North Dakota Marriage Records

North Dakota began maintaining statewide marriage records in 1925. Before this year, marriage records were held by the state archives or at the county level. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control reveals that North Dakota's marriage rate is lower than the U.S. average. At 5.1 marriages per 1,000 residents, North Dakota's marriage rate is 17% below the national average of 6.2 marriages per 1,000 people.

North Dakota marriage records are the documents created when two individuals decide to get married in the state. These documents include the following in North Dakota:

• Marriage Licenses: A marriage license is an application filed by a couple before the wedding ceremony, issued by the County Clerk of the District Court in the county where at least one party resides. Marriage licenses grant the couple legal authority to marry. Usually, marriage licenses contain the couple's full names, date of birth, gender, birthplaces, current addresses, and information about any prior marriage. Marriage licenses also hold information about the document, including the license number, issuance date, and issuing clerk's signature.
• Marriage Certificates: A marriage certificate is a document created after the wedding ceremony, serving as legal evidence that the wedding took place. After the wedding, the officiant signs and returns the marriage license to the County Clerk's Office. The officer records that the marriage took place and creates the marriage certificate. A marriage certificate contains the couple's names, birthdates, date and location of the marriage, officiant's name, and witness signatures. In addition, marriage certificates contain the filing date, unique certificate number, and the signature and official seal of the issuing officer.

How To Look Up Marriage Records in North Dakota?

You may look up North Dakota marriage licenses and certificates at the County Clerk's Office, where the marriage license was issued. Before 2008, marriage certificates were accessible at the State Vital Records Office. However, since 2008, all persons seeking marriage certificates issued from 1925 to date may order the document at the county courthouses.

Requesters may order the document in person, by mail, or online. Some counties provide an online form for this purpose. Online requests for certified copies of marriage certificates are through an approved third-party vendor that processes and ships the document for an extra fee. To obtain the marriage certificate by mail or in person, visit the county's web page or courthouse to download the Marriage Certificate Application form.

Complete the application form and submit the document to the County Clerk's Office that issued the marriage certificate. All requests for marriage records may include the couple's full names, marriage date, a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID, and the fees. If ordering the document by mail, include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your application. Marriage records issued before 1925 are accessible at the North State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Are Marriage Records Public in North Dakota?

Per North Dakota's Open Records Law, all public or governmental agencies' records, including marriage records held by the courts, are public records that are open and accessible for inspection by the public. However, while marriage records are open to the public, only eligible persons, such as the couple, immediate family members, and legal representatives, may access certified copies of the marriage certificate. Unauthorized individuals may access informational copies of the marriage record.

How Much Do North Dakota Marriage Records Cost?

Depending on the county of request, it costs $5-$10 to order a certified copy of a marriage certificate in North Dakota, with extra copies being charged between $2 to $6 if ordered simultaneously. Online requests are typically processed within 5-7 business days. However, in addition to the certificate fee, there is a $5 service charge plus shipping costs of about $18.50.

It takes around 2-4 weeks for North Dakota counties to process mail requests for marriage certificates. Most counties do not offer expedited processing for marriage certificate requests. Therefore, persons who need the document urgently may purchase the record in person. In-person requests are issued on the same day.

Is It Possible to Make Your Marriage Records Confidential in North Dakota?

No. Marriage certificates in North Dakota are public records, open to the public for viewing and copying. Unlike states that permit residents to obtain confidential marriage licenses, which would make the marriage certificate closed to the public and eligible requesters, North Dakota has no legal framework to support restricting public access to marriage records. Similarly, couples cannot apply to North Dakota courts to have their marriage certificates sealed from the public.

How Do I Verify the Authenticity of North Dakota Marriage Records?

Marriage records are crucial for many legal, financial, and personal purposes, including applying for visas, tracing family history, and substantiating claims for joint tax filings or spousal insurance. In addition, your North Dakota marriage certificate is essential for establishing legal entitlement to a spouse's estate, tracing your family lineage, and changing your legal name.

