Obtain Free Virginia Marriage Records & Licenses on Residents

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Free Virginia Marriage Record Search

Access anyone's marital information in Virginia, free of charge.

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Track down free Virginia marriage records to learn more about someone or research your own family’s history.

You can view these records to check if someone is married or confirm if someone stayed single after ending their marriage.

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act and its federal counterpart provide public access to various types of information, including certain marriage records.

This article will provide details on who can obtain these marriage records, when they become publicly available, and how they can be requested. Tools and resources will be provided to assist the record seeker with accessing and requesting this information.

The Accessibility of Marriage Records & Certificates in Virginia

Virginia marriage records are not available to the general public until 25 years after the license was issued. So, if you want to search free marriage records just to find out if someone is married in Virginia, you will be limited in the range of records you can view.

For marriage records less than 25 years old, accessibility is limited to the following individuals:

• Parties of the Marriage
• Parents
• Children (of legal age)
• Siblings
• Grandparents
• Legal Representative (with court order as proof)

In addition to marriage records, a person may want to view related information, such as marriage rates in Virginia and other data.

Under Chapter 7 and Article 5 of the Code of Virginia, Section 32.1-268.1 requires the government to make certain data about marriage records publicly available.¹ Specifically, aggregate data of marriages from 2000 to the present that were recorded in Virginia must be provided.

This data is organized by the location where the marriage occurred and is required to include the age of the parties when they were married. The Virginia Department of Health is responsible for providing this recorded marriage data.²

Here are your four options for viewing this type of information:

Recorded Marriages by City/County Where License Was Issued: This option allows you to select a year and view the total marriages and the number that were with females between the ages of 14 and 15. Marriage data is organized by race and county (or city).

Recorded Marriages by Parties Age & Race: Here, you can find data on marriage records throughout Virginia by the age and race of either party to the marriage.

Recorded Same-Sex Marriages by County or City License Was Issued: This data provides a breakdown of same-sex v. not same-sex marriages since legalized in Virginia. The information is organized by city and county, and you can select a specific year to view.

Recorded Marriages by Bride or Groom’s Age: For this data, you can select a specific year to view marriage data by the age of either spouse. Data is aggregated in five-year increments and includes a separate section for unknown ages.

Note: The Virginia Department of Health also provides data for recorded divorces in Virginia. The information is organized by locality and also includes the number of children that were involved.

How To Find Marital Information by Searching Virginia Marriage Records

If a citizen is looking to search marriage records in Virginia, they can do so by using the Virginia ancestry collection search tool.³

This search tool is provided due to a partnership between the Virginia Department of Health and a third-party provider, Ancestry.com. This partnership resulted in the development of a specific collection of marriage records provided by the Virginia Department of Health.

This search tool provides marriage records from 1936 to 2014 and marriage registers from 1853 to 1935 (with limited free information). This online search tool can be used by entering various information about the people who were parties to the marriage. A record seeker can use the following search criteria:

• Name
• Gender
• Date of birth
• Birth location
• Date of death
• Location of death
• Year of marriage
• Location of marriage (e.g., city or county)
• Name of a family member (father, mother, spouse, child or sibling)

When you receive your search results, you will get a list of matching names. The search results are limited to providing the person’s name and the data collection it came from (e.g., VA Marriage Records, 1936-2014) for free.

To get more information, you will have to request these records from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records or use the marriage index search tools discussed later in this article.

A qualified person can request marital records through the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records. A record seeker can request a marriage record by submitting an online application for a certified vital record.⁴

To do so, follow these steps:

1. For the certificate form, select “marriage” and enter the number of copies you are requesting.
2. Next, you will have to enter your relationship with the registrant. Remember, access to marriage records in Virginia is restricted to a limited group of people.
3. You must also provide your reason for the request. Examples include banking, employment, estate settlement, or just to search a public record.
4. Enter your contact information as the requester and where you want the certificates sent.
5. Next, for each party, you will have to select Husband, Wife or spouse and enter their name (and maiden name if applicable).
6. Then, you will upload your ID document and finalize the purchase.

When you use this resource, after completing your application, you will receive an ID number to track the progress of your application. In addition, the Virginia Department of Health will provide you with status updates on your request as the processing time is approximately eight weeks.

Another option is to bring a completed certified marriage application to one of the Virginia Department of Health locations to request a marriage record.⁵

The primary office is available Monday through Friday, from 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM and is located at the following address:

Virginia Department of Health
2001 Maywill St.
Ste. 101
Richmond, Virginia 23230

A completed application can also be mailed to the Virginia Department of Health. To do so, a person must mail their application, fee and copy of their government-issued identification to the address below:⁶

VDH – Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, Virginia 23218

Note: There is a $12.00 charge per certificate search (which includes the marriage record). This fee will not be refunded if the requested record cannot be found.

