Free Delaware Marriage Records Search (License Lookup) 

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Free Delaware Marriage Record Search

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

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Find free Delaware marriage records using practical online and in-person tools. Interested parties can uncover information about any individuals’ marital situation in Delaware, if they are — or were, at any point — married, including who they’re married to and much more.

The Clerks of the Peace in Delaware’s three counties keep recent marriage records, and this article will guide searchers through every step to retrieve the information they need.

Readers will also find information about marriages that happened decades ago and how to obtain a marriage license to get married now.

The Availability of Marriage Records in Delaware

Marriage records in Delaware are available to the public with some restrictions. Title 13, Chapter 1, establishes the rules for all things related to marriages in the state, including when and to whom records are available.

For 50 years, marriage records can only be obtained by individuals connected to the event: the bride and the groom, their parents or children, as well as attorneys, are examples of people who would qualify to make a request.

After 50 years, marriage records become freely accessible to anyone interested. Some third parties who dig information up from the internet may bring to light records that should still be protected. This article shares the rules for official, lawful searches.

According to the Delaware Vital Statistics 2021 Annual Report, the state provides around 5,000 marriage licenses annually.¹ For first marriages, the average age is about 30 years among all races. The state also processed over 2,500 divorces and annulments in 2021.

Of all marriages officiated in Delaware in that year, about 27% were, in fact, remarriages – indicating that at least one of the parties involved had already been married before, at least once. People can search free marriage records with the information contained in this resource.

How To Search Delaware Marriage Records & See Who the Husband or Wife Is

For citizens interested in finding someone’s marital status, it’s important to know that–according to the State of Delaware’s Guide to Services–there are a few places where Delaware marriage records can be obtained, depending on when the marriage took place.²

Marriages that happened over 50 years ago are public records, and the Delaware Public Archives is the source for records and certificates. Interested individuals can search their marriage index, and how to accomplish it is mentioned further in this article.

For marriages that took place from the present time up to 50 years back, the Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) is a source of information. Citizens entitled to request those records can do so in person or by mail.

Mail requests should be made exclusively to the Central Office. Whoever sends a request must include an Application for a Certified Copy of a Delaware Marriage Certificate.⁴ The Central Office also sees citizens in person, and this is their contact information:

Kent County, Office of Vital Statistics
Central Office
417 Federal St.
Dover, Delaware 19901

Phone: 302.744.4549
Fax: 302.736.1862

There are alternative offices for in-person orders. Citizens are encouraged to visit them if the location is more convenient. However, they don’t take mail-in requests, so letters shouldn’t be sent to those addresses. These are the addresses:

New Castle County, Office of Vital Statistics
258 Chapman Rd.
Newark, Delaware 19702

Phone: 302.283.7130
Fax: 302.283.7131

Sussex, Office of Vital Statistics
546 South Bedford St.
Georgetown, Delaware 19947

Phone: 302.515.3190
Fax: 302.515.3191

Each marriage certificate costs $25, and all copies delivered are certified.

Aside from the completed application mentioned above (which can also be done ahead of time for in-person requests), individuals looking to get a marriage certificate should have a valid ID and be ready to show a connection to the event.

They must be the individuals mentioned on the document, their children or parents, or someone legally authorized to request it – such as a lawyer or legal guardian.

It’s also possible to place orders online with GoCertificates and VitalChek, but additional fees may apply.

Searching the County in Delaware Where the Marriage Occurred

There are more ways to find out if someone is married in Delaware. Citizens can contact the county where the marriage occurred and perform local searches. Even when the searcher isn’t sure which county could have those records, Delaware has only three counties, making the search fairly convenient.

By law, according to Title 13, Chapter 1, the office that provides the marriage license is the keeper of the records. In Delaware, three Clerk of the Peace offices could hold marriage records: New Castle, Sussex, or Kent. Therefore, all a citizen has to do is contact the office that is believed to have recorded the marriage for more information.

While searching using state tools always allows for a broader search (which is particularly helpful, for example, if the searcher has no idea where the marriage happened), contacting smaller local agencies may lead to a more friendly staff, who may be willing to be more attentive and supportive of a citizen’s quest.

Searching New Castle County for Marriage Records: For those who got married in New Castle County, parties cited on the marriage license can order a certificate for $25 from the Clerk of the Peace.⁵ This applies to the couple and their parents, but attorneys can place orders if they have proof of being hired by one of the eligible parties (the same goes for power of attorney).

