To get a copy of your marriage license, contact the vital records office in the state or county where the marriage was originally filed, prove who you are, and pay the copy fee. The federal government does not keep these records, so every request goes through a state or local agency.1National Archives. Vital Records One point worth settling before you order: a marriage license is the permit a couple obtains before the wedding, while a marriage certificate is the document filed after the ceremony proving the marriage took place. When people ask for a copy of their marriage license, they almost always need a certified copy of the marriage certificate, and that is the document agencies, insurers, courts, and the passport office want to see.
Figure Out Which Office Holds the Record
Marriage records are created and stored by state and local authorities.1National Archives. Vital Records The office you need is the one in the jurisdiction where the license was filed, not where you live now and not necessarily where the ceremony happened. In most places that is the county clerk, recorder of deeds, or a similarly named local office. Some states route all marriage records through a centralized Department of Health or vital records division instead.
The CDC maintains a state-by-state directory that links to each vital records office, which is the fastest way to pin down exactly where your request goes.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records For older marriages, records are sometimes transferred from the county to a state archive. If the county office cannot find yours, try the state vital records agency next.
Confirm You’re Allowed to Order One
Not just anyone can walk in and get a certified copy of someone else’s marriage record. Most jurisdictions limit certified copies to people with a direct legal interest: the spouses named on the record, their parents, their legal representatives, or someone with a court order. The exact list varies by state, and you should expect to sign a sworn statement, under penalty of perjury, confirming your relationship to the record.
Some states also distinguish between an authorized certified copy and an informational copy. The authorized version can be used to establish identity for government purposes like passports and driver’s licenses. The informational version is stamped with a notice that it cannot establish identity, which makes it useful only for genealogy or personal records. If you need the document for any official transaction, request the authorized version.
Gather What You’ll Need Before You Order
Having these details in hand before you contact the office keeps your request from being bounced back:
- Full legal names of both spouses, including maiden names or any previous surnames used at the time of the marriage.
- The date of the marriage, as exact as you can get. If you are not sure of the year, some offices will search a range for an added fee.
- The county and state where the license was filed. Again, this is what matters, not the venue where the ceremony happened.
- Government-issued photo ID, typically a driver’s license or passport. For mail requests, many offices want a photocopy of your ID or a notarized identity statement.
If you don’t have a photo ID, most vital records offices accept a combination of secondary documents such as a Social Security card, a sealed birth certificate, or a recent bank statement. The accepted combinations differ by jurisdiction, so check with the issuing office before you send anything in.
Fees generally run from $10 to $30 for the first certified copy, with additional copies ordered at the same time costing less. Money orders and credit cards are almost universally accepted. Personal checks are sometimes rejected. Confirm the exact amount on the office’s website or by phone before sending payment, because the wrong fee is one of the most common reasons mail requests come back unprocessed.
Choose How to Submit the Request
Online
Many state and county offices accept orders through their own websites. You fill out an application, upload a scan of your ID, and pay by credit or debit card. Online orders are sometimes processed faster than mail requests. Look for the order portal on the specific vital records office’s own site rather than searching generically, because search results often surface third-party services ahead of the actual government page.
By Mail
Mail requests need a printed application form (usually downloadable from the office’s website), a clear photocopy of your ID, and payment in the accepted format. Send everything to the specific records division, not the general county address. A trackable mailing service is worth the small extra cost given that the envelope contains your personal information and payment. Processing by mail typically takes several weeks, depending on the office’s current volume.
In Person
Walking into the county clerk’s or vital records office is often the fastest route. Many offices will hand you a certified copy the same day, sometimes within minutes. Bring your ID and be prepared to pay on the spot. If the office is in a different state, mail or online is more practical, but for speed nothing beats the counter.
Through a Third-Party Service
Many government offices contract with authorized vendors that handle online and phone orders. These services guide you through the application, take payment, and forward the request to the government office, which still issues the actual certificate. The convenience comes with a service fee of $10 to $15 or more on top of the government’s fee, and processing through a third party sometimes takes longer than ordering direct. If you are not in a rush and the office has its own online portal, ordering direct saves money.
If the Record Can’t Be Found
Searches do come back empty. The marriage may predate the jurisdiction’s record-keeping, the record may have been destroyed in a courthouse fire or flood, or it may simply have been misfiled. This is more common than people expect, especially for marriages before the mid-twentieth century.
Start by confirming the jurisdiction. If the county has no record, try the state vital records agency, which may maintain a separate database. For very old marriages, state archives or historical societies sometimes hold records the county no longer has. The CDC’s directory is a good starting point for figuring out who to contact in each state.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records
If the record genuinely does not exist, some states allow a delayed registration of marriage. This typically requires alternative evidence that the marriage occurred, such as church records, newspaper announcements, affidavits from witnesses, or immigration documents that reference the marriage. The process varies significantly by state, and some require a court order to establish the record. A family law attorney can help if the standard channels come up empty.