Boone County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Boone County are handled by the Boone County Recorder of Deeds, not the Circuit Court Clerk. The Recorder is Bob Nolte. The office is in the Boone County Government Center, 801 East Walnut, Room 132, Columbia, MO 65201-7728. Marriage license questions go to (573) 886-4350, and certified-copy requests go to (573) 886-4345. The office email listed in the research is recorder@boonemo.gov.
The Boone County marriage license requirements page says the county now offers an online application, but both applicants still must appear together at the Recorder's office to complete and sign the application in person. Applicants must be at least 18, present valid government-issued identification in English, give Social Security numbers, identify the person performing the ceremony, confirm they are not related through first cousins, and pay the license fee at the time of application.
The Boone County Recorder home page is the source for certified marriage-copy access.
That Recorder source matters because Boone County marriage records are county recording records, while Boone County divorce records are circuit court records.
Apply for Boone County Marriage Records
The online marriage application can save time at the counter, but it does not replace the in-person step. Boone County requires the couple to come to the Recorder together unless an absent-applicant exception applies for military service, an ADA qualifying disability, or incarceration. The Recorder says applicants should call for the Affidavit of Absent Applicant form if one person cannot appear for one of those reasons.
- Start the Boone County online marriage application if the couple wants to enter information before visiting the Recorder.
- Confirm both applicants can appear together at the Government Center, or call the Recorder if an absent-applicant affidavit may be needed.
- Bring valid government-issued identification in English and the Social Security number required by the Recorder's instructions.
- Provide the officiant's name and phone number, sign the application at the office, and pay the license fee.
- Use the license for a Missouri ceremony within 30 days after issuance, then make sure the officiant returns it to the Recorder within 15 days after the ceremony.
The online marriage application is the official channel linked by the Recorder.
The vendor application supports the Boone County marriage license process, but the Recorder's in-person completion rule still controls.
Boone County Marriage Application Fields
The marriage application is an eligibility and identity record. It is not just a name search form. Boone County's requirements show the core data the Recorder needs before issuing the license, and the same data helps staff locate a later certified marriage copy.
| Field or Requirement | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant 1 legal identity | Text and ID | Yes | Valid government ID in English is required. |
| Applicant 2 legal identity | Text and ID | Yes | Both appear together unless a Recorder-approved exception applies. |
| Social Security number | Sensitive text | Yes | The Recorder requirements list this as required. |
| Officiant name | Text | Yes | Name of the person performing the ceremony. |
| Officiant phone | Phone | Yes | Required by the Recorder page. |
| Relationship eligibility | Attestation | Yes | Applicants may not be related through first cousins. |
| Age | Eligibility | Yes | Both applicants must be at least 18. |
| Payment | Fee | Yes | Cash or card is accepted for the application fee. |
Effective August 28, 2025, both applicants must be at least 18 at the time of application. Boone County's posted rule does not describe a local underage exception after that date.
The same field list is useful after the ceremony. If a later Boone County marriage record search fails, name spelling, officiant details, and the date range can help the Recorder distinguish one couple from another. The Recorder's role is to issue and record the license, so the office can only certify a Boone County marriage license after the completed license has been returned and recorded.
Boone County Marriage Record Fees
Boone County publishes marriage-license and marriage-copy fees through the Recorder. The research did not identify a current Boone County divorce filing or certified divorce decree fee schedule, so divorce copy costs should be confirmed with the Circuit Court Clerk before ordering. Do not use the Recorder's marriage-copy fee as a divorce-copy fee.
| Item | Amount or payment detail | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license application | $51.00 | Recorder of Deeds |
| Card service fee for license payment | $1.55 | Recorder of Deeds |
| Plain marriage license copy | $1.00 | Recorder of Deeds |
| Certified marriage license copy | $9.00 | Recorder of Deeds |
| Military-purpose marriage copy | No charge | Recorder of Deeds |
| Divorce decree or court copy | Confirm with clerk | Circuit Court Clerk |
Payment rules also differ by service. The Recorder's marriage-license page says the application fee may be paid by credit or debit card or cash only, with the card service fee added when a card is used. The Recorder home page says certified marriage copies may be paid by check, debit or credit card, or cash, with the same processing fee when a card is used. That difference matters for a person who is applying for a license in person versus ordering a copy after recording.
Search Boone County Marriage Records
Boone County marriage records can be requested by phone, in person, or through the online copy service linked by the Recorder. Copies are generally available the next business day after the completed license is recorded. A person ordering should know the names on the license and enough date detail to help the Recorder locate the record. Certified copies are the usual proof copy for legal, benefit, or identity needs.
The Recorder page links certified-copy ordering to OfficialRecordsOnline. That service is for Boone County marriage copies, not divorce decrees. If a marriage license was issued in another Missouri county, Boone County may not be the office that recorded it.
The OfficialRecordsOnline service is the source linked by Boone County for secure certified marriage-copy ordering.
Online ordering gives Boone County marriage record users a remote channel when a counter visit is not needed.
Find Boone County Divorce Records
Divorce records are maintained by the Boone County Circuit Court Clerk. The Recorder's marriage page specifically routes divorce users to the Circuit Clerk and says divorce records may be needed for name changes or REAL ID. Public divorce case information should be searched first in Missouri Case.net. Copies, certified decrees, and older or non-remote documents should then be requested from the Circuit Court Clerk at the courthouse.
A Boone County divorce file can include a petition, service documents, financial affidavits, temporary orders, parenting plan, settlement agreement, decree, name-change language, and docket entries. Some family-record content is not public. Child information, sensitive financial data, adoption material, juvenile matters, and sealed domestic records may be redacted or restricted under Missouri court access rules and court orders.
Case.net can help confirm whether a public Boone County divorce case exists and can show docket events or public document links where remote access is allowed. It may not supply the certified decree required for a name change, REAL ID, or formal proof. For that kind of copy, the Circuit Court Clerk needs enough information to locate the right domestic case and issue the proper clerk copy.
The Boone County Recorder marriage-license page is also the local source that explains the divorce-record routing.
That local routing helps separate Boone County divorce records from marriage license records before a request is sent to the wrong office.
Boone County Divorce Copy Requests
For divorce records, the copy route is Case.net first and the Circuit Court Clerk second. The Recorder page says to submit the completed Missouri court Copy Request Form with the names of both parties and the approximate date of divorce. Completed forms can be faxed to the Circuit Court Clerk at 573-886-4044. If a certified copy is needed, ask the clerk what certification language, fee, and delivery method apply before sending payment.
| Record need | First channel | Follow-up channel |
|---|---|---|
| New marriage license | Recorder online application | In-person completion at Recorder |
| Certified marriage copy | Recorder phone, counter, or OfficialRecordsOnline | Recorder copy desk |
| Public divorce case lookup | Missouri Case.net | Circuit Court Clerk |
| Certified divorce decree | Circuit Clerk copy request | Fax or counter request to the clerk |
Boone County's office geography can save a wasted trip. The Recorder is in Room 132 at the Government Center, while the Circuit Court Clerk is on the first floor of the courthouse. The two buildings are close in downtown Columbia, but their record sets are different. Marriage records move through the Recorder. Divorce records move through the court file.
Note: Marriage users go to the Government Center, while divorce users go to the courthouse clerk counter or court copy request process.