How to get a North Dakota marriage certificate
In North Dakota, order a certified marriage certificate from the county office where the license was purchased and filed.1 Certified marriage copies come from the county, not the state Vital Records Unit.1 The first copy costs $52 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $22. You can order at a local office.
On this page
Ways to order
| How | Cost per copy | Processing time | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| At a local office | $52 first, $22 each extra copy (Burleigh County) | – | – |
Not offered: by mail.1
At a local office
- Run by
- County Recorder / Clerk of Court of the issuing county (HHS publishes a county-by-county list)1
What a North Dakota marriage certificate costs
Types of copies
| Copy | Accepted for | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy of marriage license (county)2 | – | $52 |
| Noncertified informational copy of a marriage record (state)3 | – | – |
Who can order a North Dakota marriage certificate
The office's ordering pages do not say who may order a certified copy. If the record is not your own, ask the office before you pay.
Other kinds of copies
- Informational copy Anyone:
A noncertified informational copy of a marriage record may be issued to the general public.
3
Which office holds a marriage record
Certified copies come from the office that recorded the signed license; the years each office holds are listed below. Marriage license vs certificate explains the difference and which copy agencies ask for.
Years held and older records
- Years the office holds
- 1925 to today (state marriage index data)4
- Older records
- North Dakota State Archives (State Historical Society of North Dakota) for marriage data before 1925; certified copies from the county4
The state office
- Office
- North Dakota Vital Records Unit5
- Phone
- (701) 328-23605
- [email protected]5
- Mailing address
- Vital Records Unit, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 325, Bismarck, ND 58505-02505
- Appointments
- Required5
- Website
- Official website6
Questions people ask
How much is a certified North Dakota marriage certificate?
The first copy costs $5 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $2.2
Where are older North Dakota marriage certificates kept?
North Dakota State Archives (State Historical Society of North Dakota) for marriage data before 1925; certified copies from the county.4
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 6, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.
- Certified Copies of Marriage RecordsND HHS Vital Records
- Burleigh County Recorder: Marriage InformationBurleigh County Recorder
- NDCC chapter 23-02.1 Health Statistics ActNorth Dakota Legislative Branch
- SHSND State Archives: Vital RecordsState Historical Society of North Dakota, State Archives
- ND HHS Vital Records homeNorth Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
- SFN 8140 Request for Certified Copy of a Birth Record (10-2025)North Dakota Department of Health and Human Servicesdated October 1, 2025