FAQs • Montgomery County, PA • CivicEngage

Who must file the marriage return?: The officiate performing the marriage ceremony must file the Marriage Return with the Marriage License Bureau that issued the license, within 10 days of the date of the ceremony. A marriage record will not exist if the officiate who performs the marriage fails to file this document. Upon request, the Marriage License Bureau will inform the couples whether their marriage return has been filed and recorded. For more details, please contact the Marriage License Bureau at 610-278-3414.

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Marriage Licenses

1. What about prior marriages?: Marriage license applicants who have been previously married and divorced must have a form of photo ID and must furnish a certified copy of the Decree of Divorce dissolving the marriage. If your name has been changed back to your maiden name, we must see the copy of the decree stating that you have retaken your surname. Certified copies of divorce decrees may be obtained by contacting the Prothonotary Office of the county in which the decree was granted. A widow or widower must provide documentation to show proof of the date of death of their former spouse (ex. Obituary, Death Certificate, etc.) Foreign divorce decrees must be translated by an official translator on their official letterhead. A certified copy of the decree is needed if the bride resumed her maiden name. For more details, please contact the Marriage License Bureau at 610-278-3414.

2. Who must file the marriage return?: The officiate performing the marriage ceremony must file the Marriage Return with the Marriage License Bureau that issued the license, within 10 days of the date of the ceremony. A marriage record will not exist if the officiate who performs the marriage fails to file this document. Upon request, the Marriage License Bureau will inform the couples whether their marriage return has been filed and recorded. For more details, please contact the Marriage License Bureau at 610-278-3414.

3. How do I request a duplicate marriage license?: Certified copies may be obtained by contacting the Marriage License Bureau at 610-278-3414. There is a $14 fee for a certified copy. For more details, please visit the following link:
Obtaining a Marriage Record

4. We are getting married on an island or in another state. Where do we get our marriage license?: You must get your license in the state or country where the marriage will take place. Travel agents usually can provide the information.

5. Can I register my marriage in Pennsylvania if it takes place in another country or state?: No. Your marriage will never be registered in the Commonwealth or in this county. You should be certain to get a certified copy of your marriage license from the state or country where it took place. This will be necessary for social security purposes and perhaps your employer.

6. Is there a central registry of marriage in Pennsylvania?: No. In Pennsylvania records of marriage licenses are maintained in the county where you applied for the license. This is true even if you applied in Montgomery County but were married in another county of the Commonwealth.

7. I live in Montgomery County but my marriage is taking place in another county in Pennsylvania. Where can I get my marriage license?: The laws of Pennsylvania state that you can apply in any county of the Commonwealth and use the license in any other county of the Commonwealth.

8. Do I need a licensed minister or priest to perform my marriage ceremony?: No. Pennsylvania has a provision in the Marriage Act that recognizes a marriage performed without officiating clergy. This is referred to as a self-uniting license. Two witnesses are required.

9. How do I get a self-uniting license?: You must inform the clerk that you want a self-uniting license at the time that you apply.

10. Does Pennsylvania recognize common-law marriages?: This question should be referred to an attorney.

11. At what age is a person no longer a minor in Pennsylvania?: Age 18. Until then the person is considered a minor and needs parental permission to marry. If the person is between 14 and 16, court permission is also required to apply for a marriage license.

12. Why do you need my social security number (SSN) to apply for a marriage license?: The 1996 Federal Welfare Reform Act and the Commonwealth of PA Act 98-127 require the Social Security number of an individual who has one on any application for a marriage license.

13. What if I have a SSN but refuse to provide it?: Law does not permit us to take the application.

14. What happens if I do not have a social security number (SSN)?: Provision is made for this in the law. The application is taken and the license is issued.

15. Marriage applications are public record. I do not want my SSN given out to the public.: The social security number is available only to this office. It does not appear on the application, or any public documents of this office.