Massachusetts Marriage Records

According to reports, over 35,000 marriage ceremonies were held in Massachusetts in 2023, making it the 21st out of 51 states in the number of weddings in the United States. Even though the state hosts a sizable number of marriage ceremonies yearly, there have been a series of fluctuations in the state's marriage rate over the last two decades. Under Massachusetts marriage law, two individuals who wish to marry each other must be at least 18 years old. Otherwise, they must get a court order from the district or probate court in their town or city. While visiting the court to obtain a court order, the minor party must go there with their parent or legal guardian, who must consent to the intended marriage.

Per Massachusetts law, a married person is prohibited from getting married to another individual until they have divorced the other person. State law also forbids people closely related by marriage or blood from entering into a marriage with each other. Getting married in Massachusetts requires getting a license from any town or city in the state. Both parties to a proposed marriage may contact the clerk of the town or city where they intend to obtain a marriage license to find out what they need to obtain a license. Once they are given the license, they must get married within a specified period in a marriage ceremony performed by an authorized officiant, as required by state law. After the ceremony, the officiant must return the completed and signed original marriage license to the clerk of the town or city where the license was obtained to register the marriage. Once registered, it becomes a part of the state's marriage records.

Most Massachusetts marriage records are considered public records and may be inspected or obtained by anyone. These records are primarily kept by the clerks of the city or town that issued the marriage licenses. However, city and town clerks typically forward copies of every marriage record they create to the state's Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, where they are also made available to interested members of the public upon request.

What are Marriage Records?

In Massachusetts, marriage records are official documents and information kept by relevant state authorities certifying that a couple is married following state law. They contain some vital information about marriage, including the full names of the married parties, the date of the marriage, the location of the marriage, and the name of the officiant who performed the marriage ceremony. Massachusetts marriage records also hold details of other specifics about marriage registration, including information and documents submitted while obtaining a marriage license. The most commonly available types of marriage records in the state are marriage licenses and marriage certificates.

Copies of Massachusetts marriage records are available in multiple repositories. For instance, the clerks of towns and cities in the state maintain extensive collections of all marriage records for events that happened before 1841. Also, the registration books of marriages enlisted in all cities and towns in the state from 1841 to 1930 are held by the Massachusetts Archives. All marriage records created after 1910 within the state boundaries remain in municipal clerks' offices, with copies maintained at the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics under the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Massachusetts marriage records are public records under the state's Public Records Law unless sealed. Also, Chapter 46 of the Massachusetts General Laws mandates that non-restricted vital records, including marriage records, are public. Such records are available for inspection, review, and transcribing. Eligible persons may also order or purchase certified copies. However, while most Massachusetts marriage records are considered public records, public access may be limited in certain circumstances. For instance, marriage records in which one of the spouse's original birth certificate is restricted due to unmarried birth parents may not be accessed by the general public. The same applies where an adoption occurred, and the name changed. Such marriage records may only be accessed by persons named on the records, their birth parents, and legal guardians.

Marriage records are created in Massachusetts to help keep track of the local population. This is why marriage licenses are particularly issued by the clerks of municipalities. Also, marriage records are a great source of genealogy research in the state. They hold rich, original facts and information about ancestors' lives and the times in which they lived. Genealogists may uncover as much information as possible from ancestors' marriage records. For instance, they can find the names of their ancestors, particularly the brides' maiden names, which may be hard to find in many cases. Such information may help establish connections between family branches. Massachusetts marriage records also provide couples with several protections and benefits. A couple's responsibilities and rights are typically protected under the law because they are legally recognized. As a result, they can enjoy legal benefits like name change, inheritance rights, property rights, and tax advantages.

