Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Dispensations and Permissions for Marriage
Parishes may download marriage forms (English and Spanish) from this website. If you have any questions regarding the forms, please contact Debby Hook.
All Marriages
Regardless of the location of the wedding ceremony, couples resident in the Diocese of Little Rock are bound to the marriage preparation policy of this diocese. (en español)
For administrative reasons and record-keeping purposes, all marriages require that a Status of Documents be completed and submitted to the Chancery office, whether or not dispensations and/or permissions are needed. The Status of Documents form should be sent to the Chancery Office no later than one month prior to the wedding date, and at least two months prior for weddings outside the U.S.
Notifications
The Chancery will issue notifications to be sent to the churches of baptism.
- For parties baptized in the U.S., the notifications will be mailed to the parish where the marriage will take place along with the approved Status of Documents and the Certificate of Marriage.
- For parties baptized in the Catholic Church outside the U.S., please submit a copy of the certificate of baptism with the Status of Documents. The Chancery will issue and mail the appropriate notifications to the foreign parish or diocese.
Parishes may download the following forms for free. They are available in English and Spanish in PDF format below. If you have any questions regarding the forms, please contact Debby Hook.
- Prenuptial Questionnaire (#1) | (en español)
- Status of Documents (#2) | (en español)
- Marriage Packet Envelope (#3) | (en español)
- Testimony of Freedom to Marry (#4) | (en español)
- Permission Request for Party Under 18 (#5) | (en español)
- Consultation with Parents of Party Under 21 (#6) | (en español)
- Radical Sanation Form | (en español)
Wedding at Parish not where Couple was Prepared
Within Arkansas
The entire prenuptial packet should normally be sent to the Chancery Office along with the Status of Documents.
Within the U.S.
The prenuptial file must be sent to the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Little Rock for transfer to the Diocesan offices of the parish where the wedding will take place.
Outside the U.S.
The prenuptial packet should be submitted at least two months prior to the date of the wedding to allow sufficient time to transfer the packet to the diocese of the parish where the wedding is to take place.
Transmittal of Marriage Paperwork
Should be from diocese to diocese rather than parish to parish. Couples cannot carry the prenuptial file to the parish but can hand carry a photocopy of the file.
