Anoka County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Anoka County are handled by Anoka County Vital Records through Property Records and Taxation, not by District Court. The public counter is in the first-floor lobby of the Government Center at 2100 3rd Avenue, Anoka, Minnesota 55303. The office phone is 763-324-1360, the fax number is 763-324-1010, and posted business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The same office handles local marriage certificate service, so marriage record users often need this office before they need the court records room.
The county accepts cash, check, credit or debit card from VISA, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, and Apple Pay. A couple may apply for a Minnesota marriage license in any county, even if neither person lives in Anoka County, but the ceremony must take place in Minnesota. Once the license is issued, the ceremony must occur within six months. Anoka County starts the application online, then requires an appointment using the order number created by the online form.
The Anoka County marriage license application page is the official source for the current license steps and fee notices.
The license page matters because it separates marriage licensing from court case records and explains the online order number that is needed before the appointment.
Apply for Anoka County Marriage Records
Anoka County uses a Tyler-hosted online wizard for the marriage license application. The county warns that the form must be completed in one session, so applicants should gather names, addresses, birth details, prior marriage details, Social Security information if applicable, and post-marriage name choices before starting. After the form is submitted, the system gives an Order Number. That Order Number is used to schedule the required appointment with the county.
- Confirm the ceremony will take place in Minnesota and that the license can be used within six months after issue.
- Open the county's online marriage license application and complete it in one session.
- Save the Order Number created at the end of the application.
- Use the county appointment scheduler and enter the Order Number when prompted.
- Watch for the confirmation email, which also contains cancellation instructions if plans change.
The Anoka marriage license online application is the county-hosted entry point for the license wizard.
The online wizard supports the license process, but it does not replace the later certificate search or a court divorce record search.
Anoka County Marriage Application Fields
The county application asks for details about both applicants and the planned legal names after marriage. One Anoka-specific point is the felony-conviction name-change rule. The county states that, after the 2023 law change, a person with a felony conviction can no longer change a name through the marriage process. The name change must be completed through District Court, with Minnesota Statutes sections 259.10 and 259.13 cited for the court route.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full legal names | Text | Yes | Required for both applicants. |
| Address and state of residence | Text | Yes | Collected for each applicant. |
| Date and place of birth | Date and text | Yes | Used to identify both parties. |
| Previous marriage information | Text and date | If applicable | Required when either applicant has a prior marriage. |
| Full names after marriage | Text | Yes | Name-change limits apply for felony convictions. |
| Social Security number | Text | If applicant has one | Listed in the required applicant information. |
| Felony convictions after August 1, 2000 | Yes, no, and details | Yes | Used for name-change implications. |
| Mailing address after marriage | Text | Yes | Used for the marriage certificate mailing address. |
| Order Number | System-generated | Yes for appointment | Save this after the online form. |
Anoka County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage fees in the research source are specific, while divorce copy and filing fees should be confirmed through court administration or the Minnesota Judicial Branch fee schedule because the captured Anoka court pages did not publish a current local divorce-copy amount. Certified divorce decree copies come from court administration, not from MOMS or the Vital Records counter.
| Item | Amount or Note |
|---|---|
| Marriage license application | $125 beginning July 1, 2025 |
| Reduced marriage license application | $50 beginning July 1, 2025 |
| MOMS Anoka marriage certificate request | $9.00 per record after payment is received |
| MOMS credit, debit, or Apple Pay provider fee | 2.60% |
| MOMS eCheck provider fee | $3.50 |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Verify current court copy rate with Anoka County Court Administration |
Note: Do not send a court-copy payment until the records room or court administration confirms the current amount and delivery method.
Search Anoka County Marriage Records
Marriage certificate searches can be run through the Minnesota Official Marriage System, often called MOMS. The system provides a statewide public marriage certificate search and online ordering process. Anoka's MOMS index note says Anoka marriage records from 1858 to current are updated in MOMS, but MOMS is not Anoka County's official database for marriages. It also warns that Anoka marriage dates shown there are not the date of marriage and that requests are not processed until payment is received.
MOMS supports searches by county, applicant name, date range, and matching style. The applicant fields still reflect older terms for historic records: before August 1, 2013, Applicant 1 means groom and Applicant 2 means bride. For a direct county path, the Anoka County marriage certificates page explains in-person and online certificate ordering.
The county's marriage certificate page is useful when a user already knows the record is in Anoka County and needs the local ordering process.
This county source anchors the certificate process back to Vital Records rather than District Court.
Anoka County Marriage Search Fields
MOMS is the best documented public search channel in the research for Anoka County marriage certificates. It is not a divorce database, and it is not the court's case search. Use it for marriage certificate lookup, then use District Court records for dissolution cases.
| Field | How It Works |
|---|---|
| County | Select Anoka when narrowing the statewide index. |
| Search By | Both Applicants, Applicant 1, or Applicant 2. |
| Last, First, Middle Name | Enter the known applicant name parts. |
| Date Range From and To | Use when the year or period is known. |
| Search Option | Name Starts With, Name Sounds Like, or Name Exact Match. |
Find Anoka County Divorce Records
Minnesota law calls divorce a Dissolution of Marriage. At least one spouse must have lived in Minnesota for at least 180 days, or be a qualifying armed-services resident who kept Minnesota residency. Divorce forms are filed with the district court in the county where one spouse lives, so Anoka residents generally use Anoka County District Court. Divorce cases are family court records, and the case file or decree is searched through the court records system rather than through Vital Records.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch divorce and dissolution help topic explains residency and filing basics. Forms may come from the divorce forms page, the forms-to-start guidance, or Minnesota Guide & File for supported case types. For record access, search MCRO by party name or case number when possible, then request a certified decree through Court Administration if an official copy is needed.
Divorce files may contain restricted identifiers, financial documents, custody information involving children, domestic abuse materials, or sealed filings. Public access can be narrower than the existence of a case. For more general court-file access, Anoka County court case records are handled by the Court Administrator.
Anoka County Divorce Service Rules
When a dissolution is not a joint filing, the petitioner usually has a Summons and Petition prepared and then serves the respondent. The Anoka County Sheriff's civil process material for Dissolution of Marriage says divorce papers must be served personally and substitute service is not permitted. If the Sheriff's Office performs service, the original summons and a copy of the Summons and Petition should be provided to that office.
This service step affects the court file because proof of service is part of the case record. It is separate from a marriage certificate request, and it is also separate from getting a certified divorce decree after the case ends.