Marriages in Massachusetts

Most women in Massachusetts get married at a median age of 28.8 and their men at an average of 30.1 years. This is likely one of the responsible factors for the consistently low marriage rate in the state over the last two decades. Massachusetts' 2022 marriage rate of 5.1 per 1,000 residents, although higher than the previous three years, was one of the lowest in the United States in that year. In fact, it was lower than the 2022 national average of 6.2 marriages per 1,000 people. Surprisingly, Massachusetts had one of the lowest divorce rates in the United States in 2022, at 1.4 per 1,000 population, which was lower than the year's national average of 2.4 divorces per 1,000 total population.

Massachusetts has fewer married women than men. According to reports, 49% (1.31 million) of the state's male population aged 15 years and older are married, while the percentage of married women is 44% (1.29 million). By racial distribution, the Asian community (including Hispanics) in the state has the highest number of married persons, at about 56% of their population. The percentages of other married individuals for other ethnic groups in Massachusetts are listed below:

Whites (non-Hispanics) - 49.09%
White Hispanics - 33.9%
Other racial groups (including Hispanics) - 31.98%
Blacks (including Hispanics) - 30.49%
Mixed (including Hispanics) - 30.58%

A person does not have to be a Massachusetts resident to get married in the state. The state permits the marriage of couples from anywhere in the world, provided they qualify. Similarly, the state does not require blood test results as part of the marriage license process. Certain persons closely related by blood or marriage cannot enter into a marriage together in Massachusetts, per Chapter 207, Section 1, and Section 2 of the state's General Law. As stipulated in this law, no man may marry their mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, stepmother, grandson's wife, wife's daughter, and other closely related females by marriage or blood. The same applies to women. It is forbidden for them to marry any male that is closely related to them, either by blood or marriage.

Furthermore, Chapter 207, Section 4, and Section 6 of the Massachusetts General Laws prohibit anyone who is still legally married from marrying another person. Such a person must first divorce their current spouse. Someone who gets married to another individual while a current marriage has not been legally terminated commits bigamy, as stipulated in Chapter 272, Section 15 of the state's General Laws. The offense is punishable by up to 2.5 years in jail, 5 years in prison, or a fine not exceeding $500. Typically, the clerk of the city or town issuing a marriage license may ask for proof of divorce. Anyone who is already divorced but does not have proof must, at a minimum, provide information about the court that granted the divorce and the date the judgment was made.

How To Get Married in Massachusetts

Anyone who wants to get married in Massachusetts will have to obtain a marriage license. This is typically the first step. Two parties intending to get married to each other can apply for a marriage license from the clerk of any town or city within the state. Typically, both parties must be present in person at any town or city hall to fill out a Notice of Intention of Marriage Form. However, where one of the parties is incarcerated, only one party needs to appear in person. Similarly, both parties do not have to be present to file the form in person if one of them works in the military. Some municipalities, like the Town of Plymouth, allow intending couples to complete the Marriage Intention paperwork online and then appear in person to sign and file the Notice or Intention of Marriage Form.

It is important not to leave out information such as the following while completing the form:

Full names
Gender
Occupation
Social Security number (SSN)
Date of birth and birthplace
Residential address
Full name of parents, including maiden and middle names
The name to bear after the wedding if name change is part of the plan
Disclosure of relations by marriage or blood
Existence of former or present state-created domestic partnership or civil union and dissolution status, if applicable
Number of previous marriages and how the last marriage came to an end (divorce or death)

Both parties must provide proof of their age (a passport or birth certificate will suffice) and pay the required fees, which may vary by city or town. Each of them will be asked to swear before the clerk that all information entered into the Notice of Intention of Marriage Form is true and that there is no legal constraint to the marriage. After submitting the form to the clerk, there is a 3-day waiting period before the marriage license is ready for pick-up. However, there are instances when this can be waived. A would-be couple must apply for marriage without delay at the district or probate court in the municipality where they filed their Notice of Intention of Marriage. Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that a waiver will enable a would-be couple to get married on the same day.

