Learn How to Obtain Delaware Marriage Certificates

Named after Thomas West – the British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor- the US State of Delaware is actually the second smallest state in the country, next only to Rhode Island. Through the ages, many people have come and stayed here – the Native Americans, Dutch and the British.

Delaware might be a small state in size, but when it comes to its population, there is nothing small about it. Even way back in 1790 when the first census was held, there were 59,096 people living here. The estimated population in 2008 is 873,092.

With so many people living in such small a land, it would have been a challenge to maintain the vital statistics – the birth, death and the marriage records. Luckily, that is not the case because the concerned authorities have been trying their best to do a good job.

Why Find Delaware Marriage Certificates?

Today, marriage records in the State of Delaware and elsewhere in the country are being searched for a variety of reasons. The main reason is for genealogy research. Since so many people have come to the state at various times in history, it is extremely possible that one of your ancestors came to Delaware too.

Perhaps you know that a great-grandfather, uncle or aunt came to the state, settled down here and even got married. Now when you are mapping your family tree, you naturally want to know more about the person. What was he/she like? What kind of life did he/she live? A marriage record can provide you a lot of information here.

There are other reasons too for searching marriage records in the state. Perhaps you are about to get married or it is your son or daughter who is planning the wedding ceremony. To ensure that everything is fine, you want to check out the would-be wife or the husband. Marriage certificates can help you here as well. In fact, this is also a very popular reason why so many people are asking for marriage records these days.

Why Marriage Records Are So Important: What Kind of Information Can Be Retrieved from Them?

Marriage certificates contain information about the marriage of two people. There are different kinds of information such as the date of marriage, the place of marriage, sometimes the names of the mothers and fathers, and even the people who witnessed the marriage. In addition, some cases will also provide the name of the person who conducted the wedding ceremony. Marriage certificates are issued by the state and local governments and in these you will often find the addresses and perhaps even the maiden names of the mothers.

In many cases, the marriage record is the primary source of information. There are other sources as well such as newspaper insertions. Newspapers frequently carry advertisements about the marriage of two people and this could be the case with your couple as well. If you know the date of the marriage or the time around which it took place, you could browse through these papers to learn more.

Marriage records, licenses, indexes, announcements, and other related Delaware genealogy records can be obtained from these records that are maintained by the state and the county offices.

Where Can You Obtain Marriage Certificates in Delaware?

The Bureau of Vital Statistics came into existence in 1913 but it needs to be mentioned here that many records have been transferred to the State Archives only in recent years. In this state, unlike some others in the United States of America, it is somewhat difficult to get your marriage record copy--particularly if these records are from after 1913. There are exceptions to this. For example, in the city of Wilmington, the vital statistics have been maintained since 1881.

Here in Delaware, records of the bureau are restricted and the copies are only available to those with "a direct interest" or a need to establish personal or property rights. To access copies of birth records after 1920 and death and marriage records from 1953 onwards, you will need to write to:

Office of Vital Statistics
Division of Public Health
P.O. Box 637
Dover, DE 19903-0637

For records from earlier than that, you will need to write:

Delaware State Archives
Hall of Records
Bureau of Archives and Records Management
Duke of York St. & Legislative Ave.
Dover, DE 19901
Tel: 302-674-5680 302-739-5318 Fax: 302-739-6710

You can also approach the following office:

Delaware Public Archives
121 Duke of York Street
Dover, DE 19901

In most cases there is a payment involved when you are sending your request, and this is generally around $10.00. The payment usually changes when you are unaware of the exact year of the marriage and ask the office to conduct a search. In such a case, you are asked to provide a span of years for which you need the search to be undertaken. The higher the number of years for which the search has to be undertaken, the higher the fees will be.

Submitting Your Request to Receive Your Marriage Certificate Copy in the State of Delaware

The state and the county offices in Delaware are willing to help you find your marriage record copy provided you can show them that you really need it and that you are authorized to receive it. You also need to approach the right authority and request the application correctly.

There are certain things you need to keep in mind when you are submitting that application. Do remember to provide the following information in that application:

•    The husband’s full name (the last name should be in capital letters)
•    The wife’s full maiden name (the last name should be in capital letters)
•    The date when the marriage took place
•    The place where the marriage happened
•    Your relationship to the party
•    You need to state why you need access to the record
•    Your own address and name
•    Your own state and driver’s license number (this is necessary in some counties)
•    Your signature

Keep the Following in Mind When You Are Sending Your Request:

•    Your application letter should be to the point and concise.
•    Never request more than just 1 or 2 request at a time. Never include confusing family details.
•    It is always better to type the addresses and names in the letter.
•    Provide as much information as possible such as every name that could have been used, alternative spellings, nicknames etc.
•    Make a list of dates and types of events accurately (as much as possible). If it is difficult to specify the date, include the span of years that you want searched. Try to narrow it down to the maximum possible.
•    Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with the application.

So keep the above points in mind and place your application for a marriage certificate in the US State of Delaware. There is a great possibility that you will receive the information you are looking for.