How to Apply for a Chesterfield Marriage License
The Chesterfield Circuit Court Clerk issues marriage licenses from the Record Room on the ground floor of the main Courts Building at 9500 Courthouse Road. The county uses an automated online application to start the process. After you submit it online, you call the Records Room to verify and arrange next steps. Both parties then appear in person to claim the license. The marriage itself must take place in Virginia, and the license is valid for 60 days.
The county's online marriage license application page is where the process begins.
Issuance hours run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Record Room sits on the ground floor, so the marriage process and most copy requests start in the same place. Plan for the courthouse security screening at the door, and remember both people have to be there in person to claim the license. Use these steps to apply.
- Complete the county's online marriage license application.
- Call the Records Room at 804-717-6517 to verify and learn next steps.
- Both parties appear at the Record Room, ground floor, 9500 Courthouse Road.
- Bring valid government photo ID; an emancipated minor brings a certified emancipation order.
- Pay the $30 license fee, plus $2.50 for a certified copy if you want one.
- Hold the ceremony in Virginia within 60 days.
Marriage License Requirements
The clerk lists a short set of requirements to claim a license. They protect against fraud and confirm both parties are eligible. The table below gathers what you need before the appointment. The county does not publish the exact online form fields, so plan around these standard requirements.
| Requirement | Detail | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Both parties present | Both appear at the Record Room to claim the license | Yes |
| Government photo ID | Valid, current ID for each party | Yes |
| Minimum age | 18, unless a minor is emancipated by court order | Yes |
| Emancipation order | Certified copy required for an emancipated minor | If applicable |
| Location of marriage | The marriage must occur in Virginia | Yes |
| Return envelope | Self-addressed stamped envelope if you want a copy mailed back | Optional |
Note: A Chesterfield marriage license is valid for 60 days, so apply close to the planned wedding date rather than far ahead.
Chesterfield Marriage License Fees
The fees are set and modest. The license itself is $30. A certified copy costs $2.50, whether you request it at issuance or later. A courthouse ceremony is a separate $25. Clerk fees in Virginia circuit courts are anchored in state law, including the credit-card convenience fee the county charges.
The fee structure ties back to Virginia Code § 17.1-275, the circuit court fee statute.
That statute supports the $2 credit-card convenience fee and the returned-payment charge the county applies. The fee table is below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license issuance | $30 |
| Certified copy at issuance | $2.50 |
| Certified marriage license copy later | $2.50 each |
| Courthouse ceremony | $25 |
| Credit-card convenience fee | $2 |
| Name change pursuant to divorce recording | $26 up to 10 pages |
Courthouse Wedding Ceremonies
You do not have to leave the courthouse to marry. The Chesterfield Circuit Court Clerk's Office can perform a wedding ceremony for $25. It is by appointment, available to residents and non-residents, and described as a private 15-minute ceremony in the conference room, with photography included. Couples who prefer can use a civil marriage celebrant or a minister authorized to perform marriages in Virginia.
Ministers may be authorized under Virginia Code § 20-23. The county tells ministers to email the Circuit Court Clerk before requesting authorization, and an officiant should be able to show the court or clerk order that authorizes them to perform marriages.
Certified Marriage Copies and Public Access
Access to a marriage license copy depends on its date. Licenses issued before July 1, 1997, or after June 30, 2001, are public records. You can request those by written request or in person. Licenses issued between July 1, 1997, and June 30, 2001, are handled differently. A party to that marriage may appear in person with government photo ID, and if a party cannot appear, copies may be obtained through the Virginia Department of Health Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics.
The reason for the split is a privacy rule tied to that window of dates. A certified copy is the version accepted for legal use, such as a name change with another agency, while a plain copy works for personal reference. For copy requests in general, the Clerk of the Circuit Court page covers the fee quote and request steps, and the court records page covers the wider record search.
Divorce Records in Chesterfield Circuit Court
Divorce is a Circuit Court matter in Virginia. The Chesterfield Circuit Court hears and files divorce cases. Filing a divorce requires proper pleadings prepared under the Code of Virginia and the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Virginia divorce can be no-fault or at-fault, and a divorce can end the marriage, restore a former name, divide property and debt, and address spousal support, child support, and custody when needed.
One point trips people up. The Clerk's Office does not provide the forms to start a divorce. There are no official statewide court forms for divorce. Litigants prepare their own pleadings or hire an attorney. Property settlement agreements are not filed unless and until a divorce action is started.
A divorce case moves through a set of steps in Circuit Court. The path below is the general order for a Chesterfield filing.
- Confirm Chesterfield Circuit Court is the proper venue and that residency requirements are met.
- Prepare the pleadings under the Code of Virginia and the Rules of the Supreme Court.
- File with the Circuit Court Clerk, including the required civil cover sheet and fees.
- Arrange service of process as the rules require.
- Use an attorney or Virginia legal aid resources for an uncontested case if eligible.
- Submit the VS-4 and final decree materials as required.
- If you want a former name restored, file a separate name-change order with the $26 recording fee.
Divorce Help and Legal Aid
Because the clerk cannot give legal advice or hand out divorce forms, self-represented people need other tools. Virginia legal aid attorneys built an online tool for simple uncontested divorces, and Chesterfield links to it as a courtesy without guaranteeing it fits every situation. For contested or complex cases, an attorney is the safer route.
The clerk can still help with one practical item. Original VS-4 forms, which report divorce information to the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records, can be provided by Clerk's Office staff on request. The clerk handles the recording side; the legal side is on the parties.
It helps to know the line the clerk cannot cross. Staff can tell you a fee, a filing step, or where a form is recorded. They cannot tell you what to file, whether your claim is strong, or how to draft a pleading. That is not unhelpfulness; it is the rule that clerk staff do not give legal advice. For that guidance, use an attorney, legal aid, or the official Virginia self-help resources.
Name Change After Divorce
Restoring a former name is a separate step. A name change pursuant to divorce requires its own name-change order. There is an added recording fee of $26 for up to 10 pages, paid by a separate check or money order to the Chesterfield Circuit Court Clerk. That fee is in addition to anything tied to the divorce itself.
Court costs can be paid in more than one way. Virginia allows payment plans for court fines and costs under Virginia Code § 19.2-354.1 when a court or clerk approves one.
That statute matters most for criminal court debt, but it shows Virginia's general approach to letting people pay court obligations over time when approved.