recording process. The statute at revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/517.08 is the specific section covering application requirements.

Cities in Goodhue County

Goodhue County includes Red Wing and several smaller communities along the Mississippi River and inland areas. All marriage licenses for the county go through the Recorder in Red Wing.

Communities in Goodhue County include Red Wing, Cannon Falls, Zumbrota, Kenyon, Goodhue, and others. None of these cities currently meet the population threshold for individual pages on this site. All county residents apply for marriage licenses at the same Recorder office in Red Wing.

Nearby Counties