North Dakotans can verify the authenticity of their marriage records at the County Clerk's office where the marriage license was issued. Eligible persons can compare their marriage certificate with that held at the County Clerk's office to confirm that the certificate they have corresponds with the original copy held at the county. In addition, authorized individuals may request certified copies of the marriage certificate.

A valid North Dakota marriage certificate includes the details of the spouses, marriage information, witnesses, and officiant signatures, certificate number, and filing date. The document contains security features such as an embossed seal and the signature of the issuing officer. In addition, certified copies of marriage certificates in North Dakota contain a printed legend stating the document is a "true and correct copy" of the records on file. It is typically printed on special watermarked-embedded paper to deter tampering.

Can I Find North Dakota Marriage Records Online for Free?

Yes. You may access new and older North Dakota marriage records for free online through various non-governmental resources.

FamilySearch.org is a free genealogy platform that hosts digitized marriage records and indexes for North Dakota. Its pre-1925 records include browsable collections of marriage licenses and certificates from county archives. Its post-1925 records cover all 53 counties, providing access to marriage records, including index names, marriage dates, and location of marriage.

Ancestry.com provides access to the North Dakota marriage index from 1872 to 1950. In addition, the platform offers indexed marriage records and image scans of marriage registers from all counties from 1925 to 1960. The platform requires a subscription to access the complete records. However, most public libraries in North Dakota offer free on-site access to Ancestry Library Edition.

PublicRecords.us provides access to a searchable index of North Dakota marriage records aggregated from county databases and volunteer sources. It provides access to more current marriage records and provides a fast way to access basic marriage information, including the couple's names, marriage dates, and county of marriage. The platform offers free access for preliminary searches but charges a minimal fee for detailed reports.

What Is Required to Get a North Dakota Marriage License?

To legally get married in North Dakota, couples must adhere to the following state requirements to obtain a marriage license:

• Be present together at the County Clerk's office.
• Both applicants must be 18 years or older. Applicants aged 16-17 years require written, notarized consent from both parents or legal guardians, who must be present at the County Clerk's office.
• If either party was previously married, a copy of the certified divorce decree or a certified copy of the death certificate must be submitted.
• Both parties must present a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID.
• Social Security numbers of both parties.
• The marriage license application fee.

The marriage license fee across North Dakota counties is $65. There is no mandatory waiting period. After the license is issued, the couple may get married immediately. Marriage licenses are valid for 60 days from the date of issuance. If the couple does not get married within the period, the license expires, and the couple must reapply to get married.

Can You Amend Marriage Records in North Dakota?

You may amend the following inaccuracies on your North Dakota marriage license and certificate:

• Typographical errors in the applicants' names, including misspellings and the wrong order
• Transposed digits in marriage date, birth dates, or Social Security Numbers
• Errors in the officiant's name, witness information, or location of the ceremony
• Incorrect parental names
• Omitted information, such as missing middle names previously provided
• Legal name change

Amending North Dakota Marriage License

You may amend inaccuracies on your marriage license if you notice inaccuracies in the document before the wedding. You may correct errors in your marriage license at the County Clerk's office where the license was issued.

To amend minor clerical errors, bring the license with the error to the county clerk's office. State the mistake and specify the correct information. Bring along documentary proof supporting the correct information. The clerk will strike through the incorrect information and write the correct information. The clerk will also stamp the correction to certify its authenticity. There is no cost to amend minor errors.

For substantive errors on a marriage license, the clerk will void the original license and issue a new one with the corrected information. Reissuing a new license will incur the standard marriage license fee of $65.

Amending the North Dakota Marriage Certificate

Amending an error on a North Dakota marriage certificate requires filing a formal amendment request to the County Clerk's office where the marriage license was issued. Fill out an amendment request form stating the incorrect information and specifying the accurate data. Most County Clerks' offices provide the form at their office or on their website.

Submit the original marriage certificate with the error and include evidence, such as a court order, birth certificate, or a valid government-issued photo ID, supporting the correct information. Notarize the application form and pay the amendment fees. It costs $15 to amend your marriage certificate in North Dakota. The fee excludes the cost of obtaining a certified copy of the amended marriage certificate.