Cuyahoga County Marriage Record Search

Cuyahoga County marriage record search is a process that allows individuals to find and obtain official documents concerning marriages filed in the county. Examples of official documents uncovered during a marriage record search include marriage licenses and certificates. These documents contain details about recorded marriages in Cuyahoga County, including but are not limited to:

• The full names of both spouses (bride and groom)
• The full name of the officiant
• The filing date of the marriage license application
• Marriage license and certificate issuance date
• Date married
• Case number

Parties to a marriage, such as the bride and groom, usually conduct marriage record searches to obtain their marriage record for personal record keeping or to serve as proof of marriage for official processes. Name change, application for healthcare benefits, and updating social security information, amongst others, are some official processes that may require presenting marriage records as proof of marriage. Other persons may also seek out marriage records for genealogical research purposes.

Cuyahoga County Probate Court is the offical issuer and repository for marriage records in the county. Hence, interested persons can conduct Cuyahoga County marriage record searches through the County Probate Court. Besides marriage records, the County Probate Court also maintains other types of Cuyahoga County Court Records, such as guardianship, adoption, living trust, and name change records, to name a few.

Are Marriage Records Public?

Yes. Ohio and its counties have no legislative restrictions on who can access marriage records. As a result, Cuyahoga County marriage records are available to anyone who queries the County Probate County for marriage records. Note that sensitive information, such as the Social Security Number (SSN) and the mother's maiden name of parties to a marriage, contained in marriage records are redacted to protect the privacy of relevant parties.

Types of Marriage Records in Cuyahoga County

Cuyahoga County has two types of marriage records. Each type of marriage record and the unique purposes they serve are explained thus:

Marriage license

A marriage license is a legally binding document that allows prospective spouses to solemnize their marriage in any Ohio county. However, suppose neither the bride nor the groom is a resident of Ohio. In that case, they can only use their marriage license to solemnize their marriage in the county where it was issued—in this case, Cuyahoga County. Per Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 3101.01 and Section 3101.05, there are certain legal requirements applicants (prospective spouses) must meet before they can obtain a marriage license:

• Applicants must be 18 or older and present documentary proof of their age. If either applicant is 17 years old, they must satisfy the requirements outlined in ORC Section 3101.02
• Neither applicant should be currently married.
• Applicants must not be nearer of kin than second cousins.

Although applicants may meet the aforementioned legal requirements for a marriage license, their marriage license application will be denied under certain conditions according to ORC Section 3101.06. These include if either applicant is under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance or has a form of syphilis that is communicable or likely to become infectious. Furthermore, a marriage license expires 60 days after its issuance date per ORC Section 3101.07.

Marriage certificate

A marriage certificate is an official document that legally certifies the matrimonial union between two individuals. It is maintained on file by the probate court that issued the marriage license used to solemnize a marriage. Married couples are usually required to present their marriage certificate for specific legal processes, like requesting a name change and applying for government benefits afforded to married couples.

How to Find Marriage Records in Cuyahoga County

Record seekers can contact or utilize the following to find Cuyahoga County marriage records:

• The Cuyahoga County Probate Court
• The Cuyahoga County Probate Court Web Docket portal
• Third-party websites

Cuyahoga County Marriage License Lookup

Record seekers can search for Cuyahoga County marriage licenses online through the Cuyahoga County Probate Court Web Docket portal. The portal is free to access and allows users to search for marriage records, including marriage licenses, using different search criteria, such as a case number or party name (i.e., the officiant, bride, or groom's name). Regardless of the search criterion users provide to enable their search, they must select "Marriage" under the "Case Category" option on the portal to streamline their search. The search results will be displayed as a list of cases that match the provided search criteria. Users can select a case and navigate to the docket tab to view a docket image of the case's marriage license.

Where Do I Get A Certified Copy Of My Marriage Certificate

Interested persons can order a certified copy of their Cuyahoga County Marriage Certificate through the County Probate Court by mail or online.

Record seekers can request certified copies of their marriage license online through the Cuyahoga County Probate Court Web Docket portal. As previously explained, the portal is free to access, and users can search for their marriage certificates and other marriage record by case number or party name (e.g., the officiant, bride, or groom's name). Once they find their marriage details in the search results, they can select it and click the "Request Full Case Copy" option at the bottom of the page to request a full case copy for $12. The "full case copy" includes a certified copy of the requester's marriage certificate. Note that there may be additional fees for larger case files.

On the other hand, record seekers can request certified copies of their marriage licenses using the Certified Copy of Marriage License Request Form. Note that a certified copy of a marriage license cost $2.00. Requesters must appropriately complete the request form and mail it along with an enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment of the required fee (via money order or cashier's check made payable to Cuyahoga County Probate Court) to:

Cuyahoga County Probate Court
Marriage License Department
1 Lakeside Avenue,
Room 129 (1st floor)
Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Requesters should note that the turnaround time for mailed-in requests is two (2) weeks.

Get Marriage Certificate Online in Cuyahoga County

The Cuyahoga County Probate Court Web Docket portal is not the only online resource interested persons can use to get Cuyahoga County marriage certificates online. Some third-party websites also offer services that allow users to search, view, and request marriage certificates online. These third-party websites offer conveniences their official counterpart provided Cuyahoga County Probate Court lacks, including faster processing time, no geographical limitations (inter-county and state search capabilities), and a user-friendly interface. Nonetheless, users must provide specific details about the sought-after marriage certificate, such as a party name or case number, to conduct searches on these third-party websites. However, most third-party websites usually charge users a fee to search for or request a marriage certificate.

Find Public Marriage Records Free Online

Interested persons can use the Cuyahoga County Probate Court Web Docket portal to find public marriage records for free online. The portal features docket images of marriage records, including marriage license applications, marriage licenses, marriage certificates, and marriage license abstracts, concerning marriages recorded in Cuyahoga County. These docket images are free to view in the portal. However, sensitive information they contain, like the mother's maiden name and SSN of the parties to the marriage, are redacted.

Record seekers can also find public marriage records for free online through some third-party websites that offer marriage records search services. However, these websites typically only provide basic information and documents concerning marriages for free, and users may need to pay a fee or subscription to access comprehensive marriage records.