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Free Marriage Records Online Search

By Claire Dowell


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 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.

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.

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.

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.

If you don't like the hassle or cost in getting information about weddings, you may try websites that offer free marriage records. These websites have the index of weddings online and can be searched easily using your computer. All you have to do is log on and input the names of the spouses. If you require physical or certified copies, the websites offer the services for a small fee.




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