Rockwall County named official Marriage Capital of Texas through 2035

Rockwall County now holds the official Marriage Capital of Texas title through 2035, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Concurrent Resolution 6. The branding sits squarely on the county clerk’s counter, where Jennifer Fogg’s office sells marriage licenses for $81 and offers a $50 Heirloom Anniversary Certificate on pink floral 8.5-by-11 landscape paper.

The Texas Legislature’s bill analysis for C.S.S.C.R. 6 tracks the measure from Jan. 6, 2025, when it was filed, to Feb. 3, when it was referred to the Senate Committee on Administration, to April 9, when it was reported favorably as a committee substitute, and to May 29, when the governor signed it. The same analysis says Rockwall County has “For more than 90 years, Rockwall County has been a sought-after destination for brides- and grooms-to-be,” language that helped justify the title.

The practical draw is still the paperwork. Texas State Law Library guidance says couples must apply in person at a county clerk’s office to obtain a marriage license, and Rockwall County’s own clerk post says the license must be purchased at least 24 hours before the ceremony. That keeps the county’s advantage rooted in convenience and process, not in any change to Texas marriage law.

The county’s pitch also carries a clear local-business angle. The Texas Association of Counties described Rockwall as a place where people “flock from all over the country for a license from this very busy county clerk’s office,” and Rockwall County and Visit Rockwall have used social media to say couples from across Texas and beyond are traveling there to get their license. For the county, the most immediate economic activity is at the clerk’s window, where each license sale and heirloom certificate purchase puts cash directly into the local public service.

Through 2035, the title gives Rockwall County a legal label it can use in courthouse marketing and tourism promotion, but the rules remain the same. Couples still have to show up in person, pay the fee, and clear the waiting period before a ceremony can take place.