Red River Parish Marriage License
To get a marriage license in Red River Parish, you must visit the Clerk of Court office in Coushatta, where staff issue licenses on weekdays and can walk you through the full application process, including strict rules about birth certificates that differ from most other Louisiana parishes.
Red River Parish Quick Facts
Clerk of Court Office in Coushatta
The Red River Parish Clerk of Court handles all marriage license applications. The physical address is 615 East Carroll Street, Coushatta, LA 71019. You can send mail to P.O. Box 485, Coushatta, LA 71019. The phone number is (318) 932-6741. You can also email staff at info@redriverclerk.com. More information is on the clerk's website at redriverclerk.com.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The office publishes a specific note: "We suggest you come in no later than 3:00 PM to allow time for the application process." The clerk also notes: "OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Friday, 8:30 to 4:30." Plan to arrive by 3:00 PM at the latest. The process takes time, and arriving close to 4:30 PM may mean you cannot complete everything that day.
| Office Address | 615 East Carroll Street, Coushatta, LA 71019 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 485, Coushatta, LA 71019 |
| Phone | (318) 932-6741 |
| info@redriverclerk.com | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (arrive by 3:00 PM) |
The Louisiana.gov Red River Parish page lists elected officials including the Clerk of Court with contact details.
Red River Parish is in northwest Louisiana with Coushatta as the parish seat and Clerk of Court office.
Fee and Payment Rules
The license fee in Red River Parish is $32.50. The office states: "LICENSE FEE: $32.50 payable by CASH or CREDIT CARD. Fees are non-refundable." You cannot pay by check. Bring cash or a credit card. The fee is due when you apply. If for any reason the license is not used, the fee is not returned.
Certified copies of your marriage record are available after the ceremony. The cost is $5.00 per certified copy, plus a $0.50 mailing charge if you need the copy sent to you. Order extra copies when you return the completed license. That saves an extra trip later when you need them for name changes or legal matters.
72-Hour Waiting Period
Red River Parish has a 72-hour waiting period. That is three full days between when the license is issued and when the ceremony can take place. This is longer than the 24-hour wait in most Louisiana parishes. Plan your application date with this in mind. If you apply on a Monday, the earliest your ceremony can take place is Thursday.
The license also expires 30 days from the date and time it is issued. The official notice is clear: "MARRIAGE LICENSE EXPIRED THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM THE DATE AND TIME OF ISSUE. IF NOT USED IT WILL BE EXPIRED NULL AND VOID." Do not apply too far in advance either. Time the application so the ceremony falls between the 72-hour wait and the 30-day expiration.
The clerk also adds: "LICENSE MAY ONLY BE USED WITHIN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA." Your license is valid anywhere in Louisiana but not in any other state.
Birth Certificate Rules in Red River Parish
Red River Parish has strict requirements for birth certificates. The clerk states: "Applicants must present official birth certificates or official birth cards with the raised seal of the state. Driver's licenses, State identification cards, Military identification cards, Passports or Naturalization may not be substituted for the birth certificates, unless a birth certificate waiver is signed by a State District Judge."
This is different from many other parishes. In Red River Parish, your driver's license or passport is not enough on its own to prove your identity for the birth certificate requirement. You must bring a birth certificate with a raised seal. A plain photocopy will not work. You need the original certified copy issued by the vital records office of the state where you were born.
If your birth certificate is from another country, it must be translated. The clerk cites Louisiana R.S. 13:3725 on this point: foreign birth certificates must be translated by your country's Consulate. An unofficial or informal translation is not accepted. Plan well in advance if this applies to you. Getting a Consulate-certified translation can take time.
The only way around the birth certificate requirement is a waiver signed by a State District Judge. This is a separate legal process. If you genuinely cannot get a certified birth certificate with a raised seal, you would need to pursue that waiver before you can get a marriage license in Red River Parish.
Who Needs to Appear in Person
Both parties do not need to come in together. One party may appear and bring all documents for both people. That includes the birth certificate for the absent party as well. Still, both must sign the application at some point. Call the office at (318) 932-6741 to confirm how they handle signatures when only one person appears.
Other documents to bring for each applicant:
- Official birth certificate with raised seal
- Photo ID for the person appearing in person
- Social Security numbers for both parties
- Divorce decree if either party was previously divorced
- Death certificate if a prior spouse has passed away
Louisiana State Requirements
The Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records page covers statewide marriage license requirements applicable to all 64 parishes.
All marriage licenses in Louisiana follow the same state-level requirements from LDH, with individual parishes adding specific local rules.
Louisiana law under RS 9:222 allows your Red River Parish license to be used for a ceremony in any other Louisiana parish. You are not required to hold the wedding in Coushatta or in Red River Parish. Many couples get the license locally and have the ceremony elsewhere in the state. The marriage record stays at the Red River Parish Clerk of Court.
Age Requirements
Louisiana law bars marriage for anyone under 16. This applies statewide. No license can be issued to anyone below that age. For people who are 16 or 17, a judge must authorize the marriage and both parents must consent. This is a separate process that takes time. Start early if that applies.
Both applicants must be 18 or older to apply without any extra steps. Bring valid photo ID so the clerk can confirm your age. The birth certificate with raised seal also serves as age verification in Red River Parish.
Covenant Marriage Option
Louisiana is one of only three states in the country that offers covenant marriage. The other two are Arizona and Arkansas. A covenant marriage is a stronger legal commitment that requires pre-marital counseling. It also limits the legal grounds for divorce later on. If you want a covenant marriage instead of a standard license, tell the clerk when you apply. The process differs from a regular application and involves additional forms and agreements.
After the Ceremony
Once the ceremony is done, the person who performed it must sign the license and return it to the Red River Parish Clerk of Court. This is how the marriage becomes an official record. After the ceremony is recorded, you can request certified copies for name changes and legal matters. The fee is $5.00 per copy plus $0.50 for mailing.
You can also order state-level marriage certificates from the Louisiana Department of Health. The LDH site explains how to request vital records by mail or in person. For the full marriage license record, the Red River Parish Clerk's office is the primary source.
For online access to some marriage license records, check the eClerks Louisiana system. Not all parishes have the same level of online availability. Call (318) 932-6741 to ask about Red River Parish specifically.
Nearby Parishes
Red River Parish sits in northwest Louisiana, bordered by these parishes, each with their own Clerk of Court offices for marriage licenses.