how to find marriage records

How to Find Marriage and Divorce Records

Marriage is a widely celebrated, and personal, milestone in life. In addition to being a joyous occasion, it's also a legal process.

Unfortunately, many marriages end in divorce. What was once celebrated is now a tense, upsetting legal process of undoing a once lifelong pledge.

And while these milestones may feel like deeply personal events, you might be surprised to learn that these documents are public records. Since both marriages and divorces are a legal process that go through the courts, the documentation is available to almost anyone who searches for it.

On the other hand, you might be looking into someone else's background to see their marital status. This has gotten even more popular with the advent of online dating. If you're not too sure of someone's background, you may be wondering how to find marriage records.

There are so many reasons to look into marriage and divorce records, and so many ways to do so. Below we dive into everything you need to know about public marriage records and divorce records.

Can you look up marriage and divorce records?

Yes! Public marriage records, like a marriage certificate, and divorce records are all public records. You can do a marriage license search, or try to find some free divorce records. There are many reasons you may be wondering how to check marriage records for free.

Researching a family tree.
Many people want to find a copy of marriage license in order to trace back their ancestry and see who they are related to. The same goes for a divorce certificate. Both of these vital records can be very helpful, and are luckily public.

Looking into someone's past.
In today's dating scene, so many people meet online without knowing anything else about them than what they share. For this reason, many people look into how to find marriage records. If you're not too sure of someone's background, you may want to look into their vital records such as a divorce decree.

If you're doing a marriage records search or wondering how to find divorce records, one of the first places you should turn is to the office of vital records.

What are vital records?

Vital records are the top three most important records the government has on someone. Vital records include the birth certificates, marriage records, and death certificates. These vital records are kept by the state, county, or even city. The federal government usually does not hold vital records. Birth, marriage, and death certificates are kept by the office of vital records for the state in which the event occurred.

Are marriage records public information?

Yes. A marriage certificate is public information, and it's possible to get a copy of marriage certificates.

Marriage license records are made public since marriage is a legally binding process and involves the government. Because the court is involved, the government holds public marriage records. Because they're public information, almost anyone can search marriage records.

Where can I find marriage records?

Many people want to obtain a copy of marriage certificates from their own wedding. It can be important at times to have access to these vital records.

You can usually perform a marriage license search by contacting the office of vital records for the state in which the marriage occurred. Going through the office of vital records is one of the best ways to access free marriage records. Public marriage records are usually held at the county clerk's office where the marriage occurred.

You can also try to find free marriage records by searching online. There are many search websites that can guide you through how to check marriage records for free, find a copy of marriage certificates, and much more.

How to Find Out if Someone is Married / How to Find Marriage Records

If you're wondering how to check marriage records for free, you have many options. Anyone can find free marriage records by doing enough research. If you know where the person got married, you can search marriage records through that state or county. You may have to narrow it down and contact the office of vital records. You can usually find divorce records as well through the state or county's website.

Keep in mind that if you are trying to get a marriage certificate copy, you will most likely have to pay.

Common Questions

Are divorce records public?

It's no doubt that going through a divorce is a painful process that may leave you wondering "are divorce records public?" The answer is yes. Divorce records are almost always public information, and by searching online, you can usually find free divorce records.

One exception is when a court decides to make public divorce records private. This is usually done when there is sensitive information contained in the divorce certificate. If this information could be potentially harmful, the court can seal it. Once the record is sealed, the once-free divorce records are only available with a court order.

How can you find out if someone is married?

Finding out if someone is married goes hand-in-hand with trying to figure out how to find divorce records. You need to make sure that if you find a marriage certificate, that there isn't also a divorce decree out there as well.

There are plenty of places online where you can search marriage records or free divorce records. Below are a few options:

Online search company.
There are many websites that can help you find a copy of a marriage certificate, and we're one of them! If you're searching for non-FCRA purposes (i.e. you're searching for personal reasons) we can help you out to search marriage records.

Office of Vital Records.
If you know the name of the person and where they live, this makes it easy to find public marriage records. A copy of marriage certificates is usually held at the state, county, or even city hall's office. Because of this, going through the local government's office of vital records is a great option to find free marriage records. If you want to have your very own copy of marriage certificates that you find, you may have to pay a fee.

Can you see if someone is divorced?

There are so many places to look to find free divorce records. It's an important thing to look up, especially if someone you've recently started seeing isn't upfront about their marriage history. There are plenty of stories about people finding out someone they're dating is actually still married, which could have been avoided by searching free public divorce records. With this in mind, you might be wondering how to find divorce records. Below are two ways!

State or county court.
You can usually find divorce records in the same place you find marriage records. They're both vital records, so it's a good idea to start by checking the office of vital records for that state or county. Contact the county or state court to find out who specifically handles vital records.

Online search website.
Public marriage records and divorce records are just that: public. Because of this, they can be found by a thorough search. If you're not interested in diving into how to find divorce records, there are plenty of companies out there that will do the legwork for you to find free divorce records.

What is a divorce decree?

A divorce decree is the word used for a divorce certificate or record. It's the document that officially ends your marriage. Until you have this legal document completed, you're not technically divorced nor can you get re-married.

A divorce decree contains information about:

You and your former spouse
Any children involved
How your assets are being divided
Custody agreements

A divorce decree must be signed by both parties, and then signed by a judge.