A Massachusetts marriage license is valid for only 60 days after issuance. So, a prospective couple is expected to have their marriage ceremony during this period. Otherwise, their license will become invalid, and they must re-apply for another license. Only authorized persons can perform marriage ceremonies in Massachusetts. Per Chapter 207, Section 38 of the state's General Laws, the following individuals are approved to officiate a marriage ceremony in the state:

In-state Justices of the Peace
In-state clergy members
Out-of-state Justices of Peace
Out-of-state clergy members
A layperson (a non-justice of the peace or non-clergy member) who obtained a special one-designation. The person may be a family member or friend.

Massachusetts marriage law does not require the presence of a witness at a marriage ceremony. A marriage officiant must complete and sign the original marriage license during a marriage ceremony. They are also required to return the signed marriage license to the clerk of the issuing town or city after the wedding. Otherwise, the marriage will not be registered and will be deemed invalid. Once the clerk's office receives the completed license, it will process and record it.

Massachusetts Marriage Certificate

Massachusetts marriage certificates are documents prepared and issued to couples after their marriage ceremonies within the state, attesting to the legality of their marriage under state law. They are a part of the state's marriage records and serve as proof of a legal union between two individuals. A Massachusetts marriage certificate is prepared by the clerk of a municipality once the marriage officiant returns the marriage license. Hence, marriage certificates are available upon request at the town or city clerk's office where the intention of marriage was filed. They may also be retrieved from the state's Registry of Vital Records and Statistics.

How To Find and Access Massachusetts Marriage Records

Massachusetts marriage records are available at the municipality clerks' offices, the State Archives, and the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics and may either be accessed offline or online.

Accessing Massachusetts Marriage Records Offline

Records of marriages from 1931 to the present are available at the city and town clerks' offices throughout the state. Some municipalities have records dating from before 1931 in the clerks' custody. The clerk of each municipality typically maintains marriage records for all marriage licenses issued and disseminates them upon request by members of the public. Most towns and cities allow interested persons to make their requests by mail and in person, but the procedure may vary by municipality.

Typically, for mail requests, requesters are expected to complete a request form, provide all the necessary information, and mail the completed request form, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the city or town clerk. For in-person requests, requesters will typically fill out the request form and submit it at the office of the city of town clerk.

To request a Massachusetts marriage record from the state's Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, a person will need the names of spouses named on the record, the marriage location and date, and proof of identification. The Registry has copies of marriage records that occurred in the state from 1931 to date. Interested individuals may order marriage records in person from the Registry at:

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics

150 Mount Vernon St.

1St Floor

Dorchester, MA 02125

Phone: (617) 740-2600

Alternatively, requesters may complete the Marriage Record section of the Application for Vital Record Form and mail it with all required documentation, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment to the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The Registry typically processes mail orders within 30 business days of request receipt. Anyone who wishes to have their order delivered within 7-10 business days should mark their self-addressed stamped envelope and address it to the attention of Expedited Mail Service. However, there are associated fees for expedited services.

Accessing Massachusetts Marriage Records Online

Some city and town clerks maintain online systems that allow anyone to request Massachusetts marriage records in their custody. For instance, anyone requesting marriage records from the Town of Acton may use the City Hall Systems to make their requests. This is usually a more convenient way of requesting records but may come with a certain convenience fee. The state's Registry of Vital Records and Statistics partners with a reliable, independent record service company, through which anyone looking to find and access a Massachusetts marriage record online may submit their request. Requesters may also call the Registry at (617) 740-2606 or (866) 300-8535 (toll-free) to make their requests.

Digital records of marriage records from 1841 and 1930 are available on the file of the Massachusetts State Archives. The state's Archives Digital Repository provides online access to these records. Interested persons may also search for citations to marriage records from 1841-1910. All records at the Massachusetts Archives, including the state's marriage records, are public records.

References

Counties in Massachusetts

List of Content

What are Marriage Records?
Marriages in Massachusetts
1. How To Get Married in Massachusetts
2. Massachusetts Marriage Certificate
How To Find and Access Massachusetts Marriage Records