Find Free Vermont Marriage Records on Anybody (License Lookup)

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Free Vermont Marriage Record Search

Access anyone's marital information in Vermont, free of charge.

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You can look up free Vermont marriage records for any reason.

These records can be used to determine if someone is married or to research your own family history. Certified marriage records may also be when citizens when they have to provide proof of their marriage for an official or legal reason.

Individuals can access marriage records in Vermont due to the state’s Public Records Law and liberal restrictions on vital records, as well as the federal Freedom of Information Act. While marriage records may be available in Vermont, it’s important to understand the steps and processes for finding and requesting them.

In addition, a record seeker must understand various nuances, such as the requirements for requesting certified and non-certified copies. This article will provide helpful tools and answer all your questions about searching and requesting marriage records in Vermont.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

Are Marriage Records & Licenses Open Records in Vermont?

In Vermont, there are no restrictions on searching marriage records.

As a result of 18 V.S.A. § 5002, Vermont marital records are required to be made available to the public.¹ Unlike many other states, there is no waiting period for the marriage licenses to be considered public records.

This access also includes civil unions, which was enacted on July 1, 2000 to allow same-sex couples to obtain the same benefits as married couples. Same-sex marriage was legalized in Vermont on September 1, 2009, negating the need for civil unions.

In addition, this statute requires that the Vermont State Registrar also provide additional statistical information on marriages per calendar year. This information is compiled and provided by the Vermont Department of Health with its annual vital statistics report. This data is displayed in various ways, such as the party’s place or county of residence, age of applicants, month of marriage, previous marital status and more.

While marriage licenses are public records, it is important to understand there is a difference between requesting a non-certified and certified copy of a marriage record. Non-certified copies of marriage records are typically used for informational purposes. Certified marriage records can be used for business or legal reasons as official proof of one’s marital status.

Any citizen can request a non-certified copy. However, a certified copy of a marriage record can only be requested by a limited number of people. Authorized individuals include the following:

• Either Marriage License Applicant (e.g., Named Husband or Wife)
• Child (of Legal Age)
• Sibling
• Parents
• Grandparents
• Grandchild (of Legal Age)
• Legal Guardian
• Court-Appointed Executor or Administrator

How To Retrieve Vermont Marriage Records & Licenses

A citizen can request marriage records through the Vermont Department of Health.³

An individual can request either a certified (if a qualified individual) or non-certified copy of a marriage record. Non-certified copies can be obtained for free, while certified copies cost $10.00 (plus an additional $2.00 processing fee for online orders).

The first option for requesting a marriage (or civil union) record through the Vermont Department of Health is to submit an online request for a certified copy.

On average, a marriage record will be sent to a person within five to seven business days from when the request was submitted. However, a marriage record can be expedited for an additional $14.50 if requested.

To make a request online, you will be asked to provide your personal contact information and the type of identification you plan to provide to prove your identity. Next, you will be required to list the identifying information of both spouses. At a minimum, a record seeker is required to provide the parties’ names.

Additional information that can be added includes the parents’ names at the time of marriage. Other identifying information a requester must provide includes the date of marriage (estimates are allowed), town and county of marriage.

The Department of Health also wants to know why you are requesting the marriage record. Options include genealogy searches, passport, insurance, driver’s license and social security. Finally, you will be asked to provide your relationship to the person listed on the marriage record to make sure you meet the state requirement for receiving a certified copy.

Another option is to request a marriage record by mail. For marriages from 2014 to the present, you can make a request by completing the Vermont Department of Health’s Application for Certified Copy of Marriage Record.

Requests can be sent by mail to the address below:

Vermont Department of Health
Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, Vermont 05402

An application can also be dropped off at the following address:

Vermont Department of Health
Vital Records Office
108 Cherry St.
Burlington, Vermont 05402

The Vermont Department of Health is open Monday through Friday from 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. For requests for non-certified copies, they can also be sent to the above address or by email to vitalrecords@vermont.gov.

The only required information a requester must provide is the names of the individuals on the marriage license and the date of the nuptials. For additional questions, you can also call the Vermont Department of Health at 802-863-7200.

