Getting a Marriage Certificate in Pennsylvania

If you have been married in Pennsylvania or are doing investigation or research into a marriage that took place in the state, you may be wondering how to get an official copy of the certificate.  Pennsylvania has no state agency that keeps a copy of every marriage certificate in PA, so you will need to work with your county courthouse to find the marriage records you're looking for.  This guide will teach you how to get a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania whether you're a newly-married couple, someone who needs a duplicate copy, or someone who is conducting research.

Your Original Marriage Certificate in Pennsylvania

Newlyweds in Pennsylvania will sign their marriage license, and then send it to the county courthouse where they were married.  Your first marriage certificate in PA can be sent to you soon after your marriage is complete.  You may need to have a copy of your marriage certificate in Pennsylvania to prove that you are married for insurance purposes or government documents.

In order to obtain a copy of a marriage certificate in PA, you will need to write to the clerk of the court for the county where the marriage took place.  Some counties may also offer telephone or internet searches, with credit card payment, if you need a copy of a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania.  To find out what options your county courthouse offers for obtaining records of a marriage certificate in PA, you will need to contact them.  

Certified Marriage Certificates

For many government documents, it is not enough to have simply a copy of a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania.  A certified marriage certificate in PA is required in order for a woman to change her name on her Social Security card.  You may also be required to show an employer a certified marriage certificate in Pennsylvania if you are trying to add your spouse to an insurance plan.  

Obtaining a certified marriage certificate in PA is usually fairly easy, but may cost slightly more than having a non-certified marriage certificate.  Typically, costs remain low for obtaining a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania—you can often pay as little as $10 even for a certified copy.  You may want to check with your county courthouse to see what is currently charged for a copy of a marriage certificate in PA in your county.

Non-Certified Marriage Certificates

Not everyone needs the official state seal on their marriage certificate in Pennsylvania.  If you only need to verify the information on a marriage record or do research on a marriage, you may be able to purchase a copy of a non-certified marriage certificate in PA.  These certificates may not be appropriate for the purposes of some government forms, but they will allow you to do research or investigation more cheaply.  For instance, in Allegheny County, while a certified copy of a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania will cost $10, a non-certified copy costs just $4.

How to Obtain Copies of Marriage Licenses: Texas 

Receiving a Copy of Marriage License in Texas 

Receiving copies of marriage licenses in Texas is quite easy as long as you follow a few steps.  These steps are listed in this article, as well as information about Texas County Courts and things you may need to bring with you when requesting a copy of marriage license in Texas.  

Step 1: Visit your County Court

The first step to obtaining copies of marriage licenses in Texas is calling or traveling to the County Court in your jurisdiction.  

Some counties give you the option to send in a request by mail for a copy of marriage license in Texas, and you’ll want to ask the clerk what steps you should take to request by mail.  Contact information is located farther below in this article.  

Step 2: Bring All Necessary Items

You’ll want to bring all the following items with you:

• Identification: Texas law requires you to bring your driver’s license, birth certificate, U.S. passport, military ID car, or your Social Security number.  You won’t have to bring all these items, but you will need at least one in order to receive a copy of marriage license in Texas.  

• Divorce Decree: You must wait 30 days after a divorce becomes official in order to obtain copies of marriage licenses in Texas.  The divorce decree must state that the 30 day waiting period is waived, you can obtain a copy of the divorce decree from your area’s district court.  Contact information is listed farther below in this article.  

Step 3: Pay the Fee

The clerk will answer any questions you have, will have to pay a fee for one copies and a reduced fee for any additional copies of marriage licenses in Texas.  For example, the Tarrant County Court charges $21.00 for the first copy, and $10 for any additional copy you may want at the same time  Some counties charge up to $71 after all the fees, so prepare for a range in price.  

Fees range by county and district in Texas, and some of these fees for the copy of marriage License in Texas are not posted on the websites of the County Court.  The clerk will notify you of fees when you travel to or call the court.  

But note, as of 2008, your fee will be waived for the copy of marriage license in Texas you complete 8 hours of premarital preparation courts.  

How do I find County Court Contact Information? 

If you want copies of marriage licenses in Texas and need contact information for the County Court, there is an easy way to find contact information for every County Court in TX.  

Then, select your county from the range of counties, and press Go.  You’ll find contact information for all County Clerks and you’ll have an easy time obtaining copies of marriage licenses in Texas. 

How to Obtain Copies of Marriage Licenses in Michigan 

Receiving a Copy of Marriage License: Michigan

There are two ways you can receives copies of marriage licenses in Michigan: you can fill out a simple for and send it to vital records, or you can go to your local county clerk and receive the forms there.  If you want to submit a form to vital records for a copy of marriage license in Michigan.  

