How do you get a certified copy of marriage certificate

Certified copies of birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates may be ordered directly from the New York State Department of Health Vital Records Section. Two levels of service are offered.

Regular handling: Requests submitted for regular handling will be processed within ten (10) to twelve (12) weeks from the day they are received.

Requests for regular handling should be sent to the following address:

Fees

• The fee is $30.00 per copy for birth, marriage, death and divorce records
• Please enclose check or money order made payable to the New York State Department of Health.
• Payment submitted from foreign countries must be made by a check drawn on a United States bank or by international money order.
• Do not send cash.

For Copies which are not available from the New York State Department of Health

• For copies of New York City birth and death certificates, visit the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene web site
• For copies of New York City issued marriage licenses, visit the New York City Marriage Bureau web site
• For genealogy copies, visit our genealogy web page

Identification Requirements

Application must be submitted with copies of either A or B:

1. One (1) of the following forms of valid photo-ID:
   • Driver license
   • State issued non-driver photo-ID card
   • Passport
   • U.S. Military issued photo-ID
   
   
2. Two (2) of the following showing the applicant's name and address:
   • Utility or telephone bills
   • Letter from a government agency dated within the last six (6) months

Important Notes:

• Failure to include necessary identification will result in rejection of your application.
• Copy of Passport required in addition to the above ID if request is made from a foreign country that requires a U.S. Passport for travel.

Printing the Forms

• You can get an application form in Portable Document Format (.pdf) by downloading from the links below.
• Adobe® Reader® (version 5.0 or later) will allow you to enter your information directly into the form and then print it out ready to sign and mail with check or money order.
• We recommend that you save the form to a location where you will be able to find it, before you start to enter your information.
• When completing the form, please be aware that you will not be able to save the form with any information you have entered.
• You must print the form after you complete it, then sign and mail with check or money order.
• You may also print the form and complete it by typing or printing, then sign and mail with check or money order.

• Visit Help with PDF Files if you have questions or to download Adobe's free Adobe Reader program.

Select a mail-in application form from the list below:

Download PDF Application Forms For use with Adobe Reader

• Birth Certificate Mail-in Application (PDF)
• Death Certificate Mail-in Application (PDF)
• Marriage Certificate Mail-in Application (PDF)
• Divorce Certificate Mail-in Application (PDF)

Application Forms by Mail

If you would prefer, we can mail a hardcopy of the form to you. Send a note with the name of the form you are requesting (i.e., "Birth Certificate Mail-in Application"), your name and your mailing address to:

Marriage and Civil Union Certificates

Getting Married? 

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 Formand 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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