Obtaining a Rhode Island Marriage Certificates in Minutes

Few people could ever forget their wedding day, but sometimes you can encounter challenging situations where you need to prove that your marriage did happen. A marriage certificate is tangible proof of that.

A certified copy of your Rhode Island marriage certificate is a legal document that verifies you are married. You can use it to change your name, give a tax-free gift to your spouse, apply for benefits through your spouse's employer, or deal with custody agreements.

Obtaining a marriage certificate in Rhode Island can be quite challenging, but DoNotPay can help make the process quick and easy.

What's the Difference Between a Marriage Certificate and a Marriage License?

There can be some confusion about the distinction between a marriage license and a marriage certificate. A marriage license is a permit issued by the State of Rhode Island allowing a couple to get married until the license expires. After the wedding, a marriage certificate is what proves that you actually were married after the license was issued.

An official marriage certificate isn't always the same as a decorative one that you may receive on your wedding day. If you weren't married by a public official or in a courthouse, then it's likely that this certificate is a keepsake. It may sometimes be accepted when a certificate is needed for information rather than legal proof.

An official marriage certificate is a legal document issued by a public official at the State of Rhode Island Department of Health, or the municipality or county in which you were married.

Who Can Request a Marriage Certificate in Rhode Island?

Marriage certificates are not as stringent in privacy restrictions as other vital records sometimes are. Several people are authorized to request marriage certificates, including:

• Your partner or yourself
• Parents, siblings, or guardians
• Attorneys, title examiners, and official genealogical research
• Anyone who needs the document to protect personal or property rights
• Anyone with a court order to be issued the document

All marriage records in the State of Rhode Island enter the public record after 100 years as well, and can be requested by anyone as a matter of history.

How to Get a Marriage Certificate in Rhode Island

There are a few ways to get marriage records in Rhode Island. You can go through the city or county clerk in which your marriage license was issued, or you can contact the Vital Records Office of the Rhode Island Department of Health. Any of these sources should have your marriage records on file and a process for getting you a certified copy.

The process will vary a little from town to town, but the city clerk should be able to tell you where to begin. VitalChek operates 24 hours a day and is authorized to issue certified marriage records within Rhode Island after verifying identity over the phone or online, or you can request copies through the state by mail or in person.

How Much Does It Cost to Request a Certificate?

Each town and county has their own independent pricing for certified documents, but they tend to fall in the same general range as the costs through the state.

Depending on how you request your certificate, the cost can vary a bit. To request through Vital Check, a $35 fee will be assessed for each copy. Directly through the state, you'll pay $25 by mail or $22 in person for the first certificate, as well as $18 for any additional copies made that day.

What Documents Will I Need to Provide to Request a Marriage Certificate?

You'll need to prove your identity to get a copy of a marriage certificate. Just a single government-issued ID should be enough in most cases. For those without a government ID, the state allows you to submit any two documents that have your name and current address on them instead.

How Long Will the Process Take?

Through the state, it can take quite a while to process marriage certificates. The delay is commonly a challenge for people who requested a certificate because they needed it right then. The common timeline for obtaining a marriage certificate in Rhode Island is:

1. 1 to 2 business days to receive and review your request
2. 5 to 15 business days to process your request. This can be guaranteed in 5 days with a $7 per copy rush processing fee.
3. 1 to 2 business days to send out your certificates to you

In total, the entire process can take nearly a month, and rush processing still makes it a multi-week ordeal even after you get the right forms submitted. DoNotPay can help ensure that you get the right request in and get your marriage certificates to you as fast as possible, without all the hassle.

How to Obtain Official Marriage Certificates Yourself in Rhode Island

To obtain marriage records yourself through the State of Rhode Island, you can call Vital Check at 888-388-1032 or visit their website. They will ask you a few questions to verify your identity before processing your records request.

You can alternatively visit or mail an application to the Rhode Island Center for Vital Records. This is the same agency that you will go through if you choose to acquire records through a municipality, as the Center for Vital Records maintains consistency and integrity of records across all 39 municipalities in Rhode Island.

Next Steps If You Can't Get Marriage Certificates Yourself

If you encounter hurdles in the above process and can't get the ball rolling to process your marriage certificate request, there are simpler ways to access your marriage records without repeatedly encountering the frustrating barriers that government red tape can create. You shouldn't feel like you need a legal degree to prove that you are married.

Luckily, DoNotPay is the world's first robotic lawyer and knows how to navigate the common pitfalls that government bureaucracy can create in requesting personal records. DoNotPay makes navigating dense processes like acquiring official marriage certificates as easy as clicking a button. It is a fast, easy, and successful solution to some of the most frustrating things in life.

Request Marriage Certificates Easily Using DoNotPay

DoNotPay is an automated service that already knows all the ins and outs of record requests and the best way to access your records. Using this tool, you can easily request and receive your marriage certificate while cutting out convoluted administrative processes. DoNotPay already knows the fastest and most affordable way to get records in your hands.

How to Order a Marriage Certificate Copy in Rhode Island with DoNotPay

If you want to order a marriage certificate copy in Rhode Island but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 7 easy steps:

1. Go to the Certificates of Marriage product on DoNotPay.

    

2. 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.

    

3. Enter the city, state, and county where the marriage certificate was issued as well as the date it was issued.

    

4. Indicate what you will be using this certificate for, and choose whether you need an authorized or certified copy.

    

5. Enter your contact information and shipping address. Upload copies of your government-issued identification, such as a driver's license.

    

6. 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.

    

7. 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 Should You Use DoNotPay to Obtain Marriage Certificates?

DoNotPay was designed to do all sorts of complex processes that would certainly be easier with legal help without paying an arm and a leg. DoNotPay can cut out time-consuming government applications and request procedures by taking your information and automatically filing forms right where they need to be on your behalf.

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay can help with all sorts of records requests, but also so much more. Hundreds and hundreds of complex processes are made simple with DoNotPay, including:

• Breach of contract suits
• Child travel consent forms
• Clinical trial applications
• Chargebacks and refunds
• Finding lost airline luggage
• And so much more

DoNotPay is a solution to any complex process that does nothing but eat your time and give you a headache. Visit today and find out what other ways DoNotPay can simplify your life.