Getting married in Indiana vs Kentucky: licenses, officiants and alcohol
By the Venue Answers team · · 3 min read
If you live in Louisville and your venue is across the river in Southern Indiana, you need an Indiana license, not a Kentucky one. That is the single most common mix-up we see. Here is everything else that changes when you cross the Ohio.
The license follows the ceremony
A marriage license is only good in the state that issued it. An Indiana license works anywhere in Indiana and nowhere else. A Kentucky license works anywhere in Kentucky and nowhere else. Where you live does not decide which one you need; where you stand during the ceremony does.
Side by side
| Indiana | Kentucky | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | $25 for Indiana residents, $65 out of state, plus a county document fee (Floyd and Clark charge $29 and $69 in total). Most clerks want cash. | $60 in Jefferson County, the same for residents and out-of-state couples. |
| Waiting period | None. You can marry the day the license is issued. | None. Issued the same day. |
| How long it lasts | 60 days | 30 days, counting the day it is issued |
| Where to apply | Indiana residents apply in a county where one of you lives. Out-of-state couples apply in the county where the ceremony will be. | Any Kentucky county clerk. No residency requirement. |
| Apply online first? | Yes, start at mycourts.in.gov, then both of you finish in person. | No. Both of you go in person. |
| Bring | ID that proves your date of birth and your Social Security number. Some counties also ask for parents' full names and birthplaces. | A driver's license, state photo ID or passport. |
| Witnesses | Not required by the license rules we found. | Two witnesses besides the couple and the officiant. |
| Blood test | None | None |
Who can officiate
Indiana allows clergy of a religious organization, judges, mayors and certain clerks within their own county, the governor and lieutenant governor, members of the General Assembly and a few named religious bodies. Indiana has no one-day designation for a friend. A friend can officiate only if they qualify as clergy. Many couples use an online ordination, but Indiana's statute does not address it directly, so call the clerk in your ceremony county before you count on it.
Kentucky allows ministers and priests in regular communion with a religious society, judges and justices (including retired), county judge-executives and certain authorized officials. Kentucky also requires those two witnesses.
Alcohol works differently too
In Indiana, alcohol at a venue has to be served under a state Alcohol and Tobacco Commission permit. A venue can hold a temporary beer and wine permit for an event, liquor needs a licensed alcoholic beverage caterer, and everyone pouring needs an Indiana employee permit. The state says guests cannot bring their own alcohol into an event held under a temporary permit. That is why most Indiana venues either run their own bar or require a licensed caterer.
In Kentucky, most private wedding bars run through a licensed caterer. Kentucky is also a patchwork of wet, moist and dry areas, so what is possible depends on exactly where the venue sits. Louisville Metro is wet.
Whatever the state allows, the venue's own rule is what you live with. Every venue page on this site lists its alcohol rule in the same words: venue bar required, licensed caterer required or bring your own allowed.
Quick checklist
- Confirm which state your ceremony site is in. Some Louisville-area addresses are closer to the line than you think.
- Count backward: an Indiana license lasts 60 days, a Kentucky license 30. Do not pick it up too early.
- Both of you go to the clerk's office together, with ID. Bring cash in Indiana.
- Confirm your officiant qualifies in that state. In Kentucky, line up two witnesses.
- Ask the venue who serves alcohol and what permit they use.
Clerk addresses, phone numbers and hours for Harrison, Floyd, Clark and Jefferson counties are on our local rules page. Rules change; confirm with the clerk before your appointment.