Public Marriage Records Online Retrieval

By Claire Dowell


Records of marriage in New York are considered as public documents. It was made open to the public after the state has implemented the Freedom of Information Act. This law mandates the state government to allow its local residents to request for a copy of their marriage certificate anytime.

There are several reasons why the residents of New York request for a copy of a marriage certificate. Genealogy is one of the primary reasons for requesting a copy of a marriage certificate. The information that can be found on the certificate is necessary in updating the family history records. Government offices would also require marriage certificates when processing transactions. Certain transactions in the government would use marriage certificates as documents to prove the identity and status of the one who filed the request. Transactions involving the finances of the couple such as insurance would require such document. Conducting a background check on the marital status of an individual would also use the marriage certificates. Individuals who are planning to get married do this before marriage to make sure that they are going to marry a person with is really single.

As the name suggest, marriage certificates contain details of the marriage of a couple. One can find the complete names of the bride as well as the groom. Some of their personal details like their birth date and place are also indicated on the document. The document would also show where and when the couple got married. The marriage is not considered valid without the names of the witnesses and the parents of the couple.

The office of the Vital Records Section manages the marriage records of New York. A $30 processing fee has to be paid in order to proceed with the retrieval of a marriage certificate. The state releases only marriage certificates which have been registered since 1881. However, the counties of Albany, Buffalo and Yonkers only release copies of the marriage certificates from the respective county clerk office only. Processing fees would also vary depending on the county.

Getting a copy of a marriage certificate in the state of New York would require one to submit a request form filled with the basic details of the file being obtained. One will also be required to provide their contact details on the file. The information provides will also help hasten the search process and will be used to verify the identity of the one who requested it. The records can only be given to the bride and the groom as well as their immediate family. One can get a copy of the records of other people but a court order has to be presented. It can take several hours in order to get the needed document. If problems are encountered during the search, the time spent in the retrieval can be longer.

This can be avoided if one obtains a copy of their marriage license online. The state of New York now allows its residents to obtain a copy of a marriage certificate through the Internet. This way, the residents can easily obtain their files without spending too much time and effort in getting it.




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