Tarrant County set to begin offering virtual option for marriage applications
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — Couples planning to tie the knot in Texas are getting a technology wedding gift from Tarrant County.
The County Clerk's office is set to become the first in the state to approve marriage license applications using an online video meeting, allowing them to skip the in-person trip to a county office to get the document.
It's a solution for Texans in the military who have limited leave time to get a license before their wedding day, or couples who live out of state but are coming home to get married.
State law used to require an in-person appearance for a marriage license, but last year the legislature passed a bill allowing county clerks who are certified to offer it through remote technology.
It was a logical next step in Tarrant County where County Clerk Mary Louise Nicholson's office had set up a camera and monitor in an empty office during the pandemic, so couples could keep their distance from employees but still satisfy the in-person requirements of the law.
"They would come to the glass door, and we were doing the oath, sliding the paper under the glass door," said Chief Deputy Clerk Clint Ludwig.
With the virtual option, couples will have to fill out an application online, and upload a notarized affidavit to confirm their identity. Then they'll get a scheduled time to meet on video with someone at the office, who will mail them the license once it's all done.
The online option is scheduled to go live on Monday.