Vermont marriage records from 2013 and earlier can be requested through the Vermont State Archives & Records Administration.

To make a request, an individual can complete their Certified Copy of a Marriage/Civil Union Record.⁵ The completed application can be sent to the below address:

Vermont State Archives & Records Administration
Office of the Secretary of State
1078 US Route 2
Montpelier, Vermont 05633

For questions on how to make a request with the Vermont State Archives & Records Administration, you can contact them by phone at 802-828-3700.

If a person wants to look up marriage information online, they can do so for free with the marriage license search engine provided by a Vermont Department of Health approved third-party, FamilySearch.

This online search tool is free and does not require a user to sign up for an account. To use this government-approved search tool, you can select “marriage” as the life event. From there, you can enter an individual’s name and the city or county in Vermont in which the marriage occurred to get information online.

There are also archived marriage records that a citizen can access. This will be discussed in greater detail later in this article.

Sourcing Marriage Records Through Cities & Towns in Vermont

While state resources can be helpful, you may want to search marital records on a more local level. A person may want to search for Vermont marriage records locally because of convenience, or the local government agency may have a better process for accessing this type of information.

Whatever the reason, the process for searching and accessing marriage records is different from one city, town or county to the next. Below, you’ll find guidance on how to search and request marriage records in some of the larger cities and towns in Vermont.

How To Access Marriage Records in the City of Burlington

Burlington is the largest city in the state of Vermont, and copies of marriage licenses that were issued in this city can be requested directly from their local government offices.

If a record seeker wants a marriage record from Burlington, they can do so by using the Clerk Treasurer’s Office online Marriage Certificate Request Form.

To complete this form, you will need to know the full name of both parties and the date of the marriage. A requester will also have to provide their relationship to the named individuals on the marriage record. You can then provide your contact information and the number of certified and non-certified copies you are requesting.

The fee for certified copies is $10.00, and non-certified copies cost $2.00. There is also a one-time service fee of $1.50 regardless of the number of copies of a marriage record requested. It takes the Clerk Treasurer’s Office approximately two to four business days to process and send a requested marriage record.

A citizen can also request a marriage record by completing and mailing a Marriage Certificate Request Form. This form, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment, can be mailed to the address below:

City of Burlington
Attn: Vital Records
149 Church St. 
Burlington, Vermont 05401

Checks to pay for the fee should be made payable to the City of Burlington.

Finally, an individual can make a request at the Burlington Clerk Treasurer’s Office. They are available for in-person requests from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. If you have additional questions about requesting a copy of a Burlington marriage record, you can contact them by phone at 802-865-7000.

How To Obtain a Copy of a Marriage Record in Essex Vermont

For marriage licenses recorded in Essex, you have the option of requesting a copy with their Clerk’s Office.

If you would like to obtain marriage records from the Essex Clerk’s Office, you can do so by completing their Application for Vital Record. The completed application should be sent to the address below:

Town of Essex
Attn: Town Clerk’s Office
81 Main St. 
Essex, Vermont 05452

Applications can also be dropped off at the above address. The Essex Clerk’s Office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

This application can be used to request either a marriage record or a civil union. When completing this form, make sure to indicate what type of record you are searching for. In addition, you can provide the date of the marriage (or civil union), the party’s names and the requester’s contact information.

The cost of a certified copy is $10.00. Payment can be made online, by check or money order.

If a requester has any questions about requesting a copy of an Essex marriage record, they can contact the Clerk’s Office by email at clerk@essex.org or by phone at 802-879-0413.

How To Request Marriage Records in South Burlington

If a citizen is looking to request marriage records in South Burlington (a distinct city from Burlington mentioned earlier), a request can be made with their Clerk’s Office.⁸

To make a request, you can provide the Clerk’s Office with the name of either party to the marriage and the date they were married. South Burlington’s Clerk’s Office does not require a formal application.

A citizen can make a request for a marriage record either in person or by mail. If a request is made by mail, you will also need to provide a self-addressed stamped envelope or a note that indicates where you want the marriage records to be sent. In addition, you will have to include payment for the nominal fee.