Certificates older than 50 years can be purchased by anyone with no restrictions of any kind. In New Castle, those are considered public records.

Requests can be placed in person or by mail. Citizens must show an ID to prove they’re listed on the original marriage license when requesting in person. When requesting by mail, the items and information below must be included in the letter:

• Full names of individuals who wish to marry
• Money order or certified check with payment
• Date when the nuptials took place
• Daytime contact number for the person placing the order
• Self-addressed envelope with paid postage to receive the certificate

For both in-person and mail requests, this is the contact information of the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace:

New Castle County Clerk of the Peace
800 N French Street – 2nd Floor
Wilmington, DE 19801

Phone: 302.395.7780

If anyone prefers to order online, they may do so through GoCertificates.

Contacting Sussex & Kent Counties for Marriage Records: The Sussex County Clerk of the Peace can provide searchers with Delaware marriage records from 2002 to the present day as long as they were held in those respective counties.⁶ Like all other agencies, the individual looking for records must prove they are named in the marriage license. They must do it by showing a valid ID, like a Driver’s License or Passport.

For records older than 2002, until 1984, citizens must contact the Office of Vital Statistics.

Individuals making requests with the Clerk of the Peace are encouraged to start by filling out a Request for Certified Copies of Marriage License. Sussex County receives requests via mail or email. It’s important to include a paid self-addressed envelope in the letter for mail orders. This is where to send the requests to:

Sussex County Marriage Bureau
Administrative Office Building
2 The Circle
2nd Floor – Room 226
P.O. Box 09
Georgetown, DE 19947

Email: marriagebureau@sussexcountyde.gov
Phone: 302.853.1717

Of the three counties in Delaware, Kent County is the one that offers the least information online. However, the procedure is similar throughout the state. This is their contact information, should anyone decide to reach out to them directly (which is encouraged when more assistance is needed):

Kent County Clerk of the Peace Office
555 Bay Road
Dover, DE 19901

Email: clerk@kentcountyde.gov
Phone: 302.744.2346

Sussex and Kent Counties also allow citizens to place orders online via GoCertificates. Users should know that on top of the $25 cost for the actual certificate, this third party also charges a handling fee of $14.95 and a shipping fee of $2.50.

There’s a different pathway for a successful search for marriage records that are older than 50 years. An older certificate is an important tool for genealogical searches, for example; the best methods for finding older marital records are outlined below.

How To Check Delaware Archives for Ancestral Marriage Records

Marriage records older than 50 years old can be requested with the state’s Public Archives. Plenty of information can be uncovered about a family’s past by retrieving an ancestral marriage certificate.

A free marriage license search can be made using the Archives indexes. By searching those indexes, citizens can find valuable information about their ancestors and learn more about the events in their lives.

Even considering that, in some cases, the indexes could lack part of the information, it’s still very useful. If citizens wish to have a proper copy of those records, they can place an order with the Delaware Public Archives.

Copies of marriage certificates contain data about the couple and their parents. It may also include the places where those people were born and their date of birth. All of it is valuable when building a family tree, and this is what individuals can expect to see revealed in an old marriage certificate:

• couple’s names, ages and places of birth
• Parents of both parties’ names and places of birth
• Previous marriages for couple
• Date and time of wedding
• Witnesses (including officials)

The Delaware Public Archives accepts requests via email and asks that those requests be sent with as much information as possible to facilitate the search. People are allowed to make up to 5 requests per email. They charge $10 for the first ten pages of recovered records and $5 more after that for each set of ten pages produced.

Some information made available to the public by the Delaware Public Archives is compiled from sources like old newspapers and churches. If someone believes they can connect a family member’s marriage to a specific location, researching church and newspaper records may be useful.

The Archives have a list of local churches that have records that could potentially be checked.⁹ The list includes a timeframe for the records they kept (or kept in the past).

For newspapers, the Archives suggest a list that can be contacted, which includes the following:

• The Delaware Gazette
• The Faithful Centinel
• The Wilmingtonian

This list is not extensive, and citizens can reach out to the local newspaper from the city where they believe a marriage took place.

Another tool that can be used when searching for ancestral records is the National Archives. They have many resources that citizens can access to look up and find information about their ancestors; their Genealogy Resources can be quite useful for many things, including marriage records.

