Find Marriage Records in Fillmore County

Fillmore County marriage records are kept at the County Recorder's office in Preston. The Recorder has been maintaining these records since 1870 and handles new license applications, certified copy requests, and record searches. You can visit the office in person on weekdays or contact them by phone to ask about a specific record. The statewide MOMS system also covers Fillmore County, giving you a free online way to look up marriage records without going to the courthouse. This page explains your main options for finding Fillmore County marriage records.

Fillmore County Recorder

The Fillmore County Recorder manages marriage licenses and vital records for the county. The office is at 101 Fillmore Street in Preston. Staff process new license applications, issue certified copies, and help with record searches. Marriage records go back to 1870, covering well over a century of local history in southeastern Minnesota.

Both parties must come to the office together to apply for a license. The office does not accept mail-in applications for new licenses. However, if you just need a certified copy of a marriage certificate that is already on file, you may be able to make that request in writing. Call the office to confirm what the current process is before you travel. The county website at co.fillmore.mn.us has department listings, and the recorder page is at co.fillmore.mn.us/departments/recorder.

Fillmore County is in the driftless area of southeastern Minnesota, a region known for bluffs and valleys carved by ancient rivers. The county is bordered by Houston, Winona, Olmsted, Dodge, and Mower counties. All marriage records for people who married in Fillmore County, no matter where they now live, are kept at this office.

The Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS) provides a free statewide database where you can search Fillmore County marriage records online.

MOMS covers Fillmore County marriage records from 1870 forward, letting you search by name from any device.

Getting a Marriage License in Fillmore County

Getting a marriage license in Fillmore County takes one visit to the Recorder's office in Preston. Both people must be there. You each need a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license or passport. The fee is $115 for a standard license. If you have finished at least 12 hours of approved premarital education, you pay just $40. Cash, check, or money order are accepted.

The office collects basic information during the application: full legal names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and the full maiden names of each party's parents. If either person has been married before, you need to bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or, if widowed, a death certificate. The Recorder checks this information and takes an oath before issuing the license. Social Security numbers stay private and do not appear on the license.

Under Minn. Stat. section 517.08, the license is valid for six months from the date it is issued. You can use it anywhere in Minnesota during that time. Minnesota has no waiting period, so you can marry the same day you get the license if you want. After the ceremony, the officiant must file the signed certificate back with the Fillmore County Recorder within five days under section 517.10.

Searching Fillmore County Marriage Records Online

The easiest way to look up a Fillmore County marriage record online is through MOMS. Go to moms.mn.gov and search by name. Fillmore County records are indexed from 1870 to the present. The search is free. You will see the names of both parties, the county of issuance, and the marriage date.

MOMS does not give you a certified copy of the certificate. It is a search index, not a document delivery system. If you need an official certified copy, you contact the Fillmore County Recorder directly and pay the $9 fee per copy. You can also ask about mail requests if you cannot visit in person.

For older records outside the MOMS window or for genealogy research, the Minnesota Historical Society maintains indexes and microfilm of marriage records. Their guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/marriage explains what is available and how to request copies. Fillmore County has birth and death records from 1870 as well, which can help with broader family history research.

Minnesota Marriage Law Overview

Fillmore County follows Minnesota Statutes Chapter 517 for all marriage license activity. The law applies equally in every Minnesota county. Both parties must be 18 or older. Under section 517.01, people who are closely related by blood or adoption cannot marry. The law also bars marrying someone who is already legally married to someone else.

Two witnesses must be at the ceremony. Both must be at least 16 years old. The officiant must be authorized under section 517.04, which covers judges, religious officials, and others granted authority by the state. Once the ceremony is done, the officiant signs the certificate and files it with the county recorder within five days.

Minnesota removed the five-day waiting period for marriage licenses in August 2016. Before that date, you had to wait after applying. Now you get the license and can use it right away. The six-month expiration still applies, so do not apply too far in advance of your wedding date. If the license expires unused, you start over from scratch.

Note: Fillmore County does not provide officiants through the county office. Couples arrange their own officiant, and that person is responsible for filing the certificate on time.

What a Fillmore County Marriage Certificate Shows

A certified copy of a Fillmore County marriage certificate shows the full legal names of both spouses, the date the marriage took place, the county where the license was issued, the name of the officiant, and the names of the two witnesses. It also shows when the Recorder recorded the certificate. This is the document most people need to prove their marital status for legal, financial, or name-change purposes.

The underlying license application at the Recorder's office has more detail. It includes birth dates, parents' names, Social Security numbers, and prior marriage information. That file is not publicly distributed as a certified copy, but it exists in the Recorder's records. Genealogy researchers sometimes want access to this information, and the Recorder's staff can explain what is available under Minnesota public records law.

Fillmore County marriage records from 1870 forward are on file at the Preston office. Records before 1870 may be harder to find and may require a search through the Minnesota Historical Society or other archives. In general, the older the record, the more you may need to rely on historical indexes and microfilm rather than the current digital systems.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Fillmore County in southeastern Minnesota. If you need to check whether a marriage license was issued in a neighboring county, each has its own recorder office.