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Marriage Certificate
Need proof of your marriage for a name change, immigration application, or spousal benefits? VitalCopy obtains certified marriage certificates fully online — no office visits.
✓ Certified Copies✓ Secure & Encrypted
Need proof of your marriage for a name change, immigration application, or spousal benefits? VitalCopy obtains certified marriage certificates fully online — no office visits.
A marriage certificate is the official government document that confirms a marriage was legally performed and officially recorded. It is issued by the state (or its counties) where the wedding ceremony took place and contains the names of both spouses, the date, and the location of the marriage.
Certified copies — bearing the official state seal — are required for legal name changes, immigration and visa applications, adding a spouse to insurance or benefits, joint financial transactions, and many other purposes. This is different from a "marriage license," which is the permit issued before the wedding; the certificate is the record issued after.
VitalCopy works with official vital records offices to obtain certified marriage certificates on your behalf, handling all the paperwork and submission so you don't have to navigate state-specific requirements alone.
Choose the state where the marriage ceremony was performed.
Hover to identify a state · Click to begin your order
A marriage license is the government permit that authorizes you to get married — it is issued before the ceremony. A marriage certificate is the official record that confirms the marriage actually took place — it is issued after the ceremony has been performed and registered with the state. For legal purposes, you need the certificate, not the license.
State vital records offices typically register a new marriage within 30–60 days of the ceremony. For very recent marriages, the county clerk where the license was originally issued often has the record available sooner. VitalCopy can advise on the fastest available path for your situation.
Always order from the state where the wedding ceremony was performed — not where you currently live. The state of the ceremony is the issuing authority for the marriage record, regardless of where either spouse currently resides.
Yes. A certified marriage certificate bearing the official state seal is accepted by the U.S. passport office for name changes. It is also the required document for Social Security name changes, DMV updates, and financial institution records.
VitalCopy handles out-of-state requests routinely. You simply provide the details of the marriage (state, county, date, names), and we request the certified copy from that state's vital records office on your behalf — no matter where you currently live.
