TDCJ WEDDING FAQ'S

Absolutely! It is a process but yes those who are incarcerated are able to get married. If you are on the approved visitation list and there is no spouse on your loved one's FAMILY HISTORY PROFILE you can get married!

YES. Though it is at the discretion of the unit and Access to Courts. 

Per the TDCJ Policy, they will only remove a spouse (common law or formal) with an official divorce decree or death certificate. In cases where the common law spouse has legally remarried and you can obtain the certified marriage certificate they may accept that. You can contact TDCJ's Access to Courts for more information.

No, not all units will take wedding pictures. Some may if they have available staff to do so. We will do a small photo session either before or after your wedding.

This is the short version. This process is lengthy.

1. Locate the county you desire to file in and obtain the absent affidavit. You want to call them and ask them what Identification they accept for Absent Affidavit when one person is incarcerated. You want to verify they will accept the certified copy of the TDCJ ID or if they will require the birth certificate. 

2. Your loved one will need to send an I-60 to the law library and request a copy of his/her TDCJ Inmate ID. They will have them fill out a withdrawal form for  the cost of a copy. tell your loved one to retain a $2.00 minimum on their inmate trust fund account (This can take up to 12 weeks)

3. Once the Law Library receives the payment from your loved one's inmate trust fund account for the copy, you will send the ABSENT AFFIDAVIT to the UNIT'S LAW LIBRARY and they will call your loved one down to complete and notarize the form. He/she should atke an envelope and stamp with them to immediately return the form to you.

4. Once this is done, your loved one will send an I-60 to the Chaplain's office to request the wedding date.  The Chaplain, Law Library and Warden will review all paperwork to ensure it is legitimate and accurate and then make their decision. If you require a certain date or month due to travel, it is imperative that your loved one include that in the I-60 to the chaplain.

5.COMMUNICATE everything to your officiant! You want to ensure he/she can accommodate your wedding date!

This will vary by unit. You can call your unit of assignment and verify which days of the month they conduct marriages.

We offer the TWOGETHER HEALTHY MARRIAGE PROGRAM that allows you to skip that 72 hour waiting period. It is available in our online store!