Getting Married at the Tarrant County Courthouse: A Photographer’s Guide (2026)

Last updated September 2026. Fees, hours and policies can change, so always confirm with Tarrant County before your date.

The historic Tarrant County Courthouse is one of our favorite places to photograph a wedding. We’ve had the joy of capturing intimate elopements for two and small ceremonies with close family here, and every one reminds us why couples love this building.

While we don’t plan events or book ceremonies, we’ve learned a few things along the way that might help as you plan your Tarrant County Courthouse elopement. Our couples often ask us the same questions: How do we get the license? How do we book the judge? What does it cost? Where do we park? Where are the best photos? So we put the answers in one place, including a few tips only a photographer who works here would know.

Why Couples Love the Tarrant County Courthouse

Built between 1893 and 1895, the courthouse is one of the most beautiful buildings in Texas: Renaissance Revival architecture, pink Texas granite and a grand clock tower on a bluff above the Trinity River. It’s a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A fun bit of history: it cost $408,840, and voters were so upset about the price that they replaced the entire Commissioners Court. Today couples get to enjoy every penny: sweeping granite steps, a painted rotunda, carved wood staircases and a historic courtroom that feels made for vows.

From a photographer’s eye: Few places in DFW give you this much variety in one building. Grand staircases, marble hallways, a painted rotunda, granite steps and a historic fountain are all within a few minutes’ walk, so a two-hour session here can feel like three locations.

Step 1: Get Your Marriage License

Your license comes from the Tarrant County Clerk, not the historic courthouse. The main downtown office is at 200 Taylor St, Suite 301 (Plaza Building), with branch locations around the county. Questions: 817-884-1550.

License checklist:

• Hours: Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Walk-ins welcome. Start the application online, but you both sign in person (or together by video).
• Cost: $76, or $16 with a Twogether in Texas certificate. Add $100 if neither of you lives in Texas.
• Bring: A government photo ID for each of you, plus your Social Security numbers.
• Age: 18+.
• Wait: 72 hours after the license is issued. Waived for active-duty military, Twogether certificate holders, or with a judge’s waiver.
• Deadline: Marry within 90 days.
• Recently divorced: 30-day wait unless waived.

Step 2: Book Your Ceremony With Justice of the Peace Court 1

Ceremonies at the historic courthouse are performed by Justice of the Peace Court 1, Room 450, fourth floor, 100 W. Weatherford St.

• How to book: One of you must call. Family can’t book for you. County line: 817-884-1111. JP Court 1: 817-884-1395. Ceremonies are scheduled about a month ahead.
• When: Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. No evenings or weekends.
• Fee: $200, cash only. Some older blogs still say $100.
• Guests: 14 max, including kids and your photographer.
• Decorations: Not allowed. It’s a working courtroom.
• Witnesses: Not required in Texas.

Photographer’s tip: When you call, think about your photos, not just your calendar. A morning or late-afternoon ceremony puts your outdoor portraits in softer light, and downtown is quieter. Booking your ceremony time and your photographer together saves a lot of back-and-forth.

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What the Ceremony Is Actually Like

Courthouse ceremonies are short and meaningful, usually just a few minutes. Plan to arrive about 15 minutes early for courthouse security. Once you’re called in, you’ll stand before the judge in a historic courtroom with warm wood paneling and tall windows, surrounded by your favorite people.

Photographer’s tip: A few minutes goes fast, and there’s no second take on your first kiss. We wait with you outside the courtroom and walk in together, so we’re right there and ready when your ceremony begins.

What a Courthouse Wedding With Us Looks Like

Most of our courthouse weddings are two hours of coverage. Here’s how it usually flows:

• About 30 minutes before your ceremony: We meet you at the courthouse, check in together and start with portraits inside: the grand staircases, marble hallways and rotunda, while you’re fresh and relaxed.
• Your ceremony: We wait with you outside the courtroom and walk in together, so every moment is covered, from the vows to the kiss.
• Right after: Family groupings and any remaining inside photos, or we head outside, depending on the season and the light.
• Couple portraits to finish: The granite steps, the Horse Fountain and the grounds, or a short walk to nearby spots like Sundance Square.

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Where to Park at the Tarrant County Courthouse

There’s no free parking at the historic courthouse:

• Calhoun Street Garage (our pick): County garage at Weatherford and Calhoun (enter on Calhoun), about two blocks away. About $4 for the first 30 minutes, $10 max; cards accepted.
• Street meters: 2-hour limit, FW PARK app. Free after 6 p.m. and on weekends.
• Sundance Square Garages 3 and 4: 2.5 hours free with a receipt from a Sundance Square business.

Photographer’s tip: Choose the garage over a meter. Most courthouse weddings run about two hours, and street meters have a 2-hour limit.

Want a Weekend Ceremony or a Bigger Group?

