Arizona
Arizona Marriage & Divorce Records: No State Vital Record Exists
The single most useful fact about Arizona marriage and divorce records is a negative one: the state does not keep them. The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records scopes itself, on its own page, to birth and death certificates. Under a heading for marriage and divorce records it does not offer a product at all; it points readers to the Arizona Courts locator.
That makes Arizona one of a small group of states, alongside Ohio, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia, where a request that starts with "I need the state's copy" has no answer. There is no state copy. ADHS directs marriage and divorce requests to the courts, so plan on a county clerk from the start.
This page covers records. For grounds, residency, and the dissolution process itself, see Arizona divorce laws. The 51-jurisdiction comparison is on the marriage and divorce records hub.
Where Arizona marriage records actually live
Marriage licenses in Arizona are issued by the Clerk of the Superior Court in each of the state's 15 counties. After the ceremony, the officiant returns the completed license to that same clerk, who records it. The recorded license, certified by the clerk, is what functions as Arizona's marriage certificate.
Three consequences follow.
First, you order from the county where the license was issued, not where the wedding was held and not where anyone lives now. Arizona allows a couple to obtain a license in any county and marry anywhere in the state, so these can differ.
Second, coverage varies by county. There is no single statewide marriage index with a published start year, and the county clerks do not all publish one either. Older records may have moved to archival custody.
Third, the fee is county-set. Maricopa County, the largest, charges $98.00 for a marriage license and $43.50 for a certified copy of a recorded license sent by mail, reduced to $35.50 if you include a self-addressed stamped envelope, as of August 2026. Those are Maricopa figures. Do not port them to Pima, Coconino, or anywhere else; ask the clerk for the current schedule.
Arizona divorce records: decree only, no certificate
In Arizona there is nothing on the vital-records side to compare against, so this branch resolves immediately. The decree of dissolution of marriage is the only document. It is a Superior Court record, held by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed. It contains the terms: property division, spousal maintenance, legal decision-making and parenting time, and any name restoration.
There is no Arizona equivalent of the one-page divorce verification that states like Colorado or Alabama sell. If an agency asks for a "divorce certificate" and you were divorced in Arizona, a certified copy of the decree from the clerk is the correct document to offer.
Certified copy fees on the court side are set by each Superior Court clerk and typically combine a per-page copy charge with a separate certification charge. Because they vary by county, get the number from the clerk.
Public access to Arizona marriage and divorce files
Arizona court rules presume court records are open. That presumption is what makes divorce case files broadly available, subject to sealing and redaction in individual cases.
In practice you have two access layers.
Case information online. The Arizona Judicial Branch runs a free Public Access Case Lookup covering the great majority of Arizona courts. It shows case existence, parties, case type, and docket activity. It is a locator, not a document delivery service, and it does not cover every court in the state.
Documents from the clerk. Copies of the actual decree, and of filings in the case, come from the Clerk of the Superior Court, in person or by mail.
There are limits. The Maricopa County clerk cites A.R.S. section 25-121(B) for the rule that the office does not release Social Security numbers from marriage license records absent a written request meeting the statute's terms, so identifiers are stripped from what you receive. Beyond that specific redaction rule, we did not confirm on an official Arizona source that Arizona operates any confidential-marriage program or any categorical sealing regime for divorce files. Individual files can of course be sealed by court order, which is a case-specific outcome rather than a statewide category. If a clerk tells you a file is restricted, ask which order restricted it.
How to order, step by step
- Identify the county. For a marriage, the county whose clerk issued the license. For a divorce, the county where the case was filed.
- Confirm the case or record exists. Use the Judicial Branch Public Access Case Lookup for divorce cases, or call the clerk for a marriage record.
- Contact that Clerk of the Superior Court and ask for the certified-copy request process and current fee. Several counties, including Maricopa, take marriage-record requests online.
- Supply the identifying details: full names including maiden name, approximate date, and the case number if you have one.
- Pay the county fee. Budget for a per-page copy charge plus certification on court documents.
If the record is old enough that the clerk no longer holds it, the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records holds historical Superior Court marriage and divorce holdings, with coverage running roughly from 1864 into the 1970s depending on the county. Coverage genuinely differs county to county, so ask the Archives what exists for yours.
Related Arizona pages
Arizona does not recognize common-law marriage formed within the state, so there is no informal-marriage record to look for; see Arizona common-law marriage. Because Arizona marriage and divorce records are court records rather than vital records, the access framework in Arizona public records laws is directly relevant when a clerk denies a request. See also Arizona death records, which does run through ADHS, how to get a copy of your marriage certificate, and how to find out if someone is married or divorced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Arizona issue a state marriage certificate?
No. The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records handles birth and death certificates and directs marriage and divorce requests to the courts. The functional marriage certificate in Arizona is a certified copy of the recorded marriage license from the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county that issued it.
Where do I get an Arizona divorce certificate?
Nowhere, because Arizona does not create one. The only document is the decree of dissolution of marriage, held by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed. A certified copy of the decree is the correct document to give an agency that asks for proof of divorce.
Are Arizona divorce records public?
Arizona court rules presume court records are open, so divorce case files are generally available through the clerk and case information is searchable through the Judicial Branch public access lookup. Individual files or documents can be sealed or redacted by court order in a specific case.
How much does an Arizona marriage record copy cost?
It depends on the county, because each Clerk of the Superior Court sets its own fees. In Maricopa County, as of August 2026, a certified copy of a recorded marriage license is $43.50 by mail or $35.50 with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Ask your county clerk for its current schedule rather than assuming Maricopa's applies.
Which county do I order an Arizona marriage record from?
The county whose Clerk of the Superior Court issued the license. Arizona lets couples get a license in any county and marry anywhere in the state, so the issuing county is often not the wedding county. If you are unsure, start with the county where the couple lived at the time.
How do I find out whether an Arizona divorce was ever finalized?
Search the Arizona Judicial Branch Public Access Case Lookup for the case, then confirm with the Clerk of the Superior Court in that county. The docket will show whether a decree was entered. The lookup covers most but not all Arizona courts, so a blank result is not proof that no case exists.
What about a marriage from the 1800s or early 1900s?
The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records holds historical Superior Court marriage and divorce records, with coverage running roughly from 1864 into the 1970s depending on the county. County coverage genuinely varies, so contact the Archives with the county and approximate year before assuming a record survives.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Vital Records(azdhs.gov).gov
- Clerk of the Superior Court in Maricopa County, Marriage Licenses(clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov).gov
- Arizona Judicial Branch, Public Access Case Lookup(azcourts.gov).gov
- Arizona Judicial Branch, court locator(azcourts.gov).gov
- Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records(azlibrary.gov).gov