If you have additional questions, you can contact the Office of Vital Records Call Center at 804-662-6200. They are available to take calls from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

A marriage record can also be requested at full-service Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) locations.

This includes the DMV’s mobile offices and customer service centers. A citizen can go to an available location with a completed Virginia Vital Records Application, government-issued identification and the fee.

The fee for a marriage record request with the DMV is $14.00.

Marriage records will be provided on the day of the visit if found. If not, an individual’s request will be forwarded to the Virginia Department of Health.

An individual can also make an expedited marriage record request through a partnership between the Virginia Department of Health and VitalChek.⁷ Through this option, a person can receive a marriage certificate within two to five days.

However, there is an additional $11.95 service fee if you use this service. If you need foreign authentication of a marriage record, this will cost an additional $10.00. Shipment is free if you select the United States Post Office, while alternative shipment options cost additional.

For additional questions about making a request with VitalChek, you can contact them by phone at +1-877-572-6333.

Older marriage records are available in state indexes and will be discussed in detail later in this article.

Sourcing County & City Marriage Records in Virginia

While state resources provide for the broadest search of Virginia public marriage records, you can also access these records at the county level.

In some instances, county searches may be a better option if they provide better service or give you greater flexibility in how you search for these records.

County searches are especially helpful if you need to get records in person and you live in the county where the marriage occurred. It may also be helpful to be able to talk to someone in their office if you have any additional questions about marriage records, how to obtain them and what they can be used for.

To understand how this process works at the county level, the methods that a citizen can use to access and request Virginia marriage records in a few of the state’s larger counties are outlined below.

How To Access Fairfax County Marriage Records

Fairfax is the largest county in Virginia, and marriage records can be accessed from the Health Department’s Vital Records Division.⁸

They have marriage records available from 1936 to the present. Just to remind you, Fairfax County and all other Virginia counties are under the 25-year requirement for marriage licenses and a limited number of people are authorized to make a request for newer records.

The Fairfax County Vital Records Division provides an in-person service, but there is no option to schedule an appointment. The in-person service is available from Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. An in-person request for a marriage record can be made at one of the below-listed offices:

Office	Address	Phone Number
Administration Office	10777 Main St. Fairfax, Virginia 22030	703-246-2411
Annandale District Office	7611 Little River Turnpike Annandale, Virginia 22003	703-534-8343
Herndon Reston District Office	1850 Cameron Glen Dr. Suite 100 Reston, Virginia 20190	703-481-4242
Hyland South County Gov. Center (Mount Vernon District Office)	8350 Richmond Hwy. Suite 233 Alexandria, Virginia 22309	703-704-5203
Joseph Willard Health Center	3750 Blenheim Blvd. Fairfax, Virginia 22030	703-246-7100

To request a marriage record, you can visit any of these locations as long as you can provide the following mandatory information:

• Full name of groom
• Full name of spouse (including maiden name)
• Date the marriage took place (must be exact)
• Marriage location
• The Circuit Court that was responsible for issuing the marriage license

When making your request, the Vital Records Division recommends filling out the Virginia Department of Health’s Application for a Marriage Record. Also, make sure that you bring proper identification and payment for the fee. The fee is $12.00, regardless of whether the requested marriage record is found.

However, if your request is not found, it will be sent to the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records to see if they can find it.

The Fairfax County Health Department’s Vital Records Division is not equipped to handle marriage record requests by phone, mail or online. For additional questions, you can contact the Fairfax County Vital Records Division by email at health@fairfaxcounty.gov or call them at 703-246-2411.

Another option is for a citizen to request a certified copy of a marriage record with the  Fairfax County Circuit Court.⁹ To make a request, first complete their Marriage Record Form. Then you can either mail it or drop it off at the below location:

Clerk of Court
Fairfax Circuit Court
Attn: Marriage License Copies
4110 Chain Bridge Rd., Rm. 116
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Applicants must also provide a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment (cashier’s check or money order) of $2.50 for each copy requested.

Note: Marriage records from 1997 – 2001 require a notarized copy of one party’s state-issued photo identification.

Fairfax County also has archived marriage records that can be searched through its Historic Records Center. For information on searching these records, you can send them an email at ccrhistoricrecords@fairfaxcounty.gov or call them at 703-246-4168. You can also go to their office, located at the address below:

Fairfax County Historic Records Center
4000 Chain Bridge Rd.
Ste. 1600
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

For additional guidance, interested parties may refer to the Fairfax County marital record search tutorial.

