How to Get a Certified Marriage Certificate
A certified marriage certificate is needed to change your name after marriage, update Social Security and passport records, add a spouse to insurance, establish survivor benefits, and support immigration applications. This guide covers the complete request process for every US state.
Marriage license vs. marriage certificate: The license is the permit to marry, issued before the ceremony. The certificate is the official record after the ceremony. Some states combine these into a single document; others issue them separately. For legal purposes, you want the certified marriage certificate (or the combined license/certificate). What you may have received from your officiant at the ceremony is often not a certified government copy — it's a decorative keepsake.
Where Marriage Records Are Held
In most US states, marriage licenses are issued at the county level by the county clerk or register of deeds. The record is held at:
- County level: most states — the county clerk where the license was issued
- State level: some states maintain a state registry that mirrors county records
- Both: many states allow requests from either the county or state office
The key question is: which county issued the marriage license? It was the county where you applied for the license — not necessarily where the ceremony took place. If you applied in one county and got married in a church in another, the record is with the first county.
Who Can Request a Marriage Certificate
Access rules are generally less restrictive than for birth certificates in most states:
- Either person named on the certificate
- Immediate family members (parents, adult children)
- Legal representatives with authorization
- In many states, marriage records are public record and available to anyone
Check your specific state's rules — some treat marriage records as fully public; others restrict certified copies.
The Standard Request Process
-
Identify the county where the marriage license was issued
This is the county you went to for the license — typically the county you or your partner lived in at the time, or where you wanted to marry. Contact the county clerk's office in that county.
-
Check whether the state also maintains a registry
For convenience (especially if you're out of state), many state vital records offices also maintain marriage records and can issue certified copies. Use our state guides to see whether your state offers state-level copies. State copies may have a longer wait but are accessible by mail.
-
Complete the request form and prepare your ID
Most county clerk offices have a simple request form, either online or downloadable. You'll need a photo ID and payment. Some counties accept walk-in requests without a form — call ahead.
-
Submit your request
In-person at the county clerk: typically same-day. By mail: 2–8 weeks depending on county. Online: varies. Fees: $10–$25 per certified copy in most states.
Getting Records from Old Marriages
Marriage records from 5, 20, or 50 years ago are still available — vital records are maintained permanently. The process is the same: identify the county where the license was issued and request from that county clerk. For very old marriages (pre-1940), records may be held in a different archive or may have been transferred to the state. Start with the county and ask if they have older records or know where they've been transferred.
When You Don't Know the County
If you're not sure which county the license was in (common for records from decades past), try:
- Contact the state vital records office — many maintain a statewide marriage index and can tell you which county to contact
- Check genealogy databases like FamilySearch for older records
- Search historical newspaper archives — marriage announcements often include the license county
Common Uses and What You Need
| Purpose | What's Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security name change | Certified copy | SSA returns the original |
| Passport name change | Certified copy | State Dept. typically returns original |
| Driver's license | Certified copy | DMV may photocopy and return |
| Bank account update | Bank may accept photocopy | Varies by institution |
| Employer records | Typically photocopy OK | Varies by employer policy |
| USCIS / immigration | Certified copy + translation | See immigration guide |
| Spouse health insurance | Certified copy | Insurance company keeps a copy |
| Social Security survivor benefits | Certified copy | Required for survivor claims |
If You Were Married Outside the US
Foreign marriage certificates are issued by the country where the marriage occurred. For US legal purposes, you typically need:
- An official certified copy from the foreign government
- A certified English translation (required by most US agencies)
- For immigration purposes, apostille authentication may also be required
Requirements vary by the country and by which US agency is requesting the document. See our immigration guide for details specific to USCIS requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely. Marriage records are maintained permanently. Contact the county clerk where the license was issued. The process is identical to requesting a recent record. You'll need ID, the request form, and the fee. Processing may take a bit longer for older records if they're not yet digitized, but the records are there.
This is normal. Your marriage certificate shows your name at the time of the marriage — and that's exactly what agencies like Social Security and the passport office need to see. They use the marriage certificate to trace the change from your birth name to your current name. Present both your birth certificate (showing your original name) and your marriage certificate (showing the name you changed to) together.
Yes. Divorce doesn't affect your right to a copy of the marriage certificate — you were a party to the marriage. You can still request a certified copy from the county where the license was issued. This may be needed for government processes that require you to document your name history.
The license is permission to marry; the certificate is proof that you did. For most legal purposes — name changes, insurance, benefits — you need the certificate (or the certified combined document). A license alone doesn't prove a marriage occurred. In states that combine them into a single document, the completed and signed license/certificate serves both functions.