US Trends

where do i get a copy of my marriage license

You typically get a copy of your marriage license (or more often, your marriage record/certificate) from the same local government office that issued it in the first place, usually at the county or city level in the place where you were married.

Key places to contact

  • County clerk, registrar, recorder, or Register of Wills office in the county where you applied for the marriage license.
  • Vital records office for the state where the marriage took place, especially if that state centralizes marriage records at the state level.
  • If married abroad, the local civil registry in that country, plus your home country’s embassy/consulate for guidance and, in some cases, a U.S. State Department record for older marriages abroad.

Basic steps to get a copy

  1. Confirm where you were married (state/country and county or city). The office that issued the license is usually the one that can issue a copy.
  1. Visit that office’s website and look for “marriage records,” “marriage license copy,” or “marriage certificate request.” There is usually a specific form and fee schedule.
  1. Request the copy:
    • Online through an authorized service, if offered (many offices use third‑party portals).
 * By mail, sending a completed form, ID, and payment (often a money order). Some cities/counties require a self‑addressed stamped envelope.

 * In person at the clerk/recorder/court counter, where you can show ID and pay on the spot.

What you usually need

  • Full names of both spouses as they appeared on the license.
  • Date of the marriage (or at least month and year).
  • Place of marriage (county/city and state, or foreign city/country).
  • Your relationship to the people named on the record and a valid photo ID; some states restrict who can get certified copies.
  • Payment of a search/copy fee (often per copy and non‑refundable).

If you lost the original license or certificate

  • If you never got married (the license expired unused), you usually must apply for a new license ; old unused licenses typically are not “reissued.”
  • If you did get married but lost the certificate, you can order additional certified copies from the same office that recorded the marriage, often any time after the marriage is on file.

If you tell the city/state (or country) where you were married, a more specific office name and link can be suggested. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.