Common Law Marriages in Delaware

The state of Delaware doesn’t have a common law in place but recognizes common law marriages in states where it is considered legal.¹⁰

Common law marriages are arrangements between couples that live as if they were married (and are known by those around them as such) but never actually got a marriage license and a wedding. Some states have laws for those arrangements, but Delaware isn’t one of those.

For a long time, Delaware acknowledged civil unions, too. That was a different arrangement, where the parties had most of the benefits of a married couple without the title of husband and wife. For many years, this was a way by which same-sex couples could legitimize their relationships, while same-sex marriages weren’t yet legal.

Civil unions stopped existing in Delaware in 2014.

Citizens in Delaware who don’t wish to properly marry (and can no longer go into a civil union) can do a cohabitation agreement.

Cohabitation agreements are legal in Delaware and are an alternative for romantically involved individuals who don’t wish to get married. It’s also very open regarding what a couple can add to their agreement. Similar to a prenuptial agreement, that each couple devises in a way that makes sense to them, so is a cohabitation agreement.

Individuals interested in a cohabitation agreement can find templates to fill out online or retain a lawyer who would write a contract specific to the couple’s needs and conditions. Cohabitation agreements won’t show as Delaware marriage records.

How To Request a Marriage License in Delaware

Individuals who desire to marry in Delaware must apply for a marriage license at one of the county’s Clerk of the Peace Offices. All three offices have the same requirements and abide by the same rules since marriages are governed by state law.

Marriage licenses are issued on the spot, but couples must wait 24 hours to use them and marry. Licenses expire in 30 days if not used, and after the wedding, the license must be returned to the office that issued it for recording.

Delaware residents pay $50 for the license plus a $20 recording fee. Only one of the parties must be a resident for the couple to benefit from the smaller price, but fees must be paid in full at the moment of request. Out-of-state residents pay $100 for the license plus the $20 recording fee.

The couple must provide the following to obtain a marriage license:

• A valid ID per individual (driver’s license, state ID, passport, etc.).
• Personal information, such as date and place of birth, race and occupation, among other things.
• Parent’s maiden name, place of birth, and current residency.
• If on probation or parole, a consent letter from the Department of Corrections authorizing the marriage.
• If previously married, proof of dissolution of the previous relationship (like a divorce decree, for example).

In Delaware, citizens aren’t allowed to marry before 18 years of age, and couples cannot be related – this means people aren’t allowed to marry ascendents, descendants and close family (including first cousins). They also cannot be under the influence at the time of the marriage.

In New Castle County, ceremonies are performed at the Clerk of Peace on Wednesdays.¹¹ Ceremonies cost an extra $50 for residents and $100 for non-residents. Payments for the ceremony must be made at the time of the application for a license.

If an officiator will perform the wedding, New Castle recommends making sure the person is authorized to do so by checking the List of Suspended Officiators.

Couples that wish to apply for a marriage license must appear together in person at the following address:

New Castle County Clerk of the Peace
800 N French Street – 2nd Floor
Wilmington, DE 19801

Phone: 302.395.7780

In Sussex County, marriage licenses are provided by appointment only. Individuals applying for a license should contact the office and schedule their visit within a 60-day window before the wedding. They also must know the wedding date at the time of the application.

This is how to contact the Sussex County Marriage Bureau:

Sussex County Marriage Bureau
Administrative Office Building
2 The Circle
2nd Floor – Room 226
P.O. Box 09
Georgetown, DE 19947

Email: marriagebureau@sussexcountyde.gov
Phone: 302.853.1717

Kent County follows a procedure similar to the other counties.¹² Couples wishing to apply for a marriage license must appear at the office and apply. This is their contact information:

Kent County Clerk of the Peace Office
555 Bay Road
Dover, DE 19901

Email: clerk@kentcountyde.gov
Phone: 302.744.2346

All three counties partner up with GoCertificates for online applications for marriage licenses. 

Marriage is a serious matter, and understandably, individuals would wish to seek out information about marriages that happened in the past. There are many reasons why such records would be valuable, and this article assists in everyone’s search for them.

Delaware marriage records — as well as information on how to get married in the state — can be found efficiently and should be widely used by citizens seeking to get married or uncover details about weddings that happened in the past; for access to other types of records, check out the Delaware state free public information search tutorial.