Massachusetts Marriage and Divorce Records: Where Each One Lives

Massachusetts handles its two record types through two different branches of government. A marriage certificate comes from the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics or the city or town clerk. Anything to do with a divorce comes from the Probate and Family Court.

Information last verified on 2026-08-04. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This page is part of our guide to marriage and divorce records by state. It covers who holds what in Massachusetts, the fee tiers that catch most people out, and the court route that divorce records take.

Marriage Records: Two Offices, Same Document

Massachusetts has recorded marriages at the municipal level for a very long time. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46, Section 1, the town clerk records each marriage with "date of record, date and place of marriage, name, residence and official station of the person by whom solemnized" and the other required particulars. That municipal record is the original.

The state layer sits on top of it. RVRS describes its scope directly: it "collects, manages, and tracks millions of vital records in Massachusetts from 1936 to the present." So a marriage from 1936 onward can be ordered from RVRS or from the city or town where the marriage was recorded, and either copy is certified.

The municipal option is often the faster one, particularly if you know exactly which city or town issued the intentions and recorded the ceremony. RVRS is the better choice when you are unsure of the municipality, since its file is statewide.

The 1931 to 1935 Handoff

One detail has changed recently and is worth checking before you order. RVRS states that "Records of Births, Marriages, and Deaths that occurred in Massachusetts from 1931 through 1935 have recently been transferred to Massachusetts State Archives."

That moves the boundary. The Archives previously held 1841 through 1930; it now covers 1841 through 1935, and RVRS begins at 1936. A request sent to the wrong side of that line will simply come back unfilled, so pin down the year of the marriage first.

Archives copies are also cheaper. As of August 2026 the Archives charges $3.00 per certificate, payable by cash or check made to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with processing running up to 12 weeks and a limit of five certificates per order. For research rather than a certified copy, digital images from 1841 to 1930 are searchable free on FamilySearch.

Records before 1841 were never centralized. Those remain with the individual city or town clerk where the event happened.

Divorce Records: the Court Issues Everything

Start with the branch that matters. In most states a divorce generates a court decree plus a health-department certificate or verification. In Massachusetts, both documents are court products.

RVRS is explicit about its own limits: "Please note that we don't have the actual divorce records on file. We can only provide you with the probate court that the divorce was granted in and the docket number." That inquiry service is a locator, not a certificate. It is genuinely useful when you cannot remember which county heard the case, because the Probate and Family Court needs the docket number to pull a file efficiently.

What you can actually obtain, you obtain from the Probate and Family Court in the county of the case. Three documents are commonly requested, and as of August 2026 the published fees are:

• Certified copy of a judgment of divorce nisi: $20 each, not including supporting documents.
• Certificate of divorce absolute: $20 each.
• Certified copy of a divorce separation agreement: $20 for the first page plus $0.05 for each additional page.

The Certificate of Divorce Absolute is the document most agencies mean when they ask for a "divorce certificate." It confirms that the divorce became final. The judgment of divorce nisi is the court's own judgment, and in Massachusetts it becomes absolute after the statutory waiting period rather than on the day it is signed. If a remarriage, a name change, or an immigration filing depends on the divorce being final, the certificate of divorce absolute is usually the one to request.

For the substantive law of divorce in Massachusetts rather than the paperwork, see Massachusetts divorce laws.

What a Marriage Copy Costs

Massachusetts prices the same certificate four different ways depending on how you order it, and the spread is unusually wide:

• Online or by phone: $54 for the first copy, $42 for each additional copy.
• By mail: $32 per copy.
• In person: $20 per copy.

Ordering in person costs less than half the online price. If you are near a service counter and do not need the record urgently, that is real money saved, particularly on multiple copies.

RVRS names VitalChek as its online ordering partner, so the online tier reflects that vendor's involvement. Ordering directly from the city or town clerk is a separate channel with its own municipal fee schedule, which is worth checking if you know the municipality.

These figures are current as of August 2026 and apply to birth, marriage, and death certificates through RVRS. Court fees for divorce documents are set separately by the Trial Court.

Who Can Request a Massachusetts Record

Massachusetts does not apply a narrow relationship gate to ordinary marriage records. The applicant needs the name of the person on the record, the date and place of the event, and photo identification.

One category is restricted. RVRS states that "Access to marriage records of a person born to unwed parents is restricted to the: Bride / Groom / Legal representative (this requires documentation supporting representation) / Parents / Legal guardians." If the record falls in that category, expect to document your relationship as well as your identity.

That list is the Registry's plain-language summary, not the whole rule. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46, Section 2A allows examination and certified copies upon proper judicial order, on request of the person seeking his own marriage record or of that person's attorney, parent, guardian, or conservator, and on request of a person whose official duties, in the opinion of the town clerk or the commissioner of public health, entitle him to the information. So a conservator, an attorney acting for the subject, or someone holding a court order is not shut out even though the Registry's short list does not name them.

Court records follow court rules rather than the vital-records rule. Divorce case files in the Probate and Family Court are court records, and impoundment or sealing of particular documents happens by court order in individual cases. Our page on Massachusetts public records law covers the state's general framework for government records, though the judiciary sits outside the public records statute.

Our general walkthrough of how to get a copy of your marriage certificate covers the identification and application steps common to every state.

Checking Whether Someone Is Married or Divorced

Because ordinary Massachusetts marriage records are not gated by relationship, a marriage is comparatively easy to confirm through RVRS or the municipal clerk when you know roughly where and when it happened. Divorces are checkable through the Probate and Family Court in the county of the case, and the RVRS divorce inquiry can point you to the right court and docket number when you do not know it.

Two limits apply. Commercial background-check products are unreliable for marriage and divorce data, since these records are locally scattered and unevenly digitized nationwide; treat any paid result as a lead to verify with the clerk, not an answer. And none of this may be used to screen someone for a job, an apartment, or credit, which are regulated uses under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. Our page on how to find out if someone is married or divorced covers the lawful routes.

If a couple never obtained a license, no certificate exists to look for. See Massachusetts common law marriage for what the state does and does not recognize. For the sibling records franchise, see Massachusetts death records.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about how Massachusetts marriage and divorce records are held and released. It is not legal advice. Fees, custody boundaries, and court practices change, and the figures here reflect official Commonwealth of Massachusetts sources as of August 2026. Anyone dealing with an impounded file, a contested record, or an active court proceeding should consult an attorney licensed in Massachusetts.

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Last updated: 2026-08-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Massachusetts issue a divorce certificate?

Yes, but the court issues it, not the health department. The Certificate of Divorce Absolute is available from the Probate and Family Court at $20 each. The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics does not hold divorce records and can supply only the probate court and docket number.

How much does a Massachusetts marriage certificate cost?

It depends on the channel. As of August 2026, RVRS charges $54 for the first copy ordered online or by phone and $42 for each additional, $32 per copy by mail, and $20 per copy in person. Ordering in person costs less than half the online price.

What years does RVRS hold?

1936 to the present. Records from 1931 through 1935 have recently been transferred to the Massachusetts State Archives, which now covers 1841 through 1935. Records before 1841 remain with the individual city or town clerk.

What is the difference between a judgment of divorce nisi and a divorce absolute?

The judgment of divorce nisi is the court's judgment when entered; it becomes absolute after the statutory waiting period. The Certificate of Divorce Absolute confirms the divorce became final, which is usually the document an agency means when it asks for proof of divorce. Both cost $20 from the Probate and Family Court.

Can anyone order a Massachusetts marriage record?

Ordinary marriage records require identifying information and photo ID rather than proof of relationship. Access