Dakota County Courthouse Wedding Guide

Dakota County District Court sits in three buildings: the Judicial Center at 1560 Highway 55, Hastings; the Western Service Center at 14955 Galaxie Avenue, Apple Valley; and the Northern Service Center at 1 Mendota Road West, West St. Paul. Ceremonies are booked with an individual judge, so confirm which building when you call.

The Hastings building is the one most people mean by the Dakota County courthouse — the court itself lists it as the Dakota County Courthouse, 1560 W. Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033, and the county calls it the Judicial Center. The county's Administration Center, where the Hastings license office is, sits at 1590 Highway 55. Couples from the county's other cities — Eagan, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Burnsville, Rosemount, Farmington, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights — should ask the judge they book which of the three court locations they will meet at.

Minneapolis couples use the Hennepin County Government Center and St. Paul couples use the Ramsey County Courthouse — those have their own guides, linked at the bottom of this page. The statewide rules that apply everywhere — the $125 license, no waiting period, two witnesses, who can officiate — are on the Minnesota elopement laws page.

Phone one of the judges on Dakota County District Court's wedding list directly — the court publishes each judge's number. Bring your marriage license, legal identification and two witnesses aged 16 or older on the day. A fee may be charged; ask when you book.

There is no central ceremony desk. The court's list runs to about twenty judges, several marked call-or-text, one marked as performing weddings on weekends and evenings only, and a few marked as Spanish-speaking or able to offer the ceremony in Spanish. The building, the time, the fee and whether a photographer can work in the room are all settled in that one call, so have your license date, a couple of backup dates and your witness count ready before you dial.

At any of three Dakota County offices, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: the Administration Center, 1590 Highway 55, Hastings; the Northern Service Center, 1 Mendota Road West, West St. Paul; or the Western Service Center, 14955 Galaxie Avenue, Apple Valley. Start the application online, and book an appointment — the county encourages it.

In most cases both of you must be present to apply; the county handles exceptions by email or phone through its Northern Service Center desk. Bring proof of identity and date of birth — an original or certified birth certificate, a government- or school-issued ID card, or an official document showing your birth date. The license is valid for six months and can be used anywhere in Minnesota; equally, a license from any other Minnesota county works for a Dakota County ceremony. No officiant or judge is present when you apply — the ceremony is arranged separately, which is what the call in step two is for.

The Minnesota marriage license is $125, or $50 with 12 hours of premarital education (Minn. Stat. 517.08); Dakota County takes cash, check, money order, Discover, Visa or MasterCard, with a 2.49 percent convenience fee on cards. Dakota County District Court says a judge may charge a fee for the ceremony, to be discussed when you schedule it.

Photography is the other line. Every elopement collection includes a planning consult, ceremony coverage, portraits, and a private gallery delivered in four to six weeks; current collections and pricing are on the elopement photography page. Travel to Hastings, Apple Valley or West St. Paul is included.