Massachusetts Marriage Records Search

Massachusetts marriage records are in high demand for so many people. Massachusetts marriage records are needed when the couple wants to apply for spousal benefits, immigrate or purchase property together. 

Additionally, marriage records in Massachusetts are also important for the government and any health and religious institutions to keep track of the population, which is why we decided to cover all questions related to how to find marriage records online in Massachusetts in this article. 

Additionally, we will examine how to run free marriage records search and where it is better to do it.

Massachusetts Marriage Records

Before running a Massachusetts marriage records search, you need to understand the marriage records. Marriage certificates and licenses both fall under Massachusetts marriage records. 

The local clerk's office usually issues the marriage license up to 2 months before the marriage. By issuing the marriage license, the local clerk confirms there are no legal, religious, or health impediments to the marriage. 

The document ensures that both spouses mentioned on the marriage license are unrelated and can get married. A marriage certificate, on the other hand, is obtained right after the marriage and contains the following information:

- Names of the Spouses
- Birth Dates of the Spouses
- Addresses (Residence)
- Occupation of the Spouses
- Parent's Full Names
- Witnesses' Names
- Name of Officiating Minister of Registrar
- Religious Denomination of the Spouses
- Place and Date of the Ceremony

This is why, when asked to provide Massachusetts marriage records at any legal or government institution, you would be required to submit a marriage certificate and not the marriage license.

Who is Eligible to Run a Massachusetts Marriage Records Online?

Practically, everybody who is older than 18 years can run a Massachusetts marriage records search. However, it is not as simple. 

You also need to pay the fee for requesting any of the marriage records in Massachusetts. The fee varies depending on the type of order for Massachusetts marriage records you make:

• If you order online or by phone, you will be charged $51 for the first copy and $42 for any additional copy.
• If you order marriage records in Massachusetts by mail, you will pay $32 per copy.
• If you order the marriage records in person, the fee is $20 per copy.

Additionally, you will be asked to complete a written request stating your intention to run a Massachusetts marriage records search. 

Your application to find the Massachusetts marriage records online must contain the following information:

• Personal and contact information of the party whose name is on the record

• Personal information of the party requesting to run Massachusetts marriage records search

• Relationship between the requestor and the party on the record (e.g., father, mother, son, daughter, husband, sibling, aunt, uncle, grandparent, legal guardian, etc.)

• The reason for the request (e.g., insurance proceeds, authentication, death benefits, private purposes, etc.)

• The date of marriage

• The place of marriage

• Scope of search required (statewide or county limited)

Additionally, you will need to provide an ID photo to run it.

How to Find Marriage Records Online in Massachusetts?

Once you have checked your eligibility to run a Massachusetts marriage records search, you can answer the question of how to find marriage records online in Massachusetts. There are multiple ways to do that. 

However, not every website mentioned below provides a possibility to run a free marriage records search. Most of the websites would charge you a small fee of $40-$50 per record.

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

CDC website should be one of the first tools you use to run a Massachusetts marriage records search. CDC allows you to find all the information to know where and how much it will cost to run the marriage records search. 

CDC website contains links to the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics website. Additionally, the working hours and the fees charged per record are mentioned on the website.

Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics Website | (mass.gov)

All the Massachusetts marriage records online can be found on this website and downloaded. 

There are multiple possibilities to pay for the Massachusetts marriage records you download, such as by card, cash, paycheck, or online.

Independent Platform | (backgroundcheck.co)

If the Massachusetts marriage records search has been completed, but you enquire for some additional information on the parties involved in the Massachusetts marriage records, you can run a search on an independent platform such as backgroundcheck.co. 

The platform will not allow a free marriage records search but will provide you with the following information instead:

· Employment and Education History
· Contact Information
· Civil and Criminal Court Records (if applicable)

This article has explained how to find marriage records online in Massachusetts. 

If you have more questions about finding marriage records online in Massachusetts, contact the vital records office via phone or email.