Marriage Certificate North Dakota

A brief guide to marriage certificates in North Dakota

In order to establish your relationship as man and wife, it is important to obtain all the relevant documentation. Much as you need a marriage license to perform a ceremony, a marriage certificate in North Dakota establishes that a ceremony has been properly performed. Maintaining such documentation will help establish a relationship as need be. For example, you will need copies of marriage certificates in North Dakota if you are seeking a divorce at a later date.

The first step to obtaining this document is to apply for a marriage license. Until you have obtained this document, you will not be able to marry. While this document is a prerequisite to a ceremony, it will also be recorded on any marriage certificate in North Dakota which are issued.

When applying for a license, both parties must present sufficient documentation. For people age 18 or older, all that will be required is a government-issued ID demonstrating that they are of age and valid American citizens. Legal aliens will need to provide government-issued ID from their home country, as well as the visa which allows them to be in the country. Americans age 16 or 17 will need to have their parents present to give their consent to the ceremony.

Neither party can be intoxicated when applying for this document. The same condition applies during the actual ceremony. If either spouse is under the influence, a marriage will not be validated.

Following a ceremony, a marriage certificate in North Dakota must be signed by two witnesses in order to be valid. In addition, the person who officiated the ceremony must sign the document. If this person is a secular official authorized to perform such a ceremony, they must include their full name on marriage certificates in North Dakota. Religious officials must also include their affiliation.

Any marriage certificate in North Dakota must have two copies. One copy will be maintained by the state's office of Vital Records. This office uses marriage certificates in North Dakota to assemble many statistics related to life in the state. The other copy is yours to retain and should be kept in a safe place if you need it otherwise.

You must return the original of a marriage certificate in North Dakota within five days of a ceremony being performed. Along with this, the original of the marriage license must also be returned to the official who issued it. Failure to return original marriage certificates in North Dakota is a violation of the law and could lead to fines.

Copies of marriage certificates in North Dakota must be obtained from the county in which a ceremony was performed. The official responsible for issuing this document may be a county clerk, a county treasurer, a county recorder, a county auditor or clerk of court. A full list of the counties and officials to contact who can help you obtain a copy of marriage certificate in North Dakota can be found here.