HB 1814

AN ACT relating to changes to certain marriage-related forms.

House Bill • Hernandez | González, Jessica

Filed

Bill introduced by legislator

Committee

Hearing

Passed Cmte

Calendar

Passed

Sent

Enrolled

Governor

Signed

Filed

Bill introduced by legislator

In Committee

Hearing Scheduled

Passed Committee

Floor Calendar

Passed Chamber

Sent to Other Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Sent to Governor

Signed into Law

89th Regular Session

Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended

Awaiting Committee Assignment

Bill filed, pending referral to House committee

← Back to Bills

Committee

Not yet assigned

Fiscal Note

Not available

What This Bill Does

This Texas bill updates marriage license and informal marriage declaration forms, modifying language and requiring more detailed information from applicants. The changes include removing gendered terminology like "woman's maiden" name, adding checkboxes to verify applicants are not currently married or related, and including sections about child support payment status and voluntary contributions to the Texas Home Visiting Program. The bill standardizes marriage-related documentation across Texas counties, ensuring more comprehensive and gender-neutral application processes, and will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Subject Areas

Family--Marriage Relationship MARRIAGE LICENSES CHANGED & ASSUMED NAMES

Bill Text

relating to changes to certain marriage-related forms.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 2.004(b), Family Code, is amended to
(b)  The application form must contain:
(1)  a heading entitled "Application for Marriage
License, ____________ County, Texas";
(2)  spaces for each applicant's full name, including
the [woman's maiden] surname of an applicant intending to change
the applicant's surname as a result of the marriage, address,
social security number, if any, date of birth, and place of birth,
including city, county, and state;
(3)  a space for indicating the document tendered by
each applicant as proof of identity and age;
(4)  spaces for indicating whether each applicant has
been divorced within the last 30 days;
(5)  printed boxes for each applicant to check "true"
or "false" in response to the following statement:  "I am not
presently married and the other applicant is not presently
(6)  printed boxes for each applicant to check "true"
or "false" in response to the following statement:  "The other
applicant is not related to me as:
(A)  an ancestor or descendant, by blood or
(B)  a brother or sister, of the whole or half
(C)  a parent's brother or sister, of the whole or
(D)  a son or daughter of a brother or sister, of
the whole or half blood or by adoption;
(E)  a current or former stepchild or stepparent;
(F)  a son or daughter of a parent's brother or
sister, of the whole or half blood or by adoption.";
(7)  printed boxes for each applicant to check "true"
or "false" in response to the following statement:  "I am not
presently delinquent in the payment of court-ordered child
(8)  a printed oath reading:  "I SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR
AFFIRM) THAT THE INFORMATION I HAVE GIVEN IN THIS APPLICATION IS
(9)  spaces immediately below the printed oath for the
(10)  a certificate of the county clerk that:
(A)  each applicant made the oath and the date and
(B)  an applicant did not appear personally but
the prerequisites for the license have been fulfilled as provided
(11)  spaces for indicating the date of the marriage
and the county in which the marriage is performed;
(12)  a space for the address to which the applicants
desire the completed license to be mailed; and
(13)  a printed box for each applicant to check
indicating that the applicant wishes to make a voluntary
contribution of $5 to promote healthy early childhood by supporting
the Texas Home Visiting Program administered by the Office of Early
Childhood Coordination of the Health and Human Services Commission.
SECTION 2.  Section 2.402(b), Family Code, is amended to
(b)  The declaration form must contain:
(1)  a heading entitled "Declaration and Registration
of Informal Marriage, ___________ County, Texas";
(2)  spaces for each party's full name, including the
[woman's maiden] surname of a party intending to change the party's
surname as a result of the marriage, address, date of birth, place
of birth, including city, county, and state, and social security
(3)  a space for indicating the type of document
tendered by each party as proof of age and identity;
(4)  printed boxes for each party to check "true" or
"false" in response to the following statement:  "The other party
(A)  an ancestor or descendant, by blood or
(B)  a brother or sister, of the whole or half
(C)  a parent's brother or sister, of the whole or
(D)  a son or daughter of a brother or sister, of
the whole or half blood or by adoption;
(E)  a current or former stepchild or stepparent;
(F)  a son or daughter of a parent's brother or
sister, of the whole or half blood or by adoption.";
(5)  a printed declaration and oath reading:  "I
SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, ARE MARRIED TO
EACH OTHER BY VIRTUE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTS:  ON OR ABOUT (DATE) WE
AGREED TO BE MARRIED, AND AFTER THAT DATE WE LIVED TOGETHER AS
SPOUSES [HUSBAND AND WIFE] AND IN THIS STATE WE REPRESENTED TO
OTHERS THAT WE WERE MARRIED.  SINCE THE DATE OF MARRIAGE TO THE
OTHER PARTY I HAVE NOT BEEN MARRIED TO ANY OTHER PERSON.  THIS
DECLARATION IS TRUE AND THE INFORMATION IN IT WHICH I HAVE GIVEN IS
(6)  spaces immediately below the printed declaration
and oath for the parties' signatures; and
(7)  a certificate of the county clerk that the parties
made the declaration and oath and the place and date it was made.
SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.