Kentucky Marriage Records

Kentucky's first attempt to maintain marriage records began in January 1852, when the Kentucky General Assembly required local tax assessors to record all vital records and forward them to the state Auditor's office. However, the Commonwealth began statewide central registration of marriage records in June 1958. Records before 1958 remain with the issuing county clerk of the Circuit Court.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Kentucky's marriage rate of 6.1 marriages per 1,000 residents closely mirrors the national average of 6.2 marriages per 1,000 people. Kentucky marriage records are the official documents generated when two individuals decide to get married in the state. Kentucky marriage records comprise two primary documents:

• Marriage Licenses: A marriage license is a pre-ceremony permit issued by the county clerk authorizing two individuals to marry. This document serves as the foundation for issuing the marriage certificate and typically contains information about the couple getting married. It includes their names, current addresses, age, date of birth, county of application, license number, and license expiry date.
• Marriage Certificates: A marriage certificate is a post-ceremony record created after the wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, the officiant signs and returns the marriage license to the county clerk, who records it and generates the official marriage record. Marriage certificates, which serve as proof that the marriage took place, contain information about the wedding. Typically, it includes the finalized names of spouses, date, time, and place of marriage, name and signature of the officiant, clerk certification stamp, filing date, and license number.

Unlike states that issue certified and informational copies of marriage records, Kentucky issues only certified copies of marriage records. The certified copies of marriage records bear an embossed state seal or county stamp and the registrar's signature. It is required for legal and administrative transactions.

Kentucky law prohibits the issuance of informational or non-certified versions of marriage. Therefore, access to informational copies of marriage records is through third-party sites, which lack validity and cannot be used for official purposes.

How To Look Up Marriage Records in Kentucky?

You can look up Kentucky marriage records from the following sources:

• The Kentucky Department for Public Health - Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) provides access to marriage records from June 1958 to date.
• The county clerk's office maintains marriage licenses and marriage certificates from June 1958, dating back to early 1852.

You can obtain certified copies of marriage records from the OVS by mail, online, or in person at the OVS. Online requests for marriage records through an authorized third-party vendor. Persons requesting the record by mail or in person may complete the Application for a Certified Copy of Marriage/Divorce Certificate form. Mail or drop off the record request at the lobby at the address below:

Marriage records are also accessible at the county clerk's office. To purchase the record, contact the specific county clerk's office where the marriage license was purchased. While ordering the marriage records may vary by county, all counties require record seekers to complete a record request form, typically available on their website or at the office.

Generally, all requests for marriage records in Kentucky require the following supporting information and documents:

• The couple's full name
• The precise marriage date
• The county where the marriage license was issued
• A valid government-issued photo ID
• Proof of eligibility if the person named on the marriage record
• The fees

Are Marriage Records Public in Kentucky?

Although the Kentucky Open Records Act presumes that government records are public, the vital records confidentiality provisions in the Kentucky Revised Statutes exempt vital records, including marriage records, from public disclosure. Consequently, Kentucky classifies marriage certificates as confidential vital records and prohibits the public from viewing or copying the record.

While marriage records are generally closed to the public, certain eligible persons may still obtain certified copies. Per state law, the couple, immediate family members, legal representatives, and persons with a court order may obtain the document.

How Much Do Kentucky Marriage Records Cost?

Marriage certificates ordered from the OVS cost $6 per copy, with additional copies also costing $6. However, the cost varies if you are ordering certified copies of marriage records from the county clerk's office. Generally, expect to pay around $5 if requesting the record in person and up to $7 if ordering the document by mail.

Mail requests for Kentucky marriage records from the OVC typically take up to 30 working days to process the record request. Kentucky does not offer expedited processing for mail record requests at the OVS and county levels. However, if you need the document faster, you may order the record in person at the OVS or at the specific county where the marriage license was issued. They typically process walk-in requests on the same day.

Is It Possible to Make Your Marriage Records Confidential in Kentucky?

