Online Search For Public Marriage Records

By Claire Dowell


Applying for a marriage in New York will require both couples to head for the nearest town or city clerk. The application for a license has to be in the city or county where they are planning to get married at. The law states that the couples have to fill out the form in the presence of a clerk. This means that proxies or representatives are not allowed even if they have special powers of attorney or notarized marriage license affidavits. Thankfully, the state of New York doesn't require the couple to undergo physical exams such as a blood test or premarital examination.

Once the marriage application is approved and the license issued, the couple has to wait for 24 hours before getting married. This isn't usually an issue because most couples get their marriage approval months before the date of their wedding. However couples may ask the Supreme Court or county court to waive the 24 hour period if they want to be married immediately. If one or both of the spouses are under the age of 16, they need to approach the family court instead for the 24 hour waiver. The license issued is valid up to 60 calendar days or approximately three months. The same regulations apply to same sex marriages.

The costs of getting a marriage license in New York City vary depending on the town or city where the couple applied. You may contact the nearest city clerk for the updated fees. If the application was submitted outside of New York City, the fee is $40. The fee already covers the certificate of marriage registration that will be sent to the applications within 15 calendar days.

Wedding records are also available for various purposes. The document can be used as reference for several reasons. Most of the time people look for wedding papers to help fill out their genealogical tree. The documents are also useful for legal purposes. Widows and widowers may use the records to prove that they were married. Others use them as reference and proof during divorce proceedings. The papers may also be used as documents to prove the legitimacy of children.

The fee in getting a copy of a marriage registration and license is $10 for general purposes. For genealogical purposes, the fees vary depending on the date of the wedding. The fee starts at $22 for weddings within 1 to 3 years. Fees can reach as high as $202 for marriages that took place 90 years ago. For weddings for the years 1996 to present, the documents can be found at the New York City clerk. Weddings within 1930 to 1955, the records are located at the Manhattan office. If you're unsure where to get your records, call the nearest clerk to ask for information. Once you've found the right office and clerk, fill out an application request form and submit it with your fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope so you can have your documents mailed to your home.

Obtaining information on licenses and records can be costly. Good thing there are websites that offer free marriage records. They provide such information via their website or through email and will only bill or charge you if you get a certified copy.




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