Introduction to Pennsylvania Marriage Certificates

This article is designed to help you get a Pennsylvania Marriage certificate.  Marriage Certificates are a bit more difficult to obtain than Marriage Certificates and Death Certificates.  The main difficulty in obtaining Marriage Certificates is that states have not been registering marriages for as long as other vital records.  There are some states that still do not register marriages.  Due to this lack of centralization it is common to contact the county in which the marriage took place.

Counter to common belief, not everything is a few clicks away on the Internet.  Marriage Certificates are one of the items that you can’t just click some links and get a copy of your Marriage Certificate; this is probably a good thing.  You do not want your Marriage certificate in the public domain, where it can be seen by anyone.  However, this does not mean that you can’t easily get your Marriage certificate by following the correct procedure.  

Pennsylvania Marriage certificates are not maintained by the Pennsylvania State Office of Vital Records.  To obtain a Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate you must order online or contact the Marriage License Clerks, County Court House, in county where license was issued.

Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate Authorized Persons

By Pennsylvania state law, Pennsylvania Marriage certificates are confidential records and can only be obtained by the following authorized individuals:

• Person Named on the Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate
• Mother/Father (or Legal Guardian) of Person Named on the Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate
• Grandparents and Great Grandparents of Person Named on the Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate
• Husband/Wife of Person Named on the Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate 
• Adult Son/Daughter of Person Named on the Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate
• Adult grandchildren of Person Named on the Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate
• Sister/Brother of individual named on the Pennsylvania Marriage certificate
• Legal Representative of an Authorized Person of Person Named on the Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate

Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate for Genealogy Purpose

If you do not meet the above eligibility requirements, you must be a family member and submit a copy of the individual’s death certificate to be eligible to receive a Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate, for genealogy or other reasons.

Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate Ordering

Options Option 1 – Order Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate Online

This option is the simplest and easiest way to get your Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate.  Order online and you will get your Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate usually in less than a week.  Many times you will have the option of receiving your vital record by next-day or second-day service.

Order Birth and Death Records Online!  

Option 2 – In Person

In Person in Pennsylvania: You may go to any county health department in the State of Pennsylvania to obtain a certified copy of a Pennsylvania Marriage certificate. Most Pennsylvania Marriage certificates can be issued while you wait.

Pennsylvania Marriage Certificate Ordering Cost

The fee to search for a Pennsylvania Marriage certificate varies by county.