No. Although marriage records are closed to the public in Kentucky, the state does not offer a confidential marriage license program, which hides marriage records from everyone except the couple named on the document. Similarly, Kentucky does not provide for the sealing of marriage records.

How Do I Verify the Authenticity of Kentucky Marriage Records?

You may need to confirm the legitimacy of your Kentucky marriage records for legal, financial, and personal reasons. These reasons include claiming joint filing status or spousal deductions, adding a spouse to a health or insurance policy, establishing marriage validity during divorce proceedings, and applying for visas and travel documents.

Therefore, you may verify the authenticity of your marriage records from the county clerk's office and the Kentucky OVC. A certified Kentucky marriage certificate includes security measures to confirm its legitimacy and ensure the document cannot be falsified. Generally, an authenticated marriage record has a raised or embossed state or county seal, the original signature of the officiant, and a declaration statement by the custodian certifying the document to be a true copy. In addition, certified marriage records are printed on tamper-resistant paper with watermarks to prevent forgery.

Can I Find Kentucky Marriage Records Online for Free?

Yes. You can access some Kentucky marriage records online for free from non-governmental sources. These resources provide access to old and new marriage records without cost.

FamilySearch.org offers free access to statewide marriage indexes of marriage records from Kentucky from 1785 to 1979. The platform also provides scanned images of Kentucky county-level marriage licenses and certificates for marriage unions pre-1958.

The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives hosts a searchable database of digitized Kentucky marriage records, including early marriage bonds, licenses, and related court documents.

Third-party aggregators, such as PublicRecords.us, provide free access to basic information on marriage records. Usually, the platform collates public records from multiple government sources to provide you with a free index to Kentucky marriage records, ideal for beginning your research.

What Is Required to Get a Kentucky Marriage License?

To obtain a Kentucky marriage license, the intending couple must meet specific requirements and submit the required documentation, including:

• Both parties must be present together at the county clerk's office
• Both parties must be at least 18 years old
• Applicants aged 16 and 17 may obtain marriage licenses with parental consent
• Both parties may present valid government-issued photo IDs
• The divorce decree or death certificate if either parties were previously married
• The stipulated fees

It costs $50 to purchase a marriage license across Kentucky counties. In addition, there is no waiting period in Kentucky. The marriage license becomes valid once issued by the county clerk, meaning the couple can get married immediately after they receive the license. However, the license is valid for 30 days from the date of issue. If the marriage ceremony is not conducted within the period, the license expires.

Can You Amend Marriage Records in Kentucky?

Yes. You may amend errors on your marriage documents in Kentucky if you notice errors on the records. Generally, you may amend the following:

• Misspellings in the names or addresses of the spouses, parents, or witnesses
• Omissions or missing information, such as witness names, county of marriage, or officiant details
• Incorrect details in occupational information, marriage date, place of birth, or parental information

Amending Kentucky Marriage License

If you notice mistakes on your marriage license issued in Kentucky, you may correct the error at the county clerk's office that issued the license. To amend the document, both parties named on the marriage license may submit an affidavit listing each error alongside the correct information. Also, include a copy of the original marriage license that contains the error.

You may mail or drop off the correction request at the county clerk's office. The clerk fixes the error and issues a new license. There is an amendment fee, which varies by county. The amount is typically around $10.

Amending the Kentucky Marriage Certificate

Correcting your marriage certificate in Kentucky requires a formal court process. File a petition in the court where the marriage certificate was recorded. Include a statement of the incorrect data and the correct information on how the certificate should be. You may also include supporting evidence, such as birth certificates or affidavits, that proves the correct information. The judge reviews the evidence and issues a court order directing the county clerk to amend the marriage certificate.

To amend the document at the clerk's office, submit the original marriage certificate and the court order. The clerk corrects the error and issues you a new marriage certificate. The cost to file the petition differs by county but typically ranges between $150 to $200. The county clerk's office charges a $10 fee to amend the marriage certificate. You also pay an additional $6 to obtain a certified copy of the corrected marriage certificate.