How To Obtain a Marriage Record in Prince William County Virginia

To obtain a marriage record in Prince William County, you can do so through the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. They provide Fairfax County marriage records available at their Public Service Center from 1850 to the present. To make a request, you must complete the Circuit Court’s Marriage License Copy Request Form.¹⁰

This form can either be mailed or brought to the address provided below:

Clerk of Circuit Court
Public Service Center
9311 Lee Avenue, Rm. 305
Manassas, Virginia 20110

A record seeker can use their Land Records Management System (LRMS) to search for marriage records from 1981 to the present at the courthouse or remotely (remote access requires a paid subscription).

The fee per copy with the Circuit Court is $2.50. If you have questions about a marriage record request with the Prince William County Circuit Court, you can email them at circuitcourt@pwcgov.org or call them at 703-792-6015. They are available from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

You can also view a list of archived marriage records provided by the Prince William County government.¹¹ This index provides detailed marriage record information for any nuptials from 1731 to 1930. This includes the parties’ names, parents’ names, date and place of marriage and clergy.

They also provide the original source if you want to look for more information about a particular marriage record.

If you still need assistance, you can go to the Prince William Health District Office of Vital Records, which is part of the Virginia Department of Health. They are available Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can contact them by phone at 703-792-7327 or go to the below address:

Prince William Health District Office
Euclid Business Center
8470 Kao Circle
Manassas, Virginia 20110

How To Request Virginia Beach Marriage Records

An individual can request a marriage record in Virginia Beach through its Circuit Court Clerk. To make a request, a person can complete and submit their online marriage application, where they will be given the option to enter a variety of information on the parties to the marriage and their parents.¹²

Alternatively, you can complete the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Certified Copy of Marriage Record Form.¹³ After you complete this form, you can mail it or drop it off at the address below:

Virginia Beach Circuit Court Clerk’s Office
Attn: Marriage Licenses
2425 Nimmo Parkway
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456

Also, you must include the fee ($2.50 per copy), which can be paid by either a certified check money order or a VA personal check. If you are mailing your request, do not forget to provide a self-addressed stamped envelope.

For in-person requests or questions, the Virginia Beach Circuit Court Clerk’s Office is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. You can email them at tbentwisle@vacourts.gov or by phone at 757-385-8926.

Marriage records can also be obtained through the Virginia Beach Department of Health Vital Records Office. You can contact them by phone at 757-518-2671 or by going to the below address:

Virginia Beach Department of Health
Vital Records Office
4452 Corporation Ln
Ste. 224
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462

Note: For information on how to search for marriage records in other counties or cities in Virginia, try Google searching the county or city name and marriage record search (e.g., Google “Fairfax County marriage record search”).

How To Look Up Free Archived Marriage Records in Virginia for Genealogy Research

In some instances, an individual may have a need to search archived Virginia marriage records. This is often the case for people interested in searching their genealogy to learn more about their family roots.

A citizen can use the Library of Virginia’s marriage record search tool to find archived records information from 1719-1898.¹⁴ A record seeker can use this tool to search for marriage records by either party’s name. In addition, if you would like to narrow your search, you can choose to limit your results to a specific Virginia county.

After you perform a search, the marriage search tool will provide you with a list of relevant results. For any marriage record, you can view the county that issued the license, the name of both parties and the date they were married. The marriage records will also provide the source for the record so that you can continue your search for the physical record.

Example: A search for John Smith revealed a marriage record dating back to September 16, 1811. The “Source” indicated that this record can be found in the Caroline County Marriage Bonds, 1810-1816, page 51.

Additional marriage records are available on microfilm for marriages from 1853 to 1935.¹⁵

How To Begin the Virginia Marriage License Application Process

If you are looking to submit your own marriage license application, you can do so with any Circuit Court Clerk in Virginia.^{16, 17} You do not have to go to the Circuit Court in the Virginia county where your marriage will occur.

There are no restrictions pertaining to residency requirements. In addition, Virginia does not require a waiting period or blood test. The cost of a marriage license is $30.00.

Applicants over 18 must provide a certified copy of their birth certificate as proof of their age. For applicants under 18, they must have a notarized consent form from either their parent or legal guardian.

Identification in the form of a valid photo ID (e.g., driver’s license, military, state or federal ID) is also required. Additional information will be requested, such as social security numbers and full names of applicants’ parents. Check with your Circuit Court, as many have online applications you can fill out to get the process started before going in person to finalize everything.

After a marriage license is issued, a couple has sixty days to get married, and the wedding must occur in Virginia. For additional questions about obtaining a marriage license, contact your local Circuit Court Clerk.

While it’s beyond the scope of this article, a consideration you may want to make as you are going through this process is whether or not to have a prenup prepared between you and your partner. This document will decide how property and other matters will be resolved if there is a dissolution of the marriage.

You should now have a better understanding of what types of marriage records are public and who can access them when they are not. With the tools and resources outlined in this article, you are now equipped to search and request Virginia marriage records; to expand your search to other information, utilize the steps for finding all free public records in Virginia.