New York Free Marriage Records

By Ben Kingsley


These are the steps on getting a license for a marriage in New York. First, the couple needs to be together to apply for a license to marry. Second, they have to be at the city or town where the wedding will take place. They will have to go to the nearest town or city clerk. Finally, they have to fill out an application form and sign said form in the presence of the clerk. Just a reminder though, the rules are very strict. Only the couples about to be married can fill out the form. This means that the couple can't use representatives or proxies to sign for them. A special power of attorney or notarized marriage license is not a sufficient substitute for one of the couple. Don't worry though; the state of New York doesn't require a blood test or premarital examination so if you can fill out the form you'll be getting your license soon.

Once the license is issued to the couple, they need to wait 24 hours before they can get married. This isn't a big issue as most couples have their wedding days scheduled months after getting their licenses. However if the couple wants to be married immediately, the can make a request from the supreme court or county court to waive the 24 hour waiting period. If one of the couple or both are 16 years old and below, the request to waive the 24 hour period can be obtained from the family court instead. The license to wed is valid up to three months or 60 days. For same sex weddings, the rules are the same.

There are fees that you need to pay to obtain the wedding license. For citizens living in the outside of New York City, the fee is $40 for the certificate of marriage registration. Once the application is submitted, the certificate of registration will be sent to the couple after 15 days. For citizens living in New York City, they can get an accurate list of the fees by going to the nearest clerk.

You may also obtain marriage records or copies of licenses for other purposes. There are various uses for a marriage document. The document can be used to complete a genealogical tree. Others may use it to prove their relation to certain family members such as in-laws or stepchildren. For legal purposes, it can be used as supporting papers for someone filing a divorce. Some may need it to verify their status as widow or widower to signify that they were once married to the deceased spouse.

Licenses for other purposes cost about $10. For marriages after 1996, you can get copies at any New York City clerk. For copies in between 1930 to 1955 you need to go to the Manhattan office. The costs for getting marriage documents vary. For genealogical purposes, the fee varies and will depend on the number of years searched to find the wedding record. The standard fee is $22 to search for marriage papers within one to three years period. The costs can go up to as much as $202 for weddings that took place 81 to 90 years ago. When making a request, always provide a self-addressed stamped envelope.

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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