How to get Pennsylvania divorce records
In Pennsylvania, get a certified copy of the divorce decree from the prothonotary of the county where the divorce was filed.1 State cannot issue divorce records.2 You can order by mail or in person.
On this page
Ways to order
| How | Cost per copy | Processing time | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| By mail | $0.253 a page plus $5.503 a document to certify | – | – |
| In person | $0.253 a page plus $5.503 a document to certify | – | – |
By mail
In person
Decree or certificate
The decree, the court's judgment with the terms of the divorce, comes from the clerk of the court that granted it. Divorce certificate vs decree explains which one an agency usually wants.
Asking the court clerk
The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics lists what a request for a divorce record should include:5
- Full names of husband and wife
- Date of divorce or annulment
- Place of divorce or annulment
- Type of final decree
- Purpose for which copy is needed
- Relationship to persons whose record is requested
- Day time telephone number with area code
Clerks charge their own copy and certification fees, and some offer an exemplified copy, a more formal certification used for out-of-state and foreign purposes.
Years held and older records
- Years the issuing office holds
- 1804 to today6
- Older records
- Pennsylvania State Archives, Record Group 336
Special situations
- Use abroad
- Tell the Prothonotary if an apostille is needed3
Warnings from the office
- Older Montgomery County cases are at the County Archives3
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 5, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.
- Marriage recordsPennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, State Archives
- Act of Jun. 29, 1953,P.L. 304, No. 66 Cl. 35Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Document requestsMontgomery County, Pennsylvania, Prothonotary
- Public officesPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
- Where to Write for Vital Records: Application GuidelinesCDC National Center for Health Statisticsdated November 6, 2015
- Vital recordsState Library of Pennsylvania