How to obtain a copy of your marriage license

VitalChek accepts the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover. A $9 handling fee is charged on all credit card orders in addition to the copy fee.

Confidential marriage records may only be obtained by the parties to the marriage or by court order. If you are not a party to the marriage, you CANNOT obtain a copy of a confidential marriage record.

Request a Copy Online

• Visit VitalChek.com and complete all information on the request form. 

NOTE: The notarized Certificate of Identity form may be requested to complete the order.

Live outside of California? Instruct the notary to strike out "California" on the Certificate of Identity and put the state in which the form is notarized. It will be accepted with the change.

Informational Certified Copy

If you are not authorized or do not wish to submit the notarized Certificate of Identity you can request an Informational Certified Copy.

This copy will have the words "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY" imprinted across the face of the copy.

To obtain a certified copy of a marriage license, the license must have been issued by the Fairfax Circuit Court. The certified copy can be obtained either in person or by mail.

MARRIAGE LICENSES ISSUED BETWEEN 7/1/97 – 6/30/01

Marriage licenses issued between July 1, 1997 and June 30, 2001 have not been configured to prevent disclosure of the social security number or control number and shall not be available for general public inspection in the offices of clerks of the circuit courts. Either spouse may obtain copies of the marriage license in person by appearing in the offices of the circuit courts with valid photo id (i.e. driver's license, passport or military identification) or through the mail by enclosing a notarized copy of either spouse's valid photo id with their copy request.
Pursuant to Virginia Code §32.1-267, if an individual other than the applicants wish to obtain a copy of a license issued during this time span he shall only obtain copies:

1.  upon the order of the circuit court within which such application was made or register is maintained,
2.  pursuant to a lawful subpoena duces tecum issued to the clerk,
3.  upon the written authorization of either of the applicants, or (iv) upon the request of a law-enforcement officer or duly authorized representative of the Division of Child Support Enforcement in the course of performing his official duties.

Marriage license copies can obtain in-person or through the mail. To obtain a copy by mail, the customer must either complete the Marriage License Copy Request form or prepare a written request providing the date of the marriage and the full name of both parties. (Marriage licenses issued between July 1, 1997 and July 30, 2001 shall abide by the rules mentioned in the Note above.) A self-addressed, stamped envelope must be enclosed. The fee for a certified copy of a marriage license is $2.50 per copy. The Clerk’s Office accepts cash, cashier’s checks, money orders and Visa and MasterCard (with a 4% transaction fee). The court does not accept personal checks. Cash and credit card payments cannot be accepted through the mail. The copy will be mailed within two weeks from receipt of the request. Mail the request to:

Clerk of the Circuit Court
Attention: Marriage License Copies
4110 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 116
Fairfax, VA 22030

If the marriage occurred in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the circuit court is unknown, the Division of Vital Records in Richmond can provide copies. The addresses are:

If you are planning to marry in Connecticut, you must obtain a marriage license from the vital records office of the town where the marriage will take place. There is a $50.00 fee for each marriage license. Payment must be submitted to the town at the time the marriage license is issued (see License to Get Married).

Already Married?

Once you are married, the marriage license is filed at the vital records office of the town where the marriage occurred. After the document is filed, it is referred to as a marriage certificate.

To obtain a certified copy of a marriage certificate, you must submit your request to the vital records office of the town where the marriage occurred, or the town(s) where the parties to the marriage resided at the time of the marriage, or the State Vital Records Office.    

Who Can Request A Certified Copy Of A Marriage Certificate?             

A certified copy of a marriage certificate may be purchased for a fee by anyone who is at least 18 years old. All information on the marriage certificate is available to the requester, except the social security numbers of the spouses. Copies of marriage certificates that include the spouse’s social security numbers will only be issued to the parties to the marriage. If you are requesting a copy of the marriage certificate with the social security numbers on the certificate, you will need to provide proof of identity that you are one of the parties named on the marriage certificate.

Checklist for Obtaining a Certified Copy of a Marriage Certificate

☐ Complete the application

☐ Order your vital records online (additional fees may apply) through VitalChek, or

  ☐ Complete the State application and mail your order in to the State Vital Records office, or

  ☐ Complete the Town application and mail your order in to the town of occurrence

☐ Include the applicable fee

What Are the Current Laws Related to Civil Unions?

Connecticut’s civil union laws were enacted on October 1, 2005, allowing same sex couples to enter into a legal union which provided the same benefits, protections and responsibilities under state law as those granted by marriage. Following the legalization of same sex marriage in Connecticut, the civil union laws were repealed on October 1, 2010.  As of that date, couples can no longer enter into civil unions in Connecticut and all existing civil unions have converted to marriage, unless proceedings for dissolution, annulment or legal separation had been initiated prior to October 1, 2010.

Individuals who request a copy of a civil union certificate for a ceremony performed between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2010, will receive a certified copy that contains the following conversion statement:

 “The persons named on this certificate entered into a civil union on the date recorded.  In accordance with C.G.S. §46B-38rr, all civil unions converted to marriages on October 1, 2010, except those that were dissolved, or had dissolution, annulment or legal separation proceedings pending on October 1, 2010.”

In the alternative, the parties to the civil union can request that the civil union certificate be converted to a marriage certificate.

How Do I Convert a Civil Union Certificate to a Marriage Certificate?

Only the parties to the civil union may request that the civil union certificate be converted to a marriage certificate. The civil union must have been in effect on October 1, 2010. A civil union that was dissolved or in the process of dissolution on October 1, 2010, does not convert to marriage.

In order to convert the civil union certificate to a marriage certificate, at least one of the parties to the civil union must affirm that the civil union was not dissolved, nor pending dissolution, on October 1, 2010. Complete the Conversion Request Form and submit it to the vital records office of the town where the civil union took place.

For information on divorces, click here.

For information on obtaining a no record of marriage certificate, click here.

For information on how to request an amendment to the sex designator on a marriage certificate, click here. 

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