Getting married without license

It is published by the Ohio State Bar Association. The opening paragraph under the subtitle "Marriage Vows" states, "Actually, when you repeat your marriage vows you enter into a legal contract. There are three parties to that contract. You; 2. Your husband or wife, as the case may be; and 3. See, the State and the lawyers know that when you marry with a marriage license, you are not just marrying your spouse, you are marrying the State!

You are like a polygamist! You are not just making a vow to your spouse, but you are making a vow to the State and your spouse. You are also giving undue jurisdiction to the State. God intended the State to have jurisdiction over a marriage for two reasons - 1. Unfortunately, the State now allows divorce for any reason, and it does not prosecute for adultery. In either case, divorce or crime, a marriage license is not necessary for the courts to determine whether a marriage existed or not. What is needed are witnesses.

This is why you have a best man and a maid of honor. They should sign the marriage certificate in your family Bible, and the wedding day guest book should be kept. Marriage was instituted by God, therefore it is a God-given right.

According to Scripture, it is to be governed by the family, and the State only has jurisdiction in the cases of divorce or crime. History of Marriage Licenses in America. George Washington was married without a marriage license.

So, how did we come to this place in America where marriage licenses are issued? Historically, all the states in America had laws outlawing the marriage of blacks and whites.

In other words they had to receive permission to do an act which without such permission would have been illegal. Because of this, applying for a marriage license may not be available until they re-open or must be done online. We recommend checking the county clerk's website where you intend to apply or contact their office for more information on their current services.

If one of the applicants is unable to apply in person and is 18 years of age or older, any adult person or the other applicant may apply on their behalf. As per Texas Family Code Section 2.

Please note that subsection c of Section 2. As per Section 2. Many Texas counties now offer an online application process. For assistance, below are links with marriage license information from the county clerk's offices for some of Texas' most populous counties:. If you need a copy of your marriage license, copies must be purchased from the county clerk where the license was issued.

If you do not know where the marriage license was issued, you can try and use the marriage indexes available from the Texas Department of Vital Statistics to search for the marriage record and determine where it was issued. See the link below to access the indexes. The term "marriage certificate" is commonly used by people when referring to marriage-related documents, but that phrase is not used in Chapter 2 of the Family Code.

This can make it confusing to determine which document someone is referring to when they say "marriage certificate. A state-issued license does not make a couple married but it is the covenant oath before God and witnesses that seals their marriage.

Thus, a public ceremony in church allows Christian couples to start their union before family and friends with a testimony of their good intentions. A couple should not seek to escape the requirements of the law Romans Without legal marriage, the sexual relationship is condemned in Scripture Galatians ; Ephesians ; 1 Thessalonians Therefore, it is important that the Christian marriage be honorable in the sight of all people.

All Christians should live above reproach so that Christ can be honored in all actions 1 Corinthians Check out our Bible Answers page for more information on a variety of topics.

I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response. My understanding of the scriptures is that we are to obey the laws of the land. Only when they are in conflict with the Bible should we not obey the laws of the land. What is your opinion of this?