Marriage Certificates: Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate

Every married couple gets a certified marriage certificate soon after their legal wedding. However, not everyone keeps a copy of their marriage certificate. You may need a copy of your Pennsylvania marriage certificate for many reasons. They are used for handling insurance purposes, government documents, legal and financial matters, or international travel. Government agencies often requesting a certified copy are Social Security Administration, Passport Bureau, PennDOT, and others.

Most people don't give their marriage certificate much thought until they need it. Like any important paperwork, obtaining what you need may be more complicated than you would expect. However, can take this annoying problem off your hands.

The difference between Marriage Certificates and Marriage Licenses

To get married in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you must first apply for a marriage license at any clerk’s office. The fee can range from $30.50 to $90.00, and the marriage must take place within 60 days of obtaining your license. A marriage license is a document issued by the county clerk that allows you and your partner to get married.

After the wedding, the marriage certificate proves that you and your partner are legally married and it contains vital information about the marriage. This certificate will include:

The names of the persons being married
The date of the marriage
The name of the officiating person.

In some cases, it might also include the signature of a wedding witness. The wedding officiant is responsible for sending it into the county clerk's office.

What type of Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate do you need?

A certified copy of a marriage certificate is a copy of the original certificate that is signed and attested to as an accurate reproduction of the original document by a public official. However, you do not always need an official certified copy. For example, suppose you only need to verify the information on a marriage record or research a marriage. In that case, you may be able to purchase a copy of a non-certified marriage certificate in Pennsylvania.

For many government documents, a simple copy of the document is not enough. For example, you will need a certified copy to change a party’s name on their Social Security card or add a spouse to an insurance policy.

What is involved in getting a certified marriage certificate in Pennsylvania?

Obtaining a certified marriage certificate may be slightly more costly and difficult than a non-certified copy.

Who can request a certified copy?	Spouse Legal representatives such as attorneys Government agencies Members of law enforcement Court-appointed agencies or individuals
How much does it cost to get a Marriage Certificate copy in Pennsylvania	The cost for a marriage record varies from county to county but typically costs between $10 and $25. Contact the county courthouse to check on current costs in the county where you received your marriage license.
How long does it take to get a copy of a Marriage Certificate in Pennsylvania?	For processing by mail, it usually takes approximately two to three weeks for your certificate to arrive.

What documents do I need to get a copy of a Marriage Certificate in Pennsylvania?

You will probably need identification documents, such as a driver's license or passport, but you may also need a birth certificate. In addition, you will need the names of both applicants and the date of the marriage.

How to get a copy of your Marriage Certificate in Pennsylvania on your own

Pennsylvania does not have a state agency in charge of keeping copies of marriage certificates. However, in Pennsylvania, the Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division is responsible for maintaining the records of all marriages in the county where the marriage license was issued. The clerk will tell you:

How to request the certificate
Cost and options for payment
Whether you can apply online
Whether any document must be notarized (generally not required in Pennsylvania)

However, certain documents, such as those required by the Secretary of State authentication requirements, require a notary. A notary functions as an impartial witness to someone signing documents.

If you have lost your certificate or do not know all the necessary information, you may need to locate your marriage record online.

Next steps if you can't get a Marriage Certificate by yourself

If phone calls or online communications are not an option, you may have to spend the time and money to go to the county where you obtained the license and fill out an application in person. If this is not physically possible due to health problems or distance, you may have to ask a family member, friend, or authorized legal representative to do it for you. Bureaucracy tends to be frustrating and can take a long time, but it doesn't have to be that way.

How to get a marriage certificate copy in Pennsylvania with DoNotPay

If you want to Order/Get a Marriage Certificate Copy in Pennsylvania but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 7 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.

Why you should use DoNotPay to order a copy of your marriage certificate

If you have discovered that you need a copy of your marriage certificate, you probably need it soon or for a specific purpose. You need it delivered quickly and efficiently. You may not have the time or patience to deal with paperwork, trips to the post office, or government red tape. With DoNotPay, the process is all online. They file the application on your behalf and make the process easy for you.