Should We Get Married Before My Boyfriend Goes to Prison?

If marriage is something you both want, doing it before he reports is the simpler and more reliable path. Not all prisons and jails permit inmates to marry while incarcerated, and those that do have processes that can be slow, bureaucratic, and subject to the warden's discretion. Getting married before he goes in removes all of that uncertainty.

Being a legal spouse also comes with meaningful practical advantages once he is inside. Spouses typically have stronger visitation rights than unmarried partners, and in some facilities are treated differently than general visitors when it comes to contact visits, visitation scheduling, and facility notifications. As a spouse you may also have more standing when it comes to medical decisions and next-of-kin notifications if something happens while he is incarcerated.

The steps to get married before he reports are straightforward. Obtain a marriage license from your county clerk's office. Most states have a short waiting period between when the license is issued and when the marriage can take place, typically 24 to 72 hours, so do not wait until the last minute. The ceremony itself can be as simple as a brief civil ceremony at the courthouse performed by a judge or clerk.

If time is very short, call your county clerk's office and explain the circumstances. Some jurisdictions can waive waiting periods in situations like this.

Getting this done now, while you still have full control over the timing, is worth the effort.