Renville County Marriage License Office
Renville County marriage licenses and marriage certificates are handled by the Renville County Recorder / Registrar of Titles. The Recorder is Doug Bruns. The office is in Courthouse Suite 203, 500 East DePue, Olivia, MN 56277. The phone number is 320-523-3669, fax is 320-523-3650, and regular hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The Renville County Recorder page is the official county source for marriage license, certificate, and vital-record fee details.
The Recorder page is also important because it explains that marriage certificates are on file only when the applicants bought the marriage license in Renville County.
For an in-person marriage certificate request, provide the full names of both applicants and the date of marriage. By mail, include the full applicant names, date of marriage, daytime phone number, and payment by check or credit card. If the marriage license was purchased in another Minnesota county, contact that county instead of Renville County.
Renville County Recorder / Registrar of Titles
500 East DePue, Suite 203
Olivia, MN 56277
320-523-3669
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Apply for a Renville County Marriage License
Marriage license appointments are available Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The county instructs applicants to call 320-523-3669 or email the Recorder to make the appointment. Applicants should complete the Renville County marriage license application PDF and email the completed form before the appointment. If one party cannot appear at the Local Registrar's Office, the appearing applicant completes the full application for both parties and the nonappearing applicant completes a supplemental application.
- Call or email the Recorder to set a marriage license appointment during the posted appointment hours.
- Complete the Renville County marriage license application PDF before the appointment.
- Email the completed application to the Recorder before appearing at the Local Registrar's Office.
- Make sure applicant names match any premarital education statement used for the reduced license fee.
- Pay the license fee and complete signatures or supplemental application steps required by the Recorder.
Premarital education can reduce the license fee only when the county receives the required educator statement. The statement must show at least 12 hours of education, be notarized on provider letterhead, include premarital inventory plus communication and conflict-management skills, and come from an authorized provider or licensed marriage and family therapist.
Renville County Marriage Application Fields
The marriage license application collects identifying, contact, prior-marriage, and office-use information. Some fields are required for each applicant. Others apply only if an applicant was previously married or if the office is issuing, mailing, or returning the license. The county page lists updated license fees as of July 1, 2025, so older fee boxes on the PDF should be read with the Recorder's current fee notice.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal name | Yes | First, middle, and last for each applicant. |
| Social Security Number | Yes unless none | Application includes a checkbox or certification for no SSN. |
| Signature | Yes | Applicant signature is required. |
| Address | Yes | Number, street, city, county, state, and ZIP. |
| Age and birthdate | Yes | Proof of age 18 is noted under M.S. 517.03. |
| Birthplace | Yes | State or foreign country. |
| Previous marriages | Yes / conditional | Number of prior marriages, how the last marriage ended, termination date, where terminated, court, and previous married name. |
| Phone number | Yes | Applicant contact phone. |
| Delivery, payment, issue, and marriage date fields | Office use or return | Mail out, pick up, payment type, date issued, and date or place of marriage. |
Renville County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage fees come from the Recorder. Divorce and family case filing fees come from the Renville County District Court fee schedule because divorce records are court records. Certified marriage certificate fees differ from certified court-copy fees, so the requesting office matters.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license without premarital education | $125 as of 7/1/2025 |
| Marriage license with proper premarital educator statement | $50 as of 7/1/2025 |
| Certified marriage certificate, first copy | $9 |
| Additional certified marriage certificate copy, same record and same order | $2 |
| Dissolution of marriage with or without children | $400 |
| Custody, paternity, parenting time, or registrations | $320 |
| Legal separation or annulment | $370 |
| Motion or response fee | $100 |
| Certified copy of court instrument | $14 |
Search Renville County Marriage Records
Renville County marriage certificates can be requested through the Recorder when the license was purchased in Renville County. For online searching, the statewide Minnesota Official Marriage System can be used to look for Minnesota marriage records. MOMS states that marriage records are public under Minnesota Statutes chapters 13 and 517. It is a search portal, not a substitute for every certified-copy request.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| County | Dropdown | Optional | All Participating Counties or RENVILLE; Scott and Washington do not participate. |
| Search By | Dropdown | Optional | Both Applicants, Applicant 1, or Applicant 2, with historic groom/bride labels before 8/1/2013. |
| Last Name | Text | Likely yes for name search | Main search term. |
| First Name | Text | Optional | Can narrow the applicant search. |
| Middle Name | Text | Optional | Can help with common names. |
| Date Range From / To | Date | Optional | Marriage-date range. |
| Search Option | Dropdown | Optional | Name Starts With, Name Sounds Like, or Name Exact Match. |
Note: A MOMS search can identify a marriage record, but Renville County certified copies still depend on where the license was purchased.
Find Renville County Divorce Records
Renville County divorce records are District Court records, not Recorder marriage certificates. Search MCRO Case Search by name or case number and select Renville County. If searching broadly, use the Family case category. Certified divorce decree copies should be requested through Renville County Court Administration at the courthouse, not through the Recorder.
A divorce file can include petitions, financial material, orders, judgments, parenting-time filings, and the final decree. Some family-case material can be restricted because it involves minors, confidential financial data, domestic abuse, or sealed documents. MCRO also has remote-access limits, so a missing online document does not always mean the court has no file.
Divorce filing steps and forms come from the Minnesota Judicial Branch, while the local Renville County District Court fee schedule sets the county-specific filing fee. For wider family case context, Renville County court records explains MCRO and courthouse access.
Certified Copies in Renville County
Certified marriage certificates and certified divorce decrees come from different offices. The Recorder certifies Renville marriage certificates when the Renville license produced the record. Court administration certifies divorce decrees and other District Court instruments. A certified copy should be requested when a government agency, court, benefit office, name-change process, or legal filing requires proof rather than an informational search result.
For marriage copies by mail, include full applicants' names, date of marriage, a daytime phone number, and payment by check or credit card. For divorce copies, contact Renville County Court Administration at 320-523-3680 or visit the courthouse at 500 E. DePue in Olivia during business hours. MCRO results and MOMS search results are useful search tools, but they are not the same as certified copies.