WEDDING RECORDS

Information Regarding Obtaining a Copy of a Marriage Certificate in New York

There will come a time in a couple’s marriage where they will need to obtain a copy of their marriage certificate. For those who are wondering about the proper procedure to go about when doing so, the following paragraphs will highlight some details regarding obtaining a copy of a marriage certificate in the State of New York.

Where to Obtain the Copy

For those individuals who obtained the marriage license outside of New York City, one is able to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate through the New York State Department of Health. This can be done via fax, telephone, Internet or mail. For those who obtained the marriage license within New York City, the place in which to acquire the copy is by contacting one of the five boroughs in which the marriage license was obtained.

Who May Obtain a Copy of the Marriage Certificate

The State regulates who has access to obtain copies of New York marriage certificates. In New York, the only individuals who may obtain a copy of the marriage certificate are the bride and/or groom, an individual with a documented judicial or other proper purpose and those individuals who have a court order from a New York State court. This regulation is in effect in order to protect the individual’s privacy.

Fees for Obtaining a Copy of the Marriage Certificate

For marriage certificate copies obtained from the Department of Health, the fee for doing so is $30.00 per copy plus a $15.00 priority-handling fee if needed. For those copies which are obtained via fax, Internet or telephone, the cost is $45.00 per marriage certificate copy plus an additional $11.95 vendor-processing fee, which is charged per transaction. For those who need to obtain a copy from within New York City, these fees will vary based upon borough and type of marriage certificate copy needed. For more information, one should contact the bureau from which they obtained their marriage license.

The aforementioned tips are just a few things one should know when interested in obtaining a copy of a marriage certificate.