Approximately 2.1 million marriages take place in the United States every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All states, except for those that allow common law marriage, require you to get a marriage license before you get married. Every state has different procedures for what you must to do get marriage license copies, though you generally need the same kind of things in each state.
Legal Standing
In order to get a copy of a marriage license in some states, you must have the legal standing to obtain it. For example, in New York State, to get an official copy of a marriage certificate you must meet one of three requirements: you are asking for a copy of your own license; you have a court order from a New York State court; or you have a documented judicial or other proper purpose, according to the New York State Department of Health. An example of a "judicial or other proper purpose" might be verifying a marriage for the purposes of health care benefits.
Information and Fee
You'll need specific information and details to get a copy of a marriage license. For example, if you want a certified copy of a marriage license in California, you'll have to include information such as your name, address and the name of the person to whom the copy is sent. You'll also need all the details about the marriage that you can get, such as the names of the couple, their places and dates of birth, the names of their parents, the county in which the marriage took place, and the name of the county that issued the original license. States also require a fee for retrieving these records. In California, as of September 2010, the fee is $14 per copy, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Forms
Some states, such as South Carolina, require you to fill out and file the appropriate form when requesting a marriage license copy. In South Carolina, you must fill out a "Vital Records Marriage/Divorce Application." This form must be filled out and filed with a copy of proper identification, such as a government, school or employer photo ID. Any improperly filled out form or form submitted without proper identification will not be processed.
References
- New York State Department of Health: Marriage Certificates
- South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control: Vital Records Services
- California Department of Public Health: Obtaining Certified Copies of Marriage & Divorce Records
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Marriage and Divorce
