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New Jersey marriage records

Who holds it: Local Registrar of the municipality where the marriage took place, or the NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry (Trenton). Licenses are issued by the local registrar of the municipality where either party lives.1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. How to search and order
  2. Fees
  3. Older records and indexes
  4. More details
  5. Related records in New Jersey
  6. How New Jersey handles it
  7. Marriage records in New Jersey counties with a full guide
  8. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  9. Sources

State certified fee

$25 (search + one certified copy or certification or No Record Statement); $2 each additional copy of same record ordered at same time2

Who may order

Same as other vital records: certified copies only to the subject, parent/legal guardian/legal representative, spouse/civil-union partner, adult child/grandchild/sibling, government agency or by court order; anyone with ID may get an uncertified 'certification'3

How to search and order

Where to get a license
Apply in the NJ municipality where either party lives (valid statewide); non-residents apply where the ceremony will be held (valid only there)4
Waiting period
72 hours4

Fees

Marriage license fee
$28 marriage/civil union license application fee2
Local fee
Varies by municipality1

Older records and indexes

Non genealogical window
Marriages within the last 50 years are non-genealogical (restricted)3
Historical index
NJ State Archives owns state marriage records May 1848–Dec 1950 and has DOH microfilm for Jan 1951–Dec 1957 (with available bride indexes), plus a searchable database of marriages 1848–1900. Before 1848, marriages were required to be filed with the County Clerk starting in 1795 (or the year the county was formed).5

More details

Civil unions
Civil union licenses issued by local registrar; domestic partnerships since Feb 19, 2007 only for couples 62+1
No record statement
State issues 'No Record of Marriage' statements (same $25 fee)2
Divorce records: who holds it
Superior Court of New Jersey (Family Part); certified copies of divorce judgments come from the Superior Court Records Center (609-421-6100), not from Vital Statistics6
Older records: vital holdings
Births May 1, 1848–Dec 31, 1925; marriages and deaths May 1, 1848–Dec 31, 1950. Later records are owned by NJ DOH.5
Older records: vital records for genealogy
DOH Office of Vital Statistics holds the most recent 100 years; older records go to the State Archives7

How New Jersey handles it

  • Municipal local registrars hold vital records. Birth, death and marriage records are issued by the Local Registrar of the municipality (city/town/township) where the event occurred, as well as by the state office. Local fees vary.1

Marriage records in New Jersey counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Atlantic CountyMarriage licenses and certificates come from the municipal clerk/registrar, not the County Clerk8——
Bergen CountyMunicipal Local Registrars9——
Burlington CountyMunicipal Local Registrars10——
Camden CountyMunicipal Local Registrar11——
Cape May CountyMarriage licenses come from the municipal clerk12——
Cumberland CountyMunicipal local registrar (apply in the municipality where either applicant resides)13——
Essex CountyMunicipal Vital Statistics Office where the marriage was filed (not the County Clerk)14——
Gloucester CountyMunicipal local registrar (license application filed in the municipality where either party resides)15——
Hudson County———
Hunterdon CountyMunicipal registrars16—State fee: $25 search and one certified copy; $2 each additional copy ordered at the same time (NJ DOH)17
Mercer CountyMunicipal local registrars of the 12 Mercer County municipalities18——
Middlesex CountyCertified copies of marriage licenses come from the NJ Office of Vital Statistics & Registry (or the municipal Local Registrar), not the County Clerk19——
Monmouth CountyMunicipal clerk or registrar where the event took place20——
Morris CountyMarriages after 1887: the municipality where the wedding occurred, NJ Vital Statistics or the NJ State Archives21——
Ocean CountyMunicipal Local Registrars / NJ Office of Vital Statistics and Registry22——
Passaic CountyMunicipal Local Registrar of the municipality where the marriage occurred, or the NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry23——
Salem CountyMunicipal Local Registrars24——
Somerset CountyMunicipal registrars25——
Sussex CountyMunicipal Registrar of Vital Statistics where the ceremony took place26——
Union CountyMunicipal Local Registrar where the marriage took place, or the NJ Department of Health; not the County Clerk27——

For any other county, see the county list on the New Jersey guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any New Jersey office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: marriage records in every state. Everything else in New Jersey: New Jersey public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 27 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  2. Fees at a GlanceNJ Department of Health
  3. Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical RecordsNJ Department of Health
  4. Marriage LicensesNJ Department of Health
  5. Genealogical CollectionsNJ State Archives
  6. Divorce DecreesNJ Department of Health
  7. Getting Copies of Genealogical RecordsNJ Department of Health
  8. WeddingsAtlantic County Clerk
  9. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  10. Marriage ServicesBurlington County, NJ
  11. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  12. Marriage Ceremonies (County Clerk)County of Cape May
  13. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  14. Vital Records OfficesCounty of Essex
  15. Marriage LicensesNJ Department of Health
  16. County ClerkHunterdon County Clerk
  17. Vital records feesNJ Department of Health
  18. Mercer County
  19. Registry Frequently Asked QuestionsCounty of Middlesex (NJ)
  20. Open Public Records Act (OPRA)Monmouth County, New Jersey
  21. Records VaultMorris County Clerk
  22. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  23. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  24. Clerk: Archives Room & HoldingsSalem County
  25. Copy of my birth certificateSomerset County, New Jersey
  26. Marriages (County Clerk)Sussex County, New Jersey
  27. Vital Statistics FAQsNew Jersey Department of Health