People sometimes confuse a marriage license with a marriage certificate. They are different documents with different purposes.

Marriage Licenses and Marriage Certificates

• A marriage license is the piece of paper that authorizes you to get married. In most states you apply for a marriage license through the county clerk’s office where you want to be married. You may both apply in person, or in some counties, you may complete the application online.

• A marriage certificate is the document that proves you are married.

Typically, after the wedding ceremony, you, your spouse, and the witnesses will sign the marriage license. The person who performs your wedding ceremony will sign the license and submit it to a county office. The county will issue your marriage certificate—usually within a month.

Get a New or Duplicate Marriage License

Most marriage licenses expire within 30 days to a year, depending on the issuing state.

• If your license expires before you get married, you can apply for a new one.

• If your license is lost or destroyed after the wedding, and before it's submitted to the county, the person who officiated your wedding should take action—they should contact the office that issued your license to get a duplicate.

Get a Copy of Your Marriage Certificate

For a certified copy of your marriage certificate, contact the vital records office in the state where you were married. You will find instructions on how to request a copy and information on any fees.

Although the guidelines vary by state, all requests should include:

• Full names of both spouses at the time of marriage

• Month, day, and year of the marriage

• Place of the marriage (city or town, county, and state)

• Purpose for requesting the copy of the marriage certificate

• Relationship to the people whose marriage certificate is being requested

• Your daytime telephone number (include area code)

In Hawaii, a marriage license is a document that authorizes a couple to get married and is typically obtained from the county clerk's office. Applicants may need to appear in person or, in some cases, may be able to apply online. The marriage certificate, on the other hand, is proof of the marriage and is issued by the county after the marriage ceremony has taken place and the signed license has been submitted by the officiant. If a marriage license expires before the ceremony, a new one must be applied for. If the license is lost or destroyed after the ceremony but before it is submitted, the officiant should contact the issuing office for a duplicate. To obtain a certified copy of a marriage certificate in Hawaii, one should contact the state's vital records office. The request should include full names of both spouses at the time of marriage, date and place of marriage, the purpose for the request, the requester's relationship to the couple, and a daytime telephone number.