Access Free Georgia Marriage Records & Licenses

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Free Georgia Marriage Record Search

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

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Find Georgia marriage records for free through state and local government agencies.

The Georgia Open Records Act allows the public to access and inspect government records, a broad category that includes marriage certificates and licenses. Individuals can access government databases and marital archives online or visit county-based agencies in person to search for free marriage records.

This information can help citizens obtain information on an individual they are researching or assist in their genealogical search. With the knowledge provided in this resource, interested persons can quickly and seamlessly find out if someone is married in Georgia.

Can Anyone Access Marriage Records & Certificates in Georgia?

Georgia marital records are accessible to the public through several state and county government agencies. Citizens interested in this information can access several types of marriage records, whether they are getting married themselves or are seeking information on another individual’s marriage.

Engaged couples in Georgia submit an application to obtain a marriage license, which authorizes them to get married in the state. Once the couple has wed, the state issues a marriage certificate that serves as the official recording of the couple’s marriage. The public can request copies of marriage licenses and certificates; however, government agencies will issue the marriage application only to the two parties who completed it.

The State Office of Vital Records maintains marriage records from 1952 to 1996 and provides this information to record seekers. Individuals seeking marriage records for a union that occurred before 1952 or after 1996 should contact the probate court in the county where the marriage took place. When requesting marriage records, citizens should consider why they are seeking the information.

For example, some people may request a certified copy of their marriage certificate to obtain spousal benefits, plan their estate, file their taxes, apply for adoption, or secure a passport. Other individuals may seek out a non-certified copy of a marriage certificate to determine whether someone is married or to support their genealogical research.

The United States Census provides general information on marriage rates in Georgia. Citizens can search Census data by marital status to see detailed information on marriage and divorce rates in Georgia.

This Census data lists the current number of Georgia residents who are married, divorced, widowed, separated, and never married.¹ Just under half (49.6%) of all Georgia residents ages 15 and older are currently married, 11.1% are divorced, and 34.8% have never been married.

How To Check Free Georgia Marriage Records & Certificates

The Georgia Department of Public Health provides access to marriage applications and certificates for unions that took place between June 1952 to November 1996. Record seekers can request this information by mail or in person.

Citizens can print and complete a Request for Search of Marriage Form from the Georgia Department of Public Health.² Note that only a bride or groom can request a certified copy of the marriage application, but marriage certificates are accessible for all record seekers.

Citizens seeking marriage verification—in other words, those simply looking to confirm someone’s marital history—should complete the Marriage Verification Request Form (the page may not load entirely but the form will be downloaded to your desktop or phone) also available from the Georgia Department of Public Health.³ This form is most useful for people researching an individual or conducting genealogical research.

The Office of Vital Records can verify a marriage that took place in Georgia on or after January 1, 2014. For both of these forms, the Office of Vital Records charges a $10 fee that covers the search and the first copy of the certificate. Additional copies of the marriage record cost $5 each.

Individuals must mail payment in the form of check or money order with their completed form to the address below. Additionally, citizens must submit a copy of a photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, with the completed form.

State Office of Vital Records
1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30349

Phone: 404-679-4702

Individuals can also make an in-person request for marriage certificates and licenses by visiting the State Office of Vital Records in Atlanta. The fees and requirements associated with a mailed request also apply to an in-person records request.

ROVER, Georgia’s online vital records request system, does not provide access to marriage information.⁴ However, the state recommends the use of a third-party platform to obtain marriage records online.

Citizens can visit VitalChek, an authorized vendor of the state of Georgia, to request online marriage records. This resource will also offer further information on how to access marriage records during other periods using the state archives or county probate office data.

Searching Counties in Georgia for Marriage Records or Licenses

Although the State Office of Vital Records is the first agency to check for marriage certificates and verifications, county-level departments can also be helpful in a records search.

For example, citizens seeking information on a marriage that falls outside of the Office of Vital Records’ window of 1952 to 1996 may need to contact the county probate court in the county where the individual was married. Visiting the county vital records custodian may be more convenient for record seekers who live nearby, allowing them to make their request in person.

Additionally, some counties, such as Chatham County, allow citizens to make an appointment online to search the public records room, letting them search marriage certificates themselves.⁵

Probate courts in Georgia can assist citizens in their search for marriage records. So, record seekers should begin their search for marriage certificates in the county where the couple wed.

Many Georgia county probate courts process marriage record requests through a form that citizens mail or deliver in person to the office.

For example, the Fulton County Probate Court requests that record seekers mail a completed Marriage Record Request Form, which is available for download on the court’s website, a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and a money order payable to the Fulton County Probate Court to the following address.⁶ Marriage certificates cost $10 per copy.

Fulton County Probate Court
Attn: Records Division
136 Pryor Street Southwest, 2nd Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303

Citizens seeking Fulton County marriage records may also contact three probate court offices by email or telephone to inquire about their search.

Fulton County Probate Court – Downtown Location
Phone: 404-613-4582
Email: [email protected]

Fulton County Probate Court – North Annex
Phone: 404-613-7638
Email: [email protected]

Fulton County Probate Court – South Annex
Phone: 404-612-3048
Email: [email protected]

Nearby Gwinnett County also issues marriage records through the County Probate Court’s Vital Records Division. Citizens can complete the Marriage Certificate/Application Request Form and submit it by mail or in person. Marriage certificates are $10 per copy.