Requests can be mailed to the address below:

City of South Burlington
Attn: Clerk’s Office
180 Market Street
Burlington, Vermont 05403

The cost for a certified copy is $10.00, and you can obtain a non-certified copy for $2.00. If you want to contact the South Burlington City Clerk, you can call them at 802-846-4105. Their office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

How To Find Archived Marriage Records in Vermont for Genealogy Research (Free Method)

If a person is doing a genealogy search, they may need to access archived public marriage records. In Vermont, it has been a requirement since 1779 for all town clerks to record marriages. In addition, since 1857, town clerks have been required to compile a marriage index.

A person wanting to look up archived marriage records can go to the public reference room for the Vermont State Archives & Records Administration.⁹ This room is available to the public for both inspecting and copying any Vermont State archived public records. This room is open to the general public from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, although it is recommended to call and make an appointment.

For more information on archived marriage records or to make an appointment, you can contact the Vermont State Archives & Records Administration by email at sos.archives@vermont.gov or by phone at 802-828-3208.

If you are trying to perform a search of archived marital records and you are not sure where else to look, there are some other creative options. Marital information can be found in local libraries, historical societies and old newspapers.

If you know the approximate location where the person was married, you might also want to check with churches and other religious institutions that may have performed the ceremony. They often have their own record of these events.

Note: The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration has an online digital state archives repository, VT Re•tain. Currently, this database is still under development and has limited capabilities for searching archived records in Vermont. 

There are other resources in the state that may assist you with your search for historical Vermont marriage records. For example, the Vermont Historical Society compiles multiple marriage indexes that can assist with finding archived records.

How To Apply for & Submit a Vermont Marriage License

If you are looking to apply for a Vermont marriage license, there are some requirements you must be aware of. First, you have to be at least eighteen years of age to obtain a marriage license. If a citizen is under eighteen, they must have the written consent of their parent or guardian.

There are a few other restrictions and requirements before one applies for a marriage license, such as the following:

• A marriage license will not be granted between close relatives (e.g., parent, grandparent, sibling, child, grandchild, niece, nephew, aunt or uncle).
• Neither party can be currently married or joined in a civil union.
• Both parties must be determined to be of sound mind.

Those are the primary restrictions. Beyond that, there is no blood test required, nor is there a required waiting period. A couple can start the process by completing an Application for Vermont License of Civil Marriage.

A couple may then request a marriage license from the Clerk’s Office in any city or town in Vermont. It does not have to be the particular location where you plan to be married.

The cost of a marriage license in Vermont is $80.00. After the issuance of a marriage license, the parties have 60 days to have their wedding ceremony performed by an authorized individual. If a couple fails to get married during this timeframe, the license is void.

There is some basic information applicants must provide when requesting a marriage license. Those include the following:

• Basic identifying information, including name, residence, date and place of birth
• Parents names (including mother’s maiden name) and their birthplace
• Number of previous civil unions or marriages (including how and when they ended)

Mail-in requests are not allowed for marriage licenses. Vermont marriage licenses can only be provided in person. Once you have a marriage license, an individual is authorized to get married anywhere in Vermont.

For additional information on applying for a marriage license, you can review the Vermont Department of Health’s Questions & Answers for Getting Married.¹¹

Before you apply for a marriage license, there are a couple of things to consider. First, you may want to get a prenup. This allows you and your partner to decide in advance how assets will be divided and other important matters resolved should the marriage be legally dissolved.

This can be a great way to ensure that both parties are on the same page and that one side is not going to use an irretrievably broken marriage to leverage their partner’s assets.

Another thing to consider is getting a marriage background check. This can be done either before or during the marriage and is a great way to determine if your partner has been honest with the information they have shared with you. This type of background check can be used to see if a person has a criminal record, previous marriages and more.

Marriage records are a great tool to learn someone’s marital status, request certified copies, learn more about one’s family roots and more. You are now equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to search and access a variety of Vermont marriage records.

Alternatively, interested parties can look up marriages that have been officially ended (dissolved) by following the steps for obtaining divorce records in Vermont; for a broader lookup of other various public records throughout the state — such as warrants, arrests, court documents, births, deaths, etc. — please refer to the Vermont free public information lookup tutorial.