Form VS-181, the Affidavit of Absent Applicant for Marriage License, is the sworn statement that a marriage license applicant completes when he or she cannot appear personally before the county clerk for the issuance of the license. Its form and content are prescribed by section 2.007 of the Texas Family Code, and the Hunt County Clerk publishes it with its marriage license information. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF lives on the Hunt County website, and the signature must be made before a notary.
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What is VS-181?
Form VS-181, Affidavit of Absent Applicant for Marriage License, is the sworn statement completed by a marriage license applicant who cannot appear personally before the county clerk, giving identity details, answers about marital status and kinship, the other applicant's details and the reason for the absence.
The form states that its form and content are prescribed by section 2.007 of the Texas Family Code. It is a notarized document: the applicant signs it, and a notary completes the block at the bottom with a signature, printed name and title, the date it was subscribed and sworn, the commission expiration date and a seal.
The affidavit has four working parts:
- Identity of the absent applicant: name, maiden surname if applicable, address, date and place of birth, Social Security number and citizenship.
- A series of TRUE or FALSE statements about recent divorce, current marriage, kinship to the other applicant, child support and the other applicant's marital status.
- The name, age and address of the person the applicant desires to marry, the approximate date of the marriage and the reason the applicant cannot appear.
- A section limited to members of the armed forces of the United States stationed in another country, where an adult proxy may take part in the ceremony.
The oath on the form warns that a false statement is punishable, citing HSC §195.003. The Hunt County Clerk is the county office that publishes this copy; the form itself is not a marriage license and does not replace the license.
Who needs to file VS-181?
The main user is the marriage license applicant who is unable to appear personally before the county clerk for the issuance of the license. That applicant is the "absent applicant" who completes and swears to the affidavit; the form asks for the reason on its own line.
Other groups and conditions the form names:
- Armed forces members. The section about a proxy can only be completed by members of the armed forces of the United States stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation who are unable to attend the ceremony.
- The proxy. The form asks for the name of an adult person, other than the other applicant, to act as proxy for the purpose of participating in the ceremony.
- The other applicant. The person you desire to marry is identified in the second half of the form; the form is completed by the absent applicant, not by the other applicant.
The form is not meant for an applicant who appears personally before the county clerk, since it exists to explain why the applicant cannot. Anyone completing it must be able to answer every statement truthfully, because the oath says the information is true and correct and that a false statement is punishable.
When to file VS-181
Complete this affidavit when one marriage license applicant cannot appear personally before the county clerk for the issuance of the license; that is the triggering event the form describes. No separate due date is printed on it.
The form asks for the approximate date on which the marriage is to occur, and one of its statements concerns whether you have been divorced within the last 30 days, so answer from the facts as they stand on the date you sign. The affidavit is sworn before a notary, who records the date it was subscribed and sworn, so plan the signing appointment before the license is to be issued. Ask the Hunt County Clerk how far ahead the signed original must be in the office.
How to fill out VS-181
Enter the state and county
At the top, write the name of the state and the county in the lines after THE STATE OF and COUNTY OF.
Identify the absent applicant
Enter your name (First, Middle, Last) and, if applicable, your maiden surname. Then give your address with street, city, state and zip.
Add birth and identity details
Enter your date of birth and place of birth, including city, county and state. Add your Social Security number and citizenship.
Mark the marital status statements
Check TRUE or FALSE for each statement: not divorced within the last 30 days, not presently married, currently married to the other applicant, delinquent in court ordered child support, and the other applicant not presently married.
Answer the kinship statement
Check TRUE or FALSE for the statement that you are not related to the other applicant as an ancestor or descendant, sibling, parent's sibling, child of a sibling, current or former stepchild or stepparent, or child of a parent's sibling.
Describe the person you will marry
Under I desire to marry, enter the other applicant's name (First, Middle, Last), the maiden surname if the other applicant is female, the age and the address. Add the approximate date on which the marriage is to occur.
State why you cannot appear
On the line beginning The Reason I am unable to appear personally before the county clerk for the issuance of the license, write the reason.
Complete the military proxy section
Only members of the U.S. armed forces stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation who cannot attend the ceremony complete this section: enter the name of an adult proxy other than the other applicant. Everyone else leaves it blank.
Sign and date before a notary
Sign at Your Signature and enter the date in front of the notary, who completes the notary block with signature, printed name and title, date sworn, commission expiration and seal.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check each entry against your identity documents and make sure every statement is marked. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, then take it to the notary and follow the Hunt County Clerk's delivery instructions.
How to submit VS-181
The form prints no mailing address, portal or appointment rule, so the delivery channel is set by the Hunt County Clerk, the county clerk's office that publishes this affidavit with its marriage license information and that issues the license.
- Before sending: sign and date the affidavit in front of a notary. The notary completes the Signature of Notary block: printed name and title, the date subscribed and sworn, the commission expiration date and the seal.
- Delivery: contact the Hunt County Clerk to confirm whether the signed original must be mailed, delivered by another person or presented in some other way, and which address or office to use.
- Military applicants: if you complete the section for members of the armed forces stationed in another country, enter the proxy's name before signing so the notarized original is complete.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the Hunt County Clerk's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Signing the affidavit before meeting the notary; the form is subscribed and sworn before a notary, who completes the notary block.
- Leaving a TRUE or FALSE statement unmarked, such as the ones on recent divorce, current marriage, child support or the other applicant's marital status.
- Leaving the line for the reason you cannot appear personally before the county clerk blank.
- Filling in the armed forces section when you are not a member of the U.S. armed forces stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation.
- Naming the other applicant as proxy; the form asks for an adult person other than the other applicant.
- Writing a place of birth without the city, county and state that the form asks for.
- Omitting the maiden surname of the absent applicant, or of the other applicant if female, where one applies.
- Giving untrue answers on the sworn statements; the oath says a false statement is punishable under HSC §195.003.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Affidavit of Absent Applicant for Marriage License?
It is Form VS-181, a sworn statement for a marriage license applicant who cannot appear personally before the county clerk. Its form and content are prescribed by section 2.007 of the Texas Family Code, and it gives identity details, marital status answers and the reason for the absence.
Who has to fill out the absent applicant affidavit?
The applicant who cannot appear personally before the county clerk for the issuance of the license completes it. The other applicant is named on the form but does not complete it. Armed forces members stationed abroad may also use its proxy section.
Does the absent applicant affidavit have to be notarized?
Yes. The form is subscribed and sworn, and it has a block for the notary's signature, printed name and title, the date sworn, the commission expiration date and a seal. Sign it in front of the notary, not before.
Can I fill out Form VS-181 online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the affidavit or deliver it to the Hunt County Clerk; you take it to a notary and follow the clerk's delivery instructions.
Who can act as proxy on the absent applicant form?
Only members of the U.S. armed forces stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation, and unable to attend the ceremony, complete that section. It asks for an adult person other than the other applicant to act as proxy in the ceremony.
What happens if I make a false statement on the affidavit?
The oath on the form says a false statement is punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine, citing HSC §195.003. By signing, you swear that the information is true and correct, so answer every TRUE or FALSE statement from the facts.
Where do I send the signed absent applicant affidavit?
The form prints no address or portal. Contact the Hunt County Clerk, which publishes the form with its marriage license information and issues the license, to learn whether the notarized original is mailed, delivered by another person or brought to the office.
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