The Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage License (Form VS-180.1) is the form the Hidalgo County Clerk makes available for two people who swear that they are married to each other by informal marriage. If you searched for a Hidalgo County marriage license, note what this document is: a sworn declaration with one block for each applicant, whose content is prescribed by section 2.004 of the Texas Family Code. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF is published on the Hidalgo County website.
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What is VS-180.1?
Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage License (Form VS-180.1) is the Texas form on which two applicants swear or affirm that they are married to each other because they agreed to be married, lived together as a married couple and represented to others in Texas that they were married.
The form states that its form and content are prescribed by section 2.004 of the Texas Family Code. The printed title leaves a blank for the county, and it is posted by the Hidalgo County Clerk. It is not a statement from one person: it has an Applicant One block and an Applicant Two block, and each applicant gives personal details, answers a TRUE/FALSE statement about family relationship to the other applicant, completes the sworn statement with the date on or about which the couple agreed to be married, and signs and dates it.
Each applicant also swears that, since the date of marriage to the other party, he or she has not been married to any other person, and that the declaration is true and the information given is correct.
A section headed For County Clerk Office Use Only records that the declaration was subscribed and sworn before the County Clerk or a deputy, together with each applicant's identification type (ID and age), a license number, and the volume and page of the record. Applicants do not fill in that section.
The form carries a felony warning: knowingly making a false statement on it, or signing a form that contains one, carries 2 to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine, under Health and Safety Code, Chapter 195, Sec. 195.003.
Who needs to file VS-180.1?
Two people who claim to be married to each other by informal marriage, and who want to make a sworn declaration of it and register it, use this form. Each of them completes and signs his or her own block.
Conditions printed on the form:
- Both applicants must be able to swear that they agreed to be married on or about a date they state, that they lived together as a married couple afterward, and that in Texas they represented to others that they were married.
- Each applicant swears that, since the date of marriage to the other party, he or she has not been married to any other person.
- Each applicant answers whether he or she is not related to the other applicant as an ancestor or descendant, a brother or sister, a parent's brother or sister, a son or daughter of a brother or sister, a current or former stepchild or stepparent, or a son or daughter of a parent's brother or sister (in each case of the whole or half blood or by adoption, where the form says so).
The form describes no one who may sign for an applicant: each applicant signs personally. The Hidalgo County Clerk and deputies are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice on preparing documents, so questions about whether your situation qualifies go to an attorney.
When to file VS-180.1
You complete this declaration when the two of you are ready to swear to and register your informal marriage with the County Clerk. The form prints no due date, and it asks for no deadline of its own.
The date that matters on the form is the one you enter in the sworn statement: the date on or about which you agreed to be married. It is followed by a period of living together as a married couple and representing to others in Texas that you were married, as the form says.
Each applicant signs and dates the form, and the County Clerk or a deputy completes the section stating when it was subscribed and sworn, with the date and time. For questions about timing or office procedure, the County Clerk's Office lists (956)318-2100.
Documents you need
- Identification for each applicant: the County Clerk's section records each applicant's identification type (ID and age) and license number. The form does not list accepted IDs, so ask the County Clerk's Office at (956)318-2100 which to bring.
How to fill out VS-180.1
Enter the county in the title
In the title line, "DECLARATION AND REGISTRATION OF INFORMAL MARRIAGE, ____ COUNTY, TEXAS", write the name of the county.
Enter Applicant One's name
Under Applicant One, enter First Name, Middle Name, Current Last Name and Suffix. Add the Woman's Maiden Name only if applicable, and a Telephone Number.
Enter Applicant One's address
Fill in Street Address, City, State and Zip for Applicant One.
Enter birth details and Social Security number
Enter Date of Birth, Place of Birth (including city, county and state) and Social Security Number for Applicant One.
Answer the relationship statement
For "I am not related to the other applicant as:", read the list of relationships and mark TRUE or FALSE.
Complete the sworn statement date
In the sworn statement, enter the date on or about which you and the other applicant agreed to be married. Read the statement before signing.
Sign and date for Applicant One
Applicant One signs in Applicant's Signature and enters the Date Signed.
