Case Study: Calhoun County, MI achieves more than 50% faster marriage application processing with GovOS Remote Marriage Licenses

How Calhoun County, MI Reduced their Marriage Application Processing Time by More Than 50%

Calhoun County, MI (population ~134,300) faced a time-consuming, paper-based marriage licensing process—each application took 45–60 minutes to process, required in-person visits and often involved illegible handwriting and repeated form submissions. The pandemic exposed the county’s need to digitize services so staff could serve residents safely and more efficiently.

In August 2021 the county launched GovOS Remote Marriage Licenses, letting couples submit information and pay online while staff review applications digitally before a final in-person verification required by state law. The change cut processing time from about 45 minutes to 20 minutes (with plans to reach 15), eliminated much paper handling, saved printing costs, generated strong citizen uptake (75 applications to date), and was funded with ARPA dollars.

Calhoun County

Kimberly Hinkley

Clerk & Register of Deeds