After you have completed all the necessary information on the form, you send the form to the following address:  

Vital Records Requests (or Vital Records RUSH if you need the form quickly)

PO Box 30721

Lansing, MI 48909

If you want to obtain copies of marriage licenses in Michigan through your county court, follow the directions in the section listed below.  

Step 1: Visit your Probate Court

The first step to obtaining copies of marriage licenses in Michigan is calling or traveling to the county court in your jurisdiction.  

Some counties give you the option to send in a request by mail, but many courts require you to show proper identification in person with the clerk.  If you do have the option to send in a request through the mail, make sure you follow all of the steps listed below very carefully.  

Step 2: Bring all Necessary Items for copies of marriage licenses in Michigan

You’ll want to bring the following items with you in order to obtain the copy of marriage license in Michigan:

• Identification: Michigan law requires you to bring your driver’s license, birth certificate, U.S. passport, military ID car, or your Social Security number.  You won’t have to bring all these items, but you will need at least one so the clerk can verify your identity.

• Divorce Decree: If you were in another marriage and went through a divorce, you’ll need to bring a copy of the divorce decree with you to the county clerk.  The same rules apply for obtaining copies of marriage licenses in Michigan if you are a widow.  

Step 3 Pay the Fee for the Copy of Marriage License in Michigan

In order to obtain the first copy of marriage license in Michigan, you’ll usually have to pay $26 for the first copy you receive—and this fee may range from county to county.  For more copies of marriage licenses in Michigan, you’ll only have to pay $12 for each, and there are other fees associated with how fast you need the form.   

Because fees may range in the state of Michigan from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, you’ll want to call the clerk and ask them about the fees so you can properly prepare.  The county clerk is not allowed to verify a copy of marriage license in Michigan if you fail to bring a valid form of identification or the proper amounts of payment. 

As a result, an injured party may be permitted to take legal action against the individual who is responsible for the loss of affection in his/her marriage. 

When an individual believes that an outside party is responsible for the destruction of the affection that once existed in his/her marital relationship, he/she may be permitted to initiate a lawsuit against the offending party, on the groups of alienation of affection.

 There are only a few states that continue to permit lawsuits regarding alienation of affection. These states include Hawaii, New Mexico, Utah, Mississippi, Illinois, South Dakota, and North Carolina. In order for an individual to effectively establish an alienation of affection lawsuit, he/she must be able to effectively prove that the offending party knowingly and intentionally destroyed the love that once existed in his/her marriage. 

Adultery or an extramarital emotional relationship is not necessary for alienation of affection to occur. A parent can also be guilty of alienation of affection in regard to his/her spouse and child, if he/she takes steps to destroy or weaken the relationship between his/her spouse and child.

Brian Brown, the president for the National Organization of Marriage, hit a new low today by responding to the passage of a marriage quality measure in the Rhode Island state Senate by proclaiming, “it is bad enough when families dissolve through death or divorce, but it is unconscionable when a state encourages this through policies that deprive young people of the love of both a father and a mother. This is an extremely sad day for the state of Rhode Island.

Chad Griffin, the President for the Human Rights Campaign, called on Brown to issue an apology for ridiculing the two no less than two million parents who are impacted by the bill.

The Human Rights Campaign states that there is no credible scientific information that has provided any credence to arguments that children of gay parents are at any sort of disadvantage. Just as recently as last month, the non-partisan and independent American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed same-sex marriage for the sole reason that it is beneficial for kids. This well-respected group claimed that marriage, along with adoption, helps protect the child’s rights to maintain healthy relationships with both parents, along with financial security, and eligibility for health benefits. Other noteworthy groups supporting same-sex adoption include the Child Welfare League of America, the National Association of Social Workers, and the National Adoption Center.

Brown’s statement also stands in direct contradiction to those issued by David Blankenhorn, an expert witness for supporters of Proposition 8 who has since switched his stance on the issue of same sex marriage. During the highly controversial trial, Blankenhorn testified that children raised by lesbian or gay adoptive parents did just as strong, if not stonger, than children raised by their biological parents.

“I have seen a lot of inflammatory rhetoric come from the National Organization of Marriage and specifically Brown over the years, but equating loving and fit gay parents to families hit by catastrophes such as death or divorce is something very new. These statements are shocking and despicable,” said Jeremy Hooper, the publisher and founder of a prominent advocacy administration that calls out discrimination made against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals.

Source: The Human Rights Campaign