To find someone’s marriage records, start with the free online indexes at FamilySearch.org and the county clerk’s website for the place the marriage happened, then order a copy from that county clerk or the state vital records office. Whether you can get a certified copy of someone else’s record, or only an informational one, depends on the state. Most certified copies cost between $15 and $35.
Where Marriage Records Are Kept
In the United States, marriage records are held at two levels. The county clerk or recorder in the county where the license was issued keeps the original and usually offers the fastest service. The state vital records office receives a copy and acts as the backup repository. Some older records also sit with churches, state archives, or historical societies.
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics maintains a state-by-state directory listing exactly which office handles marriage records, what it charges, and what to include in a request.1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records It’s the best single starting point if you don’t already know which agency to contact.
Search Free Online Indexes First
Before paying anything or filling out a government form, check what’s already digitized. FamilySearch.org, run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hosts millions of U.S. marriage records at no cost. Its collections include searchable indexes and, for many counties, scanned images of the original documents. Coverage varies sharply. Some counties have records back to the 1700s online; others have nothing.
County clerk and recorder offices often run their own free search portals. These usually cover the mid-1990s forward, though some counties have digitized older material. A hit will typically show the two names and the marriage date. That won’t get you a certified copy, but it confirms the record exists and tells you which office holds it.
Paid platforms like Ancestry.com pull marriage indexes from multiple states into one search, which helps when you don’t know the county. Public libraries often provide free access to these subscription databases, so ask your library before paying.
What You Need Before You Search
The more you know, the faster it goes. At a minimum, you need the full legal names of both people as they appeared at the time of the wedding. For the spouse who changed their name after marriage, that means the pre-marriage name. Records are indexed under the names on the original license.
The single most useful detail is the county where the license was issued, because marriage records are filed at the county level in most states. If you only have the state, you’ll go through the state office, which usually takes longer. An approximate date helps a clerk narrow archives that can span a century or more. Most offices will search a range of three to five years when the exact date isn’t known.
Who Can Get a Copy
Access rules are set by the state where the marriage was recorded, and there is no single national rule. Many states treat marriage certificates as fully public records, so anyone can order a copy by paying the fee and giving the names. Other states classify marriage records as confidential vital records for a set period, often 50 years, after which they open to the public. A smaller group restricts certified copies to authorized people at all times, typically the spouses themselves, their parents, legal representatives, or someone with a court order.
Even in restrictive states, the limit usually applies only to certified copies. Informational copies and index data are often still available to the general public. A certified copy carries a raised seal or stamp and can be used for legal proceedings, name changes, insurance claims, and immigration applications. An informational copy shows the same data but is marked as unusable for establishing identity. For genealogy, an informational copy or an online index entry is generally enough.
How to Order a Copy
Once you know which office holds the record, ordering is straightforward. Most agencies use a standard form asking for the full names of both spouses, the date and place of the marriage, your relationship to the people on the record, and the reason you want the copy. You’ll verify your identity with a current driver’s license or passport. Some jurisdictions accept a notarized statement of identity when you can’t provide a photo ID, but this varies.
By Mail
Send the completed form, a photocopy of your ID, and a check or money order to the office. Mail processing usually runs two to six weeks.
In Person
Walking into the county clerk’s office often produces a copy the same day or within a few days, since staff can verify your documents on the spot.
Online
Online ordering is available in most states, generally through an authorized third-party vendor that handles payment and forwards the request to the government office. The record itself is still printed and shipped by the agency. Expect a vendor service fee of roughly $12 to $15 on top of the government’s fee, plus shipping.
Older Records and Marriages Before Licensing
Many states didn’t require marriage licenses until the late 1800s or early 1900s. Marriages from before licensing may only appear in church registers, family bibles, or newspaper announcements. State archives and historical societies sometimes hold these. FamilySearch has digitized colonial-era marriage bonds and church records for some states, all searchable at no cost.
Marriages Performed Outside the United States
If the marriage happened in another country, the record is held by that country’s civil registry. U.S. embassies and consulates do not perform marriages and do not keep marriage records.2U.S. Department of State. Marriage Abroad To get a copy, contact the vital records office in the country where the ceremony took place. A foreign marriage certificate is generally recognized in the U.S., though you may need to authenticate it (through an apostille if the country is party to the 1961 Hague Convention) before a U.S. agency will accept it.
For a service member who married overseas, the certificate was issued by the host country, not the U.S. military. A notation of the marriage may appear in the service member’s personnel file, which can be requested through the National Archives’ National Personnel Records Center.3National Archives. Request Military Service Records That won’t produce a marriage certificate, but it can confirm the marriage was recorded in the service record.
When There Is No License: Common-Law Marriages
A common-law marriage has no license on file, so there’s no certificate to pull. New common-law marriages can still be formed in about a dozen jurisdictions, including Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia.4Social Security Administration. POMS GN 00305.075 – State Laws on Validity of Common-Law Non-Ceremonial Marriages Several states that abolished it still recognize unions formed before their cutoff dates, and most states honor a common-law marriage validly created elsewhere.
To document one for federal benefits, the Social Security Administration requires signed statements from both spouses (if living) plus statements from blood relatives of each spouse. When a spouse has died, statements from two blood relatives of the deceased spouse substitute. The statements must be made on specific SSA forms. Secondary evidence strengthens the case: joint mortgage or rent receipts, shared bank accounts, insurance policies naming a spouse as beneficiary, and tax returns filed as married. If blood relatives aren’t available, the SSA will accept statements from others with direct knowledge of the relationship, provided you explain why family members couldn’t be reached.5Social Security Administration. Evidence of Common-Law Marriage