How to get a West Virginia marriage certificate

Ways to order

Not offered: online directly with the vital records office.³

What a West Virginia marriage certificate costs

First certified copy

$12²

Each additional copy, same order

$12²

Expedite fee

$10⁵

Each extra year searched

$12³

If no record is found

The fee is kept as a search fee²

Fees in effect since

July 1, 2023 (memo: certified copies remain $12 per copy)¹¹

No-fee copies

• State Registrar may waive a fee for good cause, including legitimate charities and indigent persons⁵

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. They do not include shipping. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

Who can order a West Virginia marriage certificate

The state names these people and bodies as able to order a certified copy. Each line gives the official wording.

• The parties listed on the marriage certificate²
• Adult children that were a product of the marriage²
• Attorney or legal representative: Legal representatives (proof of legal representation also required).²
• Adult grandchildren and later generations (per rule)¹⁰
• A named third person at the walk-in office with a faxed permission slip from the parties¹²
• Records 50+ years old are open to anyone²

Records open to the public after

50 years²

Social Security number on the copy

SSNs recorded on marriage records are not released even after the records become public¹³

ID you need

Photo ID

Required²

Accepted ID

• DMV-issued driver's license unexpired or expired for not more than five years
• DMV-issued learner's/instruction permit unexpired or expired for not more than five years
• DMV-issued photo identification card (excluding child ID cards) unexpired or expired for not more than one year
• Current Photo ID card, (school and employment). Check Cashing Cards are not acceptable
• Unexpired U.S. military ID card of an active duty or retired member (ID cards of military dependents are not acceptable as primary identity documents)
• U.S. Passport unexpired or expired for not more than five years
• West Virginia Criminal Justice Agency Offender Information Form
• United States Probation Offender Information Form²

Without that ID

• Social Security Card
• A utility bill (phone, electric, gas, water, etc.) with your name and current address
• Automobile registration with your name and current address
• Automobile insurance card with your name and current address
• Voter's Registration Card with your name and current address
• Checking account deposit slip or bank statement stating name and current address
• Paycheck stub or a W-2 form with your name and current address
• U.S. Selective Service Card
• U.S. military discharge papers (form DD214)
• Health care insurance card
• Unexpired welfare/social services identification card with photo, issued by a municipality
• Unexpired weapons or gun permit issued by federal, state or municipal government
• Veterans' Universal Access Identification Card

²

ID copy with a mail order

Include a copy of your ID³

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.²

• Groom's name (first-middle-last)
• Bride's maiden name (first-middle-last)
• Date of marriage
• Place of application (county, city, state)
• Relationship to the bride or groom
• Signature
• Mailing address

Which office holds a marriage record

Certified copies come from the office that recorded the signed license, and also from the state vital records office¹⁴; the years each office holds are listed below. Marriage license vs certificate explains the difference and which copy agencies ask for.

Forms

• Application for Certified Marriage Certificate⁷
• Marriage Permission Slip⁷

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds

1964 to today (indexes from 1924)¹⁵

Older records

County Clerk in the county where the license was issued¹

Special situations

Use abroad

For an apostille, the WV Secretary of State asks for a certified copy signed by the county clerk of the county where the marriage was performed⁸ Details

Warnings from the office

• Intentional false statements or misuse of a vital record is a felony (WV Code §16-5-38)²
• Previously issued copies are no longer replaced free after amendment (since July 1, 2023)¹¹
• Vendor orders: customer service is the vendor's responsibility; the state receives $12 per copy regardless of vendor fees³

The state office

Office

Vital Registration Office (West Virginia Health Statistics Center)¹⁴

Phone

(304) 558-2931⁶

Email

[email protected]⁶

Mailing address

Vital Registration Office, 350 Capitol Street, Room 165, Charleston, WV 25301-3701

³

Walk-in address

Vital Registration Office (walk-up counter, right side of the main lobby, first floor), 350 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301

⁶

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM, except State holidays⁶

Website

Official website¹⁶

Questions people ask