NC Vital Records: Marriage Certificates

Marriage Certificate Ordering Options

Ordering options are listed on our Order a Certificate page, which includes links to forms and fees, depending on the ordering option you want to use.

Before placing your certificate order, we recommend you check the processing dates page for estimated processing and shipping dates to determine if estimated timeframes would meet your needs. If not, you may want to consider ordering the marriage certificate from the Register of Deeds in the county where the marriage occurred.

Fees

• $24 nonrefundable standard certificate search fee per three-year period (includes one copy of the certificate, if a record is found).
• Applicable processing and shipping fees.
• See our fees page for a detailed fees table.

Marriage Certificate Amendments

For marriage certificate changes or replacements, contact the county Register of Deeds where the marriage license was issued. NC Vital Records can assist with changes to a birth or death certificate. Our office does not handle changes to marriage certificates.

Check Order Status

• If you've already placed an order through our office and need to check status, check our processing dates page to determine general processing timeframes.
• If you placed an order through your local Register of Deeds, then contact the specific Register of Deeds office for status.

Statement of No Marriage

In order to be married in a country outside the United States, foreign governments may require an official statement of no marriage (or single status) that contains an apostille to be presented by a US citizen.

To obtain a statement of no marriage, you need to follow the normal marriage certificate ordering process: place an order for a marriage certificate, pay the search fee(s) and provide valid identification.

Depending on your circumstances, you may need to provide a statement of no marriage for both parties to the marriage, in which case you would need to place separate orders.

• $24 nonrefundable standard certificate search fee per three-year period (includes one copy of the certificate, if a record is found).
• Applicable processing and shipping fees.
• See our fees page for a detailed fees table.

If no marriage record is located, you will receive a letter from NC Vital Records stating that no record was found.

If an apostille to the "no record found" letter(s) from NC Vital Records are required by the foreign country in which you are planning to be married, the NC Secretary of State's Office is the appropriate North Carolina agency from which you would obtain the apostille. (NC Vital Records does not issue or facilitate apostille services.)

NC Secretary of State: Apostille and Authentication FAQs

Marriage Process and Marriage Licenses

North Carolina requires you to have a marriage license before getting married. NC Vital Records does not issue marriage licenses.

If you want to get married in North Carolina, you should contact your local Register of Deeds office. They can issue the marriage license and explain the requirements for getting married in North Carolina. Once you've been married, you will be able to obtain copies of your marriage certificate from that Register of Deeds office or from NC Vital Records.

• Find Your NC Register of Deeds
• NC Judicial Branch: Marriage Requirements and Licenses

Last Modified: April 3, 2026