Enter Applicant Two's name and phone
Under Applicant Two, enter First Name, Middle Name, Current Last Name and Suffix, the Woman's Maiden Name if applicable, and Telephone Number.
Enter Applicant Two's address and details
Fill in Street Address, City, State, Zip, Date of Birth, Place of Birth (including city, county and state) and Social Security Number.
Answer Applicant Two's statements
Mark TRUE or FALSE on the relationship statement, enter the same agreement date in the sworn statement, then sign and date in Applicant's Signature and Date Signed.
Leave the clerk's section blank
Do not fill in For County Clerk Office Use Only: the County Clerk records the sworn-before-me date and time, identification type, license number, volume and page.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check both blocks for matching dates and complete names, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and deliver it as described under How to submit.
How to submit VS-180.1
The form prints no delivery instruction of its own. The Hidalgo County Forms page says that, unless otherwise noted, forms listed there go to the County Clerk's Office, by hand delivery or by mail.
- Hand delivery: County Clerk's Office, 100 N. Closner, Edinburg, TX 78539.
- Mail: County Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 58, Edinburg, TX 78540.
- Phone: (956)318-2100 for more information.
The form includes a block for the County Clerk or a deputy to record that it was subscribed and sworn before them, and the form does not say how or where that happens, so ask the office before you deliver or mail it. The Clerk and deputies are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice in preparing documents.
No fee or accepted payment method is stated for this form. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the County Clerk's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Entering false information or signing a form that contains a false statement; the form warns that this is a felony with 2 to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine.
- Filling in the For County Clerk Office Use Only section (sworn-before-me date, ID type, license number, volume and page), which is completed by the clerk's office.
- Having only one applicant complete a block: each of Applicant One and Applicant Two has a separate sworn statement and a separate signature and date.
- Marking TRUE or FALSE on the family-relationship statement without reading the list of relationships it covers, including stepchild, stepparent and cousin-level relatives.
- Writing an incomplete place of birth when the form asks for the city, county and state.
- Leaving the "on or about" date blank in the sworn statement, or giving a date that does not match the date the couple agreed to be married.
- Leaving the county name blank in the form's title line.
- Entering a maiden name in the wrong field: the Woman's Maiden Name line applies only if applicable, and the Current Last Name line is separate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage form?
It is Form VS-180.1, on which two applicants swear that they are married to each other because they agreed to be married, lived together as a married couple and represented to others in Texas that they were married. Its content is prescribed by Texas Family Code section 2.004.
Is this the same as a Hidalgo County marriage license?
This page covers the Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage License, a sworn declaration with an Applicant One and an Applicant Two block. The form calls itself a declaration and registration of informal marriage; for other Hidalgo County marriage documents, contact the County Clerk at (956)318-2100.
Do both people have to sign the form?
Yes. Each applicant has a separate block with its own sworn statement and its own Applicant's Signature and Date Signed line. The form describes no one who may sign for an applicant.
Where do I turn in the informal marriage declaration in Hidalgo County?
The County Clerk's Forms page says forms go to the County Clerk's Office: by hand at 100 N. Closner, Edinburg, TX 78539, or by mail to P.O. Box 58, Edinburg, TX 78540. Call (956)318-2100 to confirm how this form is sworn and received.
What happens if I put false information on the form?
The form warns that it is a felony to falsify information on it. Knowingly making a false statement, or signing a form that contains one, is punishable by 2 to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine under Health and Safety Code, Chapter 195, Sec. 195.003.
Do I fill in the County Clerk Office Use Only section?
No. That section is for the County Clerk's office. It records when the declaration was subscribed and sworn, each applicant's identification type (ID and age), a license number, and the volume and page.
Can I fill out Form VS-180.1 online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not connected to Hidalgo County, and it does not file or register the declaration; you deliver it through the County Clerk's channels.
Is there a deadline to file Form VS-180.1?
The form prints no deadline. It asks for the date on or about which you agreed to be married, and the County Clerk records the date and time it was subscribed and sworn. Ask the County Clerk's Office at (956)318-2100 about timing.
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