Not a government site. We do not sell records or host personal data. About us

County Records Guide
Menu

Rhode Island marriage records

Who holds it: City/town clerk (local registrar) where the license was issued; RIDOH Center for Vital Records (statewide); State Archives for marriages 100+ years old1

Last checked against official sources on .

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

Certified copy fee

State office: $22 in person, $25 by mail, $18 each extra copy same day2

Who may order

Restricted: registrant (18+), issue, spouse/registered partner, parents, siblings, legal guardian, attorneys, title examiners, members of incorporated genealogical societies, court order, funeral directors, or persons needing it to protect a personal/property right1

Ordering online

VitalChek (linked by RIDOH)1

How to search and order

Where to get a license
City/town clerk where either party lives; if both are nonresidents, where the ceremony will be held3
License validity
3 months4

Fees

Marriage license fee
$24 total by statute ($14 license fee + $10 Family and Children Trust Fund fee); Providence charges $24 plus a $3.00 processing fee5

More details

Requirements
Both parties: photo ID and birth certificate; proof that any prior marriage/civil union ended6
Civil unions
Civil unions no longer available since Aug. 1, 2013; existing ones may be merged into marriage7
Divorce records: who holds it
Rhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office8
Older records: vital holdings
Births and marriages over 100 years old and deaths over 50 years old; open records and indexes free online; certified copies by request form9

How Rhode Island handles it

  • Any-town-hall vital records. Recent birth (1960+) and death/marriage (2022+) certificates can be obtained at any city or town hall; older ones only where the event occurred.1
  • Open vs closed vital records. Vital records open at 100 years (births, marriages) and 50 years (deaths) and move to the State Archives.10

Marriage records in Rhode Island towns with a full guide

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

TownOfficeSearch onlineFee
CoventryTown Clerk - Vital Records11——
CranstonCity Clerk - Marriage Licenses / Vital Records12——
CumberlandTown Clerk - Vital Records13——
East Providence——Certified copy fee: Walk-in $22 first, $18 additional; mail-in $25 first, $18 additional14
Johnston———
North ProvidenceTown Clerk - Vital Records15—Certified copy fee: Walk-in $22.00 first copy, $18.00 each additional; mail-in $25.00 first, $18.00 additional16
Pawtucket——Certified copy fee: In person $22 first copy; by mail or online $25; $18 each additional copy; +$5 online credit-card surcharge17
ProvidenceVital Records18—Certified copy fee: $22.00 walk-in / $25.00 mail-in; $18 each additional copy the same day19
Providence County———
South KingstownTown Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics20—Certified copy fee: $22 first copy, $18 each additional (same time); by mail $25 first, $18 additional (fees effective July 1, 2018)20
Warwick——Certified copy fee: Walk-in $22 first, mail-in $25 first, $18 each additional (effective 7/1/2018)21
Washington County———
West WarwickTown Clerk - Vital Records22—Certified copy fee: Walk-in $22.00 first, $18.00 additional; mail-in $25.00 first, $18.00 additional22
WoonsocketCity Clerk23——

For any other town, see the town list on the Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island: Rhode Island public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 23 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Birth, Death & Marriage Records (Vital Records)Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
  2. Requesting a Vital Record from the StateRhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
  3. R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-2-1 Marriage license requiredRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
  4. R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-2-8 Period of validity of licenseRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
  5. R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-2-9 License feeRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
  6. Marriage LicensesRhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
  7. Civil UnionsRhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
  8. About the Family CourtRhode Island Judiciary
  9. Rhode Island State Vital Records (State Archives)Rhode Island Department of State
  10. Where can I find that Record?Rhode Island Department of State
  11. Town ClerkTown of Coventry
  12. City of Cranston home pageCity of Cranston
  13. Vital Records - General Information (PDF)Town of Cumberland
  14. Ep-vitalCity of East Providence
  15. Vital RecordsTown of North Providence
  16. Marriage LicensesTown of North Providence
  17. Paw-marriageCity of Pawtucket
  18. Department DirectoryCity of Providence
  19. Vital RecordsCity of Providence
  20. Registry of Vital StatisticsTown of South Kingstown
  21. War-vitalCity of Warwick
  22. Vital RecordsTown of West Warwick
  23. City ClerkCity of Woonsocket