Individuals submitting their form by mail should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a check or money order payable to the Gwinnett County Probate Court. Record seekers submitting their request form in person can also pay with cash or credit card.

Gwinnett County Probate Court
Vital Records Division
75 Langley Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046

Phone: 770-822-8350
Email: [email protected]

The Cobb County Probate Court is also responsible for administering marriage records. Citizens can mail a written request for a marriage certificate, including the names of both parties and the ceremony date in their request. Individuals should mail their request letters with a self-addressed, stamped envelope and $10 payment for each copy requested, payable by check or money order.

Cobb County Probate Court
32 Waddell Street
Marietta, GA 30060

Phone: 770-528-1900
Email: [email protected]

Cobb County also offers an online ordering option for certified marriage records.

Citizens will need both parties’ full names and the date of the nuptial to place their order. These copies also cost $10 with an additional $2.50 online processing fee. Online ordering is only available for marriages after May 1973.

Citizens can also search Cobb County marriage licenses online.⁷ This free search requires one party’s full name to pull up their marriage license. While this search does not provide a certified copy of the marriage record, it can be useful for individuals conducting genealogical research.

County probate courts serve as the vital records custodians in Georgia. Municipalities, such as Atlanta, Augusta, and Macon, will direct citizens to county probate courts to obtain public marriage records. Record seekers can explore the Georgia Probate Courts Directory, which includes contact information for every probate court in the state.

A complete list of vital records offices is available on the Georgia Department of Public Health.⁸ While some county health departments house the local vital records office, they maintain birth and death records, with the county probate court still being responsible for all marriage records.

Additional guidance for accessing archived marriage records for genealogy purposes follows.

Utilizing the Georgia Marriage Index for Family Lineage & Genealogy Research

The University System of Georgia maintains the Archives Virtual Vault, which includes an online search for marriage records.⁹

Record seekers can choose the Georgia county where the couple married and then select the marriage book for the relevant year. The book lists marriages in the county in alphabetical order by last name, so citizens can scan through the pages to identify the individual they are researching.

Most county record books offer marriage information from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, but date ranges vary from county to county.

The Georgia Archives can support citizens’ search for marriage records. Its Ask an Archivist Form can provide general answers about researching this data, such as whether a marriage book exists for a specific county or date range.¹⁰ However, the staff members cannot help with record searches for specific individuals.

Interested persons just beginning their ancestry research may find this National Archives resource to be helpful.¹¹

Record seekers can also visit the Georgia Archives and conduct their genealogical research in person. The offices are open for research Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Georgia Archives
5800 Jonesboro Road
Morrow, GA 30260-1101

Phone: 678-364-3710

If marriage record information is not accessible through the Georgia Archives, record seekers may consider these resources:

• Marriage announcements in old newspaper records
• Marriage records at churches or other religious institutions
• Local historical societies, such as the DeKalb History Center
• Local libraries

Does Georgia Recognize Common Law Marriages?

Georgia officially recognized common law marriages prior through 1996. The state continues to recognize those unions identified as a common law marriage before January 1, 1997. However, the state does not recognize any unions established after that date as a common law marriage.

Further, Georgia acknowledges any common law marriages formed in another state that approves this type of union.

Georgia does not recognize domestic partnerships or civil unions at the state level. However, some cities and counties, including Atlanta and Athens-Clarke County, issue certificates of domestic partnership.^{12, 13} Couples can obtain this certificate if they are in a long-term, committed union, do not want to get married, and meet the guidelines set forth by the city or county issuing the certificate.

How To See Who’s in a Georgia Common Law Marriage

Georgia no longer recognizes common law marriages, so no government documents verifying such a union exist. Record seekers can contact the GA Office of Vital Records for more information on common law marriages.¹⁴

Additionally, if they are seeking information on domestic partnerships, they should contact the city or county office that provides those certificates. Five Georgia localities recognize domestic partnerships, and their contact information follows:

State Office of Vital Records
1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30349

Phone: 404-679-4702

City of Atlanta Office of Constituent Services
2 Peachtree Street #213
Atlanta, GA 30303

Phone: 404-330-6023

City of Clarkston
City Hall Annex
1055 Rowland St.
Clarkston, Georgia 30021

Phone: 404-296-6489

Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court
325 East Washington Street Suite 170
Athens, GA 30601

Phone: 706-613-3696

DeKalb County Finance Department
1300 Commerce Drive #6
Decatur, GA 30030

Phone: 404-371-2741

East Point Business License Division
2757 East Point Street
East Point, GA 30344

Phone: 404-270-7031

How To Apply for a Marriage License in Georgia

County probate courts issue marriage licenses in Georgia.¹⁵ Each county follows a different application process, but similar rules apply. Both parties must be at least 18 years old and provide proof of age.

A 17-year-old applying for a marriage license must complete premarital counseling with their partner. Individuals who have been married before must also provide proof of divorce.

If one person is a Georgia resident, the husband and wife can apply for a marriage license in any county. If two non-Georgia residents are applying for a marriage license, they must apply in the county in which they will marry.

Couples should complete an application in person at the county probate office. Marriage license application fees vary from county to county, but couples can pay less in many counties if they complete an approved premarital education program. However, premarital education or a prenup is not required before marriage.

Couples getting married in Georgia can begin the application process by finding their county probate court.

This resource assists citizens searching Georgia marriage records and helps them obtain necessary information from government agencies.