ByHow to Easily Get an Online Marriage Certificate for Any State
Getting married is a massive step for any couple. It is something to be remembered and cherished. It also means that there is going to be paperwork included. After the nuptials take place, it’s time to start tracking down your online marriage certificate so you can make the necessary changes to your identity.
Upon saying, “I do.”, the person officiating should issue marriage certificates to get you started as a married couple. The marriage certificate is suitable for your records but maybe not be appropriate to use for other documentation purposes. However, tracking down a marriage certificate can be confusing, especially if the ceremony was years ago and you lost it. Before getting too frustrated in your search, know that can help.
Which Is Better: Original Marriage Certificate or a Certified Copy?
You will receive proof that a wedding took place on your wedding day. This proof is either a decorative certificate or an official form that you must take to your local courthouse, depending on the state you get married in or the person that performs your ceremony for you. From there, you may have to wait for a certified copy.
People often question the difference between the two and what a certified copy of a marriage certificate is. A certified marriage certificate is a state or government-approved document. You will get it after the wedding has been reported to the state. This official or certified copy makes the wedding official.
Only then will you be able to:
- Legally change your name or your spouse’s name
- Adjust health insurance policies or benefits
- Apply for passports and other forms of ID
- Change your name on your social security card
- Apply as a couple for loans or mortgages
- Set up property successions with your partner
The catch is most of these entities will not want to see your decorative or original wedding certificate. They will want a certified copy of the marriage license and actual proof that you are legally a couple. You may wonder how to get copies of marriage certificates and who can order them.
Who Can Complete the Marriage Certificate Process?
Every county and state will have a different process for you to go through to get a certified copy of your marriage license. The way you get an Ontario marriage certificate may differ significantly from the process for getting on in another state. It can also be more complicated if you need a marriage certificate in Canada but now live in another state or another part of Canada.
For the most part, the marriage certificate applications that you filled out for your license are all you need. However, you may need to provide a photo ID to order a copy in some cases, especially if you misplaced your original documents.
If you seek marriage certificate copies, you will need to contact the area where you were married to ask about the required documents for marriage certificates. Most places will have a marriage certificate request form for you to fill out. It will ask for various information, including:
- Names of the couple: You will need the bride and groom’s full names at the time of marriage.
- Address of each person: You will need to include the address of the bride and the groom.
- The wedding date: When did the wedding take place?
- The state and county: Providing the county and state information can make it easier for you to recover a lost marriage license after the wedding or replace lost marriage certificates.
- Any other information requested: For more information on filling marriage certificate forms, check what your city or state requires.
Beyond filing your request, you may also ask how to check the status of marriage licenses. The Clerk of Courts for that area can give you an idea of the processing time.
What Marriage Certificate Fees Can You Expect?
The price of a copy of marriage certificates will also vary based on where you live or where you got married. Luckily, the procedure to get a marriage certificate and the cost in most areas is based on a flat scale. You will pay the same for birth and marriage certificates.
The first copy may cost $15 to $20, and extra copies may cost $5 to $10. Then, if you are concerned about how long it takes to get the marriage license back, you could add a little more for rush processing and delivery. There is an extra fee for rush processing and delivery, increasing your overall price.
How Long Does It Take to Get Your Marriage Certificate After You Get Married?
If you were recently married, some states and counties might take up to 60 days to prepare a full marriage certificate.
For couples that have been married for many years, or those looking for a parents’ marriage certificate, the time required may be a little longer. In this situation, it depends on the amount of information you can give.
How to Find My Marriage License?
When searching for your marriage license or certificate, there are several things to know. First and foremost, you should understand what you need so you can tell the county courthouse what you want. For this, there are some common terms you should understand. For instance:
| Marriage certificate sample | As the name implies, the marriage certificate sample will give you an idea of what it will look like when printed out. It is primarily a sample for decorative marriage certificates. |
| Short-form marriage certificate | The short marriage certificate will include the couple’s names, the date, and the officiant’s information. |
| Long-form marriage certificate | An extended or long-form may consist of all this information and the names of parents, countries of birth, name, and location of where the marriage ceremony was held, etc. |
| Certified copy of a marriage record | The certified copy is the official state-recorded copy of your marriage certificate. You will need it for most legal transactions, including name changes, IRS needs, etc. |
Now that you have a basic idea of what to request, you will need to file a formal request with your state government, typically at the courthouse. If you have not already done it, they will have you fill out a request form, and have it notarized, if necessary, which could involve you wasting time to find a notary and returning to the courthouse another day.
In some cases, the local courthouse may also have you send the completed form, a copy of your ID, a check or money order, and other information to the state’s Vital Records Office. Getting all these together could delay you getting your copy even more.
DoNotPay Can Simplify the Entire Process for You
You can stop worrying about where to get a certified copy of your marriage certificate. With help from DoNotPay, the world’s first AI Consumer Champion, you can get a marriage certificate online and printed quickly.
You simply tell us what you need, the state and county you were married in, and we will tell you what documentation is required. We can even provide you with an affidavit of application for the marriage license to show that you are trying to get a copy.
If you want to order or get a marriage certificate copy online but don’t know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in seven easy steps:
- Go to the Certificates of Marriage product on DoNotPay.
- Select whether the certificate belongs to you or a relative/loved one. If it belongs to someone else, enter the details of both people on the certificate, and select/upload evidence that proves your relationship with them. If the certificate is yours, enter the details of your spouse.
- Enter the city, state, and county where the marriage certificate was issued as well as the date it was issued.
- Indicate what you will be using this certificate for, and choose whether you need an authorized or certified copy.
- Enter your contact information and shipping address. Upload copies of your government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license.
- Choose whether you would like to electronically sign this form or not. Once we generate the form, verify that all of the information is correct.
- If you need the document to be notarized, schedule a notarization appointment using our Notary product. Otherwise, proceed to our Mail Checks product and let DoNotPay mail in your request form with a check on your behalf.
At DoNotPay, we do our part to make it easy for you to get a marriage certificate online. It is just one of the many services we provide. Other services include:
- Locating birth certificates
- Finding death certificates
- Contacting government representatives
- Creating powers of attorneys
- Finding divorce settlement agreements
- And more
If you are ready to live simpler, let us know. Join DoNotPay, today. We are always here to help you!