The Museum of Family History
HONORING AND PRESERVING THE MEMORY OF OUR ANCESTORS
FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
 

HOME          SITE MAP          ABOUT THE MUSEUM          FEEDBACK          OPPORTUNITIES          LINKS

   ERC: Genealogy and Family History: Records

 
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES

There are three types of documents associated with a marriage in New York City: An "Affidavit for License to Marry," a "Certificate and Record of Marriage," and the marriage license itself.
Marriage indices can be found in at least two places:
The New York City Municipal Archives: Here you can first look up the number of the marriage certificate on microfilm and then do the same for the marriage certificate itself. At the Archive you can look at or purchase any marriage certificate (of Affidavit for License to Marry) using their microfilm machines, as long as the marriage occurred prior to 1930. You can request a copy of a marriage record by postal mail by filling out the necessary forms. Visit the NYC Department of Records - Application for a Search and/or Certified Copy of a Marriage Record web page. You can  request a search and certified copy online, or if you already have the certificate number, you can just request the certified copy online.
The Office of the City Clerk: If the marriage occurred in 1930 or at anytime thereafter, you can obtain the documents here. Visit www.nycmarriagebureau.com . Here are the links for requesting marriage records:
Marriage Record Requests in Person
Marriage Record Requests by Mail

An option for obtaining the certificate number is by using the databases at www.italiangen.org , i.e. the "grooms index" for the years 1866-1936, or the "bride index" for the years, beginning for Kings County in 1891, Bronx County 1899 and Queens County 1904, and ending in 1937.

> What is the significance of all three marriage documents?

According to the New York City Office of the City Clerk:
"Both the prospective bride and groom must appear together in person to apply for a Marriage License. The application must be completed in our offices. The application consists of an affidavit wherein the applicants list various personal details such as their name, address, birth place, date of birth, social security number, and marital history and make a sworn statement that there are no legal impediments to the marriage. Applicants who have been married previously must list all prior marriages on the Marriage License Application. They are required to supply their prior spouse's full name, the date the divorce was granted and the place the divorce was filed and may be asked to produce the final divorce decree. All divorces, annulments, and dissolutions must be finalized before applying for a new Marriage License. If you are a widow or widower, you must provide your deceased spouse's full name and date of death. The Marriage License is generated based on this information. It will be prepared while you wait, and you will take it with you upon your departure. Unless you obtain a judicial waiver, you must wait a full 24 hours before your Marriage Ceremony can be performed," and "A New York State Marriage License is valid for 60 days only and can only be used in the state of New York."
The Certificate of Marriage and Record is filled out by the person who was certified to perform the civil ceremony, whether it be a Rabbi, City Clerk, magistrate, or or some other person.



AFFIDAVIT FOR LICENSE TO MARRY:

Let's compare the information that was entered on three affidavits, roughly twenty-five years apart, filled out and filed between the years of 1910 and 1951:

ABRAM & IDA 19 Nov 1910 New York, New York   LOU & FAY 16 Mar 1926 Brooklyn, New York SAM & FANNIE 11 Dec 1951 Brooklyn, New York   MARRIAGE LICENSE:   Wedding cir 1920s LOU & FAY 16 Mar 1926 Brooklyn, New York   SAM & SYLVIA 29 Sep 1946 Brooklyn, New York   CERTIFICATE AND RECORD OF MARRIAGE:   ABRAM & IDA LOU & FAY Front of a Certificate and Record of Marriage 15 Sep 1931 Queens, New York Example of back of Certificate and Record of Marriage 21 Nov 1936 Brooklyn, New York

Copyright © 2006-7 Museum of  Family History

All rights reserved.  Image Use Policy