District of Columbia Marriage Records Search

The importance of marriage records in the District of Columbia has dramatically increased with the number of marriages recorded in the state. This is because the District of Columbia marriage records are essential for most couples. 

Spouses require District of Columbia marriage records when they decide to purchase property or immigrate as a couple. Additionally, there is no way to establish custody over a child in case of divorce if the family does not submit the District of Columbia marriage records.

Moreover, the District of Columbia marriage records come into play when applying for a loan or even changing the last name on all legal documents. 

All these points prove the importance of knowing how to find marriage records online in the District of Columbia and which possibilities you have to run a free marriage records search. Continue reading this article to find answers to your questions.

District of Columbia Marriage Records

People who want to run a District of Columbia marriage records search need to understand which documents they must search for. 

Some institutions consider a marriage license a sufficient District of Columbia marriage record, whereas the majority of them accepts marriage certificate for that purpose exclusively. 

So, what is the difference between the two? Simply put, a marriage license is merely an authorization for the couple to get married officially. 

A marriage license proves there are no legal, religious, or health impediments for the couple to get married.

Most District of Columbia marriage records is stored in the local county courts or state health departments. Moreover, the marriage must be planned accordingly once the marriage license is issued. 

A marriage certificate, on the other hand, is obtained on the day of the marriage ceremony and contains information about the date and place of marriage, the spouses and witnesses, and their occupation and religious denomination, which is why a marriage certificate is considered an official marriage proof for the most couples.

Who Is Eligible to Run a District of Columbia Marriage Records Search?

Everybody older than 18 can run a District of Columbia marriage records search. Nonetheless, there are a few conditions one needs to take into consideration before running a District of Columbia marriage records search. 

First, you must cover the fee to run a District of Columbia marriage records search. The county determines the fee amount. 

It depends on the type of service you want to run with a District of Columbia marriage records search: download of District of Columbia marriage records online costs more than an amendment of the District of Columbia marriage records. 

Second, as a potential requestor, you must submit a written application to find the District of Columbia marriage records online. 

The request must contain information about the requestor themselves, the spouses, and the date and place of the marriage.

Additionally, it must specify the relationship between the requestor and the spouses and why the requestor needs to run a District of Columbia marriage records search. 

Please note that getting permission to run a District of Columbia marriage records searches without an ID or passport photo is impossible. Suppose you get rejected to run a District of Columbia marriage records search. 

In that case, you can always apply again and submit written permission from the spouses enabling you to run a District of Columbia marriage records search.

How to Find Marriage Records Online in the District of Columbia?

Having explicit information on eligibility and prerequisites to run a District of Columbia marriage records search, you can focus on how to find marriage records online in the District of Columbia. 

We recommend using the following three websites to run a District of Columbia marriage records search.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | (cdc.gov)

The CDC is the only website out of the three that enables a free marriage records search. Please note that the website does not allow the download nor correction of the District of Columbia marriage records. 

In return, it provides information about the locations and links to the state health departments. Additionally, the fee amount is also specified on the website.

District of Columbia Courts Website | (www.dccourts.gov/services/marriage-matters)

The state website of District of Columbia Courts is the only official tool that will enable the download of the District of Columbia marriage records online. 

Please note that the website does not allow a free marriage records search. Thus, you need to pay attention to the fees charged depending on the county.

Independent Platform | (backgroundcheck.co)

District of Columbia marriage records does not contain all the information about the employment and educational background of the spouses, as well as their civil or criminal records. 

It is recommended to complement a District of Columbia marriage records search with an independent search engine, such as backgroundcheck.co.

If you still have questions about finding marriage records online in the District of Columbia, contact a local health department or a county court.