Virginia Marriage Records

The Virginia General Assembly mandated the statewide registration of marriages in 1853. The law required counties to document all marriages conducted within their jurisdictions. Recent data shows Virginia has a marriage rate of 5.8 marriages per 1,000 residents, slightly under the national average of 6.2 marriages per 1,000 people.

Virginia marriage records are official documents that provide detailed information about marriage within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Marriage records in Virginia comprise marriage licenses and marriage certificates.

• Marriage License: A marriage license is a legal document obtained before the marriage granting permission to couples to get married. Marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk of Court, signifying a couple's intent to wed and ensuring they meet the legal requirements to do so. Marriage licenses typically include names of the spouses, ages and birthplaces, residential address couple's occupation, parent's names, and date of license issuance. Marriage licenses serve as legal authorization for a marriage to occur.
• Marriage Certificates: Marriage certificates are official documents issued after the marriage ceremony, certifying the marriage has taken place. After the wedding ceremony, the witnesses and officiant sign the marriage license and return it to the County Clerk's Office. Once recorded, it becomes a marriage certificate, serving as official proof of the marriage. Marriage certificates include detailed information about the couple, such as their names, date and place of marriage, officiant's name, witness signature, and official seal of the issuing office.

Marriage certificates may also be certified or informational in Virginia. Certified copies of marriage certificates bear the official seal and signature of the issuing authority, usually printed on special paper. Informational copies, sometimes called verified copies of marriage certificates in Virginia, are non-certified copies of marriage certificates. They lack official signatures and are ideal for genealogical research or other non-legal purposes.

How To Look Up Marriage Records in Virginia?

In Virginia, marriage records are maintained at the state and county level

• The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) - Division of Vital Records maintains marriage records from 1853 to the present
• The Circuit Court Clerk's Offices hold marriage records from the inception of the county

You may request marriage records from the VDH online, by mail, or in person. Complete the Online Application for Certification of Vital Records to order certified copies of marriage records.

To request certified copies of marriage records by mail, complete the Application for Certification of A Marriage Record form. Mail the application form, fees, and supporting documents to:

Similarly, you may access marriage license information at the specific county or city where the license was issued. Each office has its own procedure, fees, and request forms. Generally, all requests for marriage records must include the following:

• Full names of both spouses
• The date of marriage
• A valid government-issued ID card
• A self-addressed stamped envelope for mail requests only
• The fees specified by the issuing authority

Are Marriage Records Public in Virginia?

Although marriage records are considered public information in Virginia, access to the record is restricted. Per state law, marriage records are restricted for 25 years from the date of the marriage. During this period, only the record holder and immediate family members, including the mother, father, current spouse, child, brother, sister, and grandparents, may obtain certified copies of marriage records. Also, state law permits legal representatives, persons with power of attorney, and governmental agencies acting on behalf of the registrants to obtain certified copies of marriage records.

How Much Do Virginia Marriage Records Cost?

The Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records charges $12.00 for each certified copy of a marriage certificate. The standard processing time for marriage records is 2 weeks. The Vital Records office offers expedited services through third-party platforms, which charge a fee of $20.80 to process the record requests within 48 hours.

The fees and processing times for obtaining marriage records from the county's Circuit Court vary. Expect to pay between $2.50 to $5.00. Likewise, expect to wait 7 to 10 days to obtain the record. However, most counties offer same-day services for in-person requests for marriage records.

Is It Possible to Make Your Marriage Records Confidential in Virginia?

Unlike some states, Virginia does not offer an option for confidential marriages, where records are kept private from the outset. Additionally, there is no standard provision for sealing marriage records to make them confidential. Therefore, in Virginia, marriage records remain publicly accessible after the initial 25-year privacy period. There is no legal provision to make marriage records confidential in Virginia.

How Do I Verify the Authenticity of Virginia Marriage Records?

Verifying the authenticity of a Virginia marriage record is essential for various legal and personal reasons. Generally, you may want to verify the authenticity of your marriage record if applying for a visa, tracking family history, claiming tax benefits, establishing inheritance rights, changing your name officially, and applying for spousal benefits.

In Virginia, you may verify the authenticity of your marriage certificate at the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records and the Circuit Court in the county or city where the marriage license was issued. Also, local health departments can issue certified copies of marriage records. A certified copy of a marriage record typically includes certain features, including the registration date, signature of the officiant and issuing authority, and an impressed seal.

Can I Find Virginia Marriage Records Online for Free?

You can access Virginia marriage records online for free from several reputable sources. These platforms provide access to both historical and more recent marriage records.

• Family Search: The platform offers an extensive collection of genealogical records, including Virginia marriage records. FamilySearch.org provides indexes and microfilm of marriage records from 1785 to 1940.
• Library of Virginia: The Library of Virginia houses a comprehensive marriage record collection, offering a card index to marriage records from 1719 to 1898. While the card index offers free access to online historical marriage records, full access to marriage records may require an in-person visit to the state library.
• PublicRecords.us: Third-party platforms like PublicRecords.us provide free access to current marriage records. These platforms aggregate public records from multiple sources and provide free access to basic information on the marriage record. However, detailed records may require a fee.

What Is Required to Get a Virginia Marriage License?

You and your partner must meet specific requirements to get a Virginia marriage license. They include:

• Both parties appear together at any Virginia Circuit Court Clerk's Office
• Both parties must be at least 18 years old
• A certified copy of the emancipation order for minors
• There are no residency requirements
• A valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID
• A divorce decree or death certificate if either party was previously married
• The license fee of $30 - $33, depending on the county

Virginia does not impose a waiting period between obtaining the license and having the wedding ceremony. You can get married immediately after receiving the license. The marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. The marriage must take place within this timeframe; otherwise, the license will expire. and you have to reapply for the license.

Can You Amend Marriage Records in Virginia?

You can amend your marriage records in Virginia. The amendment process is designed to correct genuine mistakes without altering the facts of the marriage. Generally, you may correct clerical or factual errors on marriage records, such as:

• Misspellings: Errors in misspelling names, addresses, or other personal information
• Transposition Errors: Incorrect arrangement of letters or numbers on the marriage record
• Omissions: Missing information that was provided but not recorded
• Incorrect Dates or Places: Errors in locating the date or location of the marriage

For a marriage record to be amended, proof is generally required to ascertain that the information on the record was wrong. Therefore, you are expected to include documents to verify the correct information. These documents may include birth certificates, identification cards, affidavits, and sometimes court orders.

Amending Virginia Marriage License

If you notice inaccuracies on your marriage license before your wedding ceremony, you can request a correction for the error at the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the city or county where the license was obtained. To request the correction, complete a Marriage License Correction petition form, usually available at the Clerk of Court office or on the county's website, and include supporting documents. If the clerk deems the evidence sufficient, the clerk may amend the marriage license and issue another.

Amending Virginia Marriage Certificate

There are established procedures to correct an error on your marriage certificate in Virginia. The process involves the Circuit Court Clerk's Office and the Virginia Department of Health's Division of Vital Records. To amend your marriage record, contact the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in the county that issued the marriage certificate. The procedure varies by county. For instance, some counties require a court order to amend marriage certificates.

Complete and notarize the amendment request form provided by the County Clerk's Office. Include all supporting documents and the fees. It costs $22 to amend your marriage certificate, a $10 administrative fee, and $12 to issue you a certified copy of the amended record.

In some jurisdictions, a court hearing is required to review and approve the amendment. Once the court approves the correction, the Clerk's Office will notify the Virginia Department of Health's Division of Vital Records to update the state record.