The historic courthouse is weekday-only with a 14-person limit. You still have options:

• Other Tarrant County JP courts: JP Court 2 allows up to 25 guests and offers evening and weekend ceremonies for an extra fee (817-548-3925). JP Court 7 in Mansfield also offers evenings and weekends for an extra fee. These ceremonies happen at those courts, not the historic courthouse.
• Bring your own officiant: Texas allows ministers, rabbis, authorized religious officials and judges to perform marriages. Many couples marry with their own officiant, then come to the historic courthouse for portraits.

Photographer’s tip: Your photographer counts toward the 14. If your guest list is tight, don’t worry. We’ll plan family groupings right after the ceremony, inside or out on the steps, depending on the light.

The Best Photo Spots at the Tarrant County Courthouse

These are the spots we come back to again and again, and you’ll see them throughout our elopement portfolio. Almost all are on the courthouse grounds, so you spend your time taking photos, not walking.

1. The Grand Staircases

Carved wood and wrought iron with soft window light, made for bridal portraits and cozy moments.

2. The Marble Hallways

Arched hallways and vintage light fixtures give an editorial, timeless feel. They’re especially beautiful in our Classic and Dark & Moody editing styles.

3. The Rotunda

A painted dome, ornate railings and patterned terrazzo floors. It’s stunning at any time of day and a perfect backup when it’s hot or rainy. It’s a working building, so we keep things quiet and quick.

4. The Courthouse Steps

The signature shot. The pink granite glows in morning and late-afternoon light. Midday downtown gets busy.

5. The Horse Fountain

Just steps from the front entrance, the historic Horse Fountain was dedicated in 1892 as a water trough for the city’s horses. It’s a charming old–Fort Worth detail without leaving the courthouse.

6. The Courthouse Lawn

A patch of green right beside the building, with granite walls behind you. Great for playful, candid moments.

7. Main Street and Sundance Square

A 5–8 minute walk south, where the brick road frames the courthouse behind you. Sundance Square is private property, so photos need advance approval (about a week’s notice), and we’ll help coordinate it.

8. Worth the Short Drive: The Fort Worth Stockyards

About 10 minutes north, for Western brick streets and historic barns. The Stockyards charge a photography fee and ask you to book ahead, and some businesses (like Hotel Drover) require their own approval.

Good to know: Heritage Park Plaza, next to the courthouse, is closed and fenced for redevelopment. Location fees and permits are the couple’s responsibility, and we’ll help you figure out what’s needed.

Tips for Your Courthouse Wedding Day

• Book early or late in the day for softer light and fewer crowds.
• Bring exact cash in an envelope, plus your license and IDs.
• Count carefully: kids and your photographer count toward the 14.
• Dress for a courtroom and security screening. Keep bags small.
• Skip decorations inside, but bring a bouquet, boutonnière or a small sign for outdoor photos.
• Plan for Texas weather. Summer afternoons are hot, and the courthouse interior is a great backup.

Keep the Celebration Going

Downtown makes it easy to turn a quick ceremony into a full celebration, and it’s easy to add dinner coverage:

• The Sinclair and Wicked Butcher: An Art Deco hotel with a rooftop and private dining.
• Reata: Texas cuisine at the top of The Tower (530 Throckmorton).
• Thompson’s Bookstore: A speakeasy-style bar for a celebratory toast.

Why Hire a Photographer Who Knows This Courthouse

A courthouse wedding moves fast, and its moments are small, quick and unrepeatable. As Fort Worth wedding photographers, we know the 14-person limit, how quickly the ceremony moves, where the light falls inside and out, and which nearby spots need permission, so you get to just be present.

• Typically 2 hours of coverage: portraits before and after your ceremony, plus the ceremony itself.
• About 75 edited images per hour, sneak peeks in 2–3 business days, full gallery in 3–4 weeks.
• Four signature editing styles: Light & Airy, Classic, Golden or Dark & Moody.
• A vetted team with backup coverage, matched to your style and personality.
• Best of The Knot Hall of Fame: five-time Best of The Knot winner.
• No travel fee within 25 miles of Fort Worth.
• Custom packages, transparent pricing. Add a short film, a second photographer or dinner coverage.

See full galleries from real Tarrant County Courthouse weddings:
Haydyn + Caleb · Brooke + Cody · Marcela + Kevin

Tarrant County Courthouse Wedding FAQs

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A quick note from us: Bushel + Peck Photo is a wedding photography studio. We’re not affiliated with Tarrant County, and we don’t schedule ceremonies or issue licenses. We keep this guide as accurate as we can, but fees, hours, guest limits and policies can change without notice, so please confirm every detail with the Tarrant County Clerk and JP Court 1 before your wedding day. This is general information, not legal advice. Official sources: Tarrant County marriage licenses · JP Court 1 weddings

About the author: Lacy Alewel has been photographing weddings since 2011 and founded Bushel + Peck Photo in 2020. Her team of vetted Texas photographers has earned Best of The Knot five times, placing Bushel + Peck in The Knot Hall of Fame. The historic Tarrant County Courthouse is one of their favorite places to photograph a wedding.