A marriage license is an important document that many know they need to file for, however, many newly weds can’t quite tell you exactly why. Most just assume it’s something they need to do for legal reasons. The truth is your marriage certificate is used for a variety of purposes. Some include changing your last name to your partners, joining your spouse’s health benefits, and even obtaining a mortgage. Now is the time to get a copy of your Maine marriage records.
If you have lost your marriage license, you can easily find a copy of your license online. There are two main methods in which you can obtain your marriage license. The first consists of navigating your local Maine State website. The second method is by using third party websites. Let’s take a look at both of these methods so you can understand your options for getting a copy of your marriage license.
Official Maine Marriage Records via Government Websites
Maine keeps records of marriages that are performed within its state borders. This information is stored in two places. The first is the individual municipality where the marriage took place. The second is the State Vital Records Office.
All marriage records less than 50 years old are considered private. This means that only a select group of individuals may be allowed access to these records. The short list includes the bride, groom, descendants of either party and genealogists who have appropriate research cards.
You can request a copy from the Maine Vital Records Office by written request or by a walk-in request. You will need to have the following information in order to get a certified copy of the certificate:
- Bride’s Name (Maiden Version)
- Groom’s Name
- Date Of Marriage
- Name Of The City/Town Where The Marriage Took Place
- Picture Identification
- Nominal Fee Cash or Check
To submit your request at the local level, you will need to contact your local municipal office. Many of the municipalities in the state of Maine have their own website with the necessary information for contacting the office. The process of retrieving a certified marriage license should be similar to the one listed above.
Using Third Party Websites for Maine Marriage Records
If you don’t have to time go to the Vital Records Office or your local Municipal Office, you can opt to receive your marriage certificate through a third party public records database. The official website of Maine suggests visiting VitalCheck, which is a third party website that has partnered with Government agencies to provide citizens with easy access to their vital records.
Other third party websites can provide you with the marriage information you need, however, it’s important to realize that the information is typically not backed by the Government records. This means the information that you receive is not always 100 percent accurate.
Also, it’s important to realize that third party websites are not able to provide certified copies of a marriage license. If you need to use the marriage license for an official activity, such as applying for a mortgage loan, you will need to have a certified copy of your marriage license.
Nationwide Marriage Record Resources
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Last Updated: 2017-08-03