Marriage

Scott County Recorder's Office accepts marriage applications only by mail or drop-box.

Any County Recorder in Iowa can receive and process an application for marriage license as long as the ceremony is to be performed in Iowa. 

For questions and assitance, call (563) 326-8650 between 8am to 4pm. 

Attachments:

PDF icon Application for License to Marry in Iowa
PDF icon State of Iowa Marriage Instructions
PDF icon Spanish Translation of Application Form Fields (Espanol)

Application Instructions

  • Marriage applicants (Party A & Party B) and one witness all must be 18 years or older. The witness can not officiate the marriage.
  • Open the application PDF (found above), use fillable fields, and print.
  • Each party needs to sign application in presence of a Notary photo identification (drivers license or state ID). Can be together or separately.
  • A Notary can be found at any bank, credit union, libraries and some grocery stores.
  • Mail the completed application to Scott County Recorder's Office at 600 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801, or deposit in the county drop box (west side of Admin. Bldg.), along with a $35.00 money order made out to Scott County Recorder.
  • The $35.00 fee includes a certified copy of the Marriage Certificate.
  • While not required on the application, please include a separate note with an address to mail you the marriage license and a phone number where you can be reach, if further information is needed.

Common Errors

  • #1 error, in the Notary Public section on the line for “Write name exactly as appears on I.D.”, the Notary needs to put the applicant name, NOT the notary name.
  • #2 error, in the Party A and Party B sections, when asked for Last Name Prior to ANY Marriage, put in your childhood/maiden name before ANY marriages. This applies to all parties, male and female. If your last name (surname) is not changing, still put in your last name here.

When Application Is Received by the Recorders Office

  • In Scott County, the Marriage License is issued when the application is received. However, there is a four (4) day waiting period before the actual marriage may occur.
  • The date marriage license is valid appears on the license.
  • Once the Certificate of Marriage has been returned to the Recorder's office and placed on record, a certified copy will be mailed to the newlyweds.