Search Free District Of Columbia Marriage Records (D.C. License Lookup)

Find free Washington D.C. marriage records seamlessly without spending a lot of time or money.

An efficient lookup is possible because the District Of Columbia operates very similarly to a typical US county in terms of its local government, meaning you can locate most important public vital information such as marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, etc. at the District of Columbia Superior Court, which is comparable to the local county courthouse in the Washington D.C. area.

Many new brides need to find their marriage certificate so they can provide a certified copy to the Social Security Administration to change their last name, and some people need a copy to qualify for spousal benefits, while others are searching for marriage records to support immigration or tax claims.

That said, quite a few people these days need to locate marriage records because they are involved in a family genealogy research project, so they may have no idea what local authority issued the marriage record they are looking for.

Given the complex local government situation in the D.C. metro area, unless you know what agency issued the Washington D.C. marriage records you’re looking for, you should probably start your search with the District of Columbia Superior Court.

Public Availability of Marriage Records & Certificates in Washington D.C.

Due to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the District of Columbia’s Freedom of Information Act, marriage records originating in Washington D.C. before 1920 can be obtained from the District of Columbia Superior Court.^1,2

More recent marriage records can only be obtained by authorized individuals such a spouse, immediate family members or legal representatives.

However, third party providers can be of use because they check multiple sources across the web including marriages in other states and traces of unions through social media platforms.

Furthermore, marriage rates are made available through the U.S Census and the CDC. According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, Washington D.C. had a marriage rate of 7.3 persons getting married per 1000 persons in 2021.

On a related note, unlike many states, the District of Columbia does not recognize common law marriages (ie, marriages that become legal over time with no marriage license or ceremony after a certain period of cohabitation and/or publicly declaring you are living as a married couple).

How To View & Request Washington D.C. Marriage Records

You can order Washington D.C. marriage records online, by mail or in-person, from the District of Columbia Superior Court (Moultrie Courthouse).

The application to order a certified copy of marriage license requires the marriage date, and the full names and maiden names for both parties. Note the fee is $10 per copy. You can use a form provided at the D.C. Superior Court website to order a certified copy of a marriage license issued in Washington D.C. since 1957.⁴

If you prefer, you can either mail or drop off the application for a certified copy of a marriage license in-person at the address below:

District of Columbia Superior Court (Moultrie Courthouse)
Marriage Bureau – JM 690
500 Indiana Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 202-879-1212

You can pay the $10 per certified copy fee by check or money order (payable to Clerk, DC Superior Court).

Office hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5 pm.

You can also use VitalChek to enable online ordering of certified copies of marriage licenses (also a $12 fee per certified copy) in Washington D.C. Although it is a little more expensive than ordering a copy of a marriage record from a government agency, VitalChek does offer a convenient, centralized service for customers to order marriage certificates online.

Checking Washington D.C. Archives for Ancestral Marriage Records

If you’re interested in genealogy and tracking your family history, you can find historical Washington D.C. marriage records from 1870 to 1920 at the District of Columbia Archives, DC Office of Public Records. Just follow the “Request a Marriage Record” link on the main menu of the DC Office of Public Records website, then fill out and submit the application (no charge for up to five records requests per 30-day period).⁵

Also keep in mind old newspapers, church records, and family bibles are all good potential spots to find useful genealogical information such as announcements about births, deaths, marriages, and divorces.

The National Archives “Resources for Genealogists” page is an ideal place to start almost any kind of genealogical research project, especially a project focusing on historical Washington D.C. marriage records.⁶

You can also find historical Washington D.C. marriage records for genealogy projects from 1870 to 1966 in the U.S. Library of Congress “District of Columbia: Local History & Genealogy Resource Guide”.

How To Obtain a Marriage License in Washington D.C.

It’s easy to apply for a marriage license in the Washington D.C. area. You can either apply for a marriage license online on the D.C. Superior Court website or in-person at the Moultrie Courthouse location (see above) between 8:30 am and 4 pm Monday through Friday.⁷

In the District of Columbia, you must be at least 18 years old to apply for a marriage license (or 16 years old with consent of parent or guardian), and the fee for the marriage license is $45.00. The $35 of the fee is waived if the applicant provides his/her original DC Domestic Partnership Certificate.

District of Columbia marriage license fees are required to be paid by cash, credit card, check or money order (payable to Clerk, DC Superior Court).

Proof of age for both parties can be demonstrated by presenting a valid US driver’s license, government-issued non-driver’s ID, or a passport.

D.C. marriage licenses have no expiration date.

Whether you’re looking to get married, need your own marriage record for an official purpose, or are simply curious if someone is married, this resource provides all the necessary details to find Washington D.C. marriage records quickly and efficiently.

Alternatively, you can track down details of dissolved marriages via the District of Columbia divorce record search tutorial.