Marriage Certificate Pennsylvania

Getting a Marriage Certificate in Pennsylvania

If you have been married in Pennsylvania or are doing investigation or research into a marriage that took place in the state, you may be wondering how to get an official copy of the certificate. Pennsylvania has no state agency that keeps a copy of every marriage certificate in PA, so you will need to work with your county courthouse to find the marriage records you're looking for. This guide will teach you how to get a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania whether you're a newly-married couple, someone who needs a duplicate copy, or someone who is conducting research.

Your Original Marriage Certificate in Pennsylvania

Newlyweds in Pennsylvania will sign their marriage license, and then send it to the county courthouse where they were married. Your first marriage certificate in PA can be sent to you soon after your marriage is complete. You may need to have a copy of your marriage certificate in Pennsylvania to prove that you are married for insurance purposes or government documents.

In order to obtain a copy of a marriage certificate in PA, you will need to write to the clerk of the court for the county where the marriage took place. Some counties may also offer telephone or internet searches, with credit card payment, if you need a copy of a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania. To find out what options your county courthouse offers for obtaining records of a marriage certificate in PA, you will need to contact them.

Certified Marriage Certificates

For many government documents, it is not enough to have simply a copy of a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania. A certified marriage certificate in PA is required in order for a woman to change her name on her Social Security card. You may also be required to show an employer a certified marriage certificate in Pennsylvania if you are trying to add your spouse to an insurance plan.

Obtaining a certified marriage certificate in PA is usually fairly easy, but may cost slightly more than having a non-certified marriage certificate. Typically, costs remain low for obtaining a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania—you can often pay as little as $10 even for a certified copy. You may want to check with your county courthouse to see what is currently charged for a copy of a marriage certificate in PA in your county.

Non-Certified Marriage Certificates

Not everyone needs the official state seal on their marriage certificate in Pennsylvania. If you only need to verify the information on a marriage record or do research on a marriage, you may be able to purchase a copy of a non-certified marriage certificate in PA. These certificates may not be appropriate for the purposes of some government forms, but they will allow you to do research or investigation more cheaply. For instance, in Allegheny County, while a certified copy of a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania will cost $10, a non-certified copy costs just $4.