North Carolina Marriage Records

Marriages in North Carolina are legally recognized and binding unions between two individuals that establish obligations between them and grant the duly wedded couple various legal rights and responsibilities under state and federal law. On average, over 65,000 marriages are recorded across North Carolina every year. Chapter 51 of the North Carolina General Statutes outlines the legal framework for marriages in the state and covers areas like eligibility criteria, approved procedures, and the duties of all involved parties.

Per this law, individuals generally need to be at least 18 years old to get married in the state; however, minors aged 16 and 17 may marry under certain conditions, which include getting their parents’ or guardians’ consent. It is unlawful for any person under 16 to marry in North Carolina. Also, intended couples must be mentally competent, cannot be more closely related than first cousins, not currently married to someone else, and must obtain a marriage license from a county Register of Deeds before their wedding ceremony.

North Carolina marriage licenses are available to non-residents (but must be used in the state). While some counties offer online options for submitting license applications, couples are generally expected to appear in person at the Recorder of Deeds office to pick up their licenses. There is no required waiting period between when a marriage license is issued to a couple and when they may hold their wedding.

However, these licenses are valid for 60 days, and the couple must get married within this timeframe; otherwise, they will need to apply for a new one. A legally authorized officiant must also perform the marriage ceremony with at least two witnesses present. Once the marriage ceremony is completed, the officiant must return the signed license to the Register of Deeds for recording within 10 days.

North Carolina marriage records are maintained at both the county and state levels by local Registers of Deeds and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (through its Division of Public Health), respectively. Under state law, these records are deemed public records and, thus, are accessible to interested members of the public upon request.

What are Marriage Records?

North Carolina marriage records are official records pertaining to marriages that take place within the state. These records typically contain information like the intended couple’s full names, the location where the original marriage license was issued, and the date the marriage ceremony was performed. They may also include details like the name of the officiant, the couple’s age at the time of the wedding, their race, parents’ names, and the names of the witnesses to the marriage ceremony. There are two main types of marriage records in North Carolina: marriage licenses and marriage certificates. Marriage licenses are documents authorizing a couple to marry and must be obtained before their marriage ceremony, while marriage certificates are issued after the marriage ceremony and serve as official proof of the couple’s union.

North Carolina marriage records are created by county Registers of Deeds and are maintained locally by these officials as well as the North Carolina Division of Public Health (at the state level). These records are generally considered public records and are accessible to anyone upon request (certain information contained in these records may be restricted for privacy reasons).

Marriage records are used for a variety of purposes in North Carolina, such as:

To prove a marriage for legal purposes, such as name change, accessing spousal benefits, immigration, child custody, or inheritance
Tracing family history and establishing lineage
Historical research into social, cultural, and demographic trends

Marriages in North Carolina

A report published by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates that about 68% of North Carolina’s adult population (aged 16 and older) has been married at least once (as of 2021). A large percentage of these married couples are aged 35 – 74, with Union, Camden, and Currituck Counties having the highest shares of married couple households. Among North Carolinians aged 75 and older, 96% had ever been married, with 35% of them being widowed. 81% of the widowed adults in this age group were women, who also made up the majority (71%) of those currently divorced. Interestingly, while divorce rates had been declining in North Carolina, there was a spike in 2021, rising to a rate of 3.2 (per 1,000 residents) from 2.8, a figure recorded the previous year.

Among North Carolina adults aged 16 and older, Asian Americans were most likely to be married, with 64% currently married, followed by White, non-Hispanic adults at 56%. Black, non-Hispanic adults had the lowest marriage rates, with 43% never being married at all; individuals in this group were also more likely to be divorced. Hispanic adults had the highest rate of cohabitation, at 10%. It should also be noted that 27% of ever-married adults in North Carolina had been married more than once, with 6% having married three or more times. Remarriage was slightly more common among men (27.1%) than women (26.4%), and it was most prevalent among adults aged 55 to 74, where 36% had been married more than once.

Before a couple can get married in North Carolina, they must be mentally competent, not related closer than first cousins, and not be married to anyone else. Per state law, only individuals aged 16 or older can get married in North Carolina. Couples aged 18 and over can legally marry without parental consent, while those aged 16 or 17 must obtain the written consent of a parent or legal guardian. Note that these individuals cannot get married to someone older than them by more than four years.

Couples who meet these requirements can obtain a marriage license from a Register of Deeds office (most couples usually apply in the county where the wedding is expected to take place). The cost of these licenses varies by county. Many counties offer online application submission portals; however, both parties must appear in person at the Register of Deeds office to obtain the license. There, they will need to provide a valid government-issued ID to prove their age, their Social Security numbers (applicants who are ineligible to have one must provide an affidavit to this effect), and details of any previous marriages, along with the necessary documentation. North Carolina does not require premarital blood tests or physical exams, and there is no waiting period after marriage licenses are issued, so the couple can marry immediately if they choose. Nonetheless, marriage licenses are only valid for 60 days – if the marriage ceremony does not take place during this time, the couple will need to apply for a new one.

For a marriage ceremony to be considered valid in the state, one of the following requirements must be met:

It must be performed by either a magistrate, an ordained minister, or a church-authorized leader
It must be performed according to the traditions of a religious group that doesn’t use officiants
It must be performed in the customary way of any federally or state-recognized Native American tribe

There are two types of marriage ceremonies in North Carolina:

Religious Ceremonies: these are conducted by ordained ministers or following the customs of any recognized religious denomination or Native American tribe.
Civil Ceremonies: these are performed by magistrates.

There must be at least two witnesses present for a marriage ceremony, regardless of whether it’s a religious or civil one. After the ceremony, the officiant must complete the marriage license and return it to the Register of Deeds’ office in the county where it was issued for recording and the subsequent issuance of an official marriage certificate. Officiants who do not do this within 10 days face a $200 fine. In situations where the officiant fails to return the completed marriage license, the Register of Deeds may still record the marriage and issue a delayed marriage certificate if provided with at least one of the following:

Affidavits from at least two witnesses to the marriage ceremony
An affidavit from one or both spouses, along with an affidavit from at least one witness
An affidavit from the officiant, along with an affidavit from one of the witnesses or any spouses

Delayed marriage certificates typically include the date of the filling as well as the actual date the marriage ceremony was performed, and they hold the same legal value as regular marriage certificates.

North Carolina Marriage Certificate

A North Carolina marriage certificate is an official document that records the details of a marriage ceremony that was conducted in the state. Wedding officiants are generally required to return a properly completed and signed marriage license to the Register of Deeds office that originally issued it; this office then uses the returned license to generate a marriage certificate. As such, marriage certificates typically contain information like the couple's full names and addresses, the date of the marriage, the county that issued the marriage license, and the date of the marriage license; they may also indicate the marital status of the couple prior to the wedding and the names of the officiant and witnesses.

The Register of Deeds in the county where the marriage took place is the primary record custodian for marriage certificates and is charged with maintaining these records and providing copies upon request. Copies of North Carolina marriage certificates can also be accessed through the state's Division of Public Health.

How To Find and Access North Carolina Marriage Records

North Carolina marriage records can be accessed through the Register of Deeds office in the county where the marriage in question took place. Copies of marriage certificates from 1962 till date may also be obtained from the North Carolina Division of Public Health via its Office of Vital Records. Be aware that while uncertified copies of these marriage records are open to inspection by any interested member of the public, certified copies are typically only issued to the following parties:

The individuals named on the record
Their current spouses
Their siblings
Their children, step-children, and grandchildren
Their parents, step-parents, grandparents, and legal guardians or custodians
An authorized agent or legal representative

Accessing North Carolina Marriage Records Online

Many North Carolina counties make marriage records accessible online (often through a third-party service provider), and searches can be initiated by visiting the website of the Register of Deeds that issued the marriage license. Be aware that a fee is usually required to obtain copies of these records – actual fees vary by county and are dependent on the type of record and number of copies being requested.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health also provides online access to marriage records and utilizes a third-party service to handle the ordering and delivery of certified copies of marriage certificates. This agency charges a non-refundable $24 for standard certificate searches – this fee covers a three-year period and one certified copy of the record, if found. Note that additional processing and shipping fees may also apply.

Accessing North Carolina Marriage Records Offline

Interested parties can view and obtain copies of North Carolina marriage records by visiting the Register of Deeds office in the county where the marriage took place. Requests for copies of North Carolina marriage records can also be directed to the state’s Division of Public Health in person, via mail, and by phone. The process for these offline record requests typically involves completing and submitting a request form, providing identification, and paying the required fees.

References

Counties in North Carolina

List of Content

What are Marriage Records?
Marriages in North Carolina
1. North Carolina Marriage Certificate
How To Find and Access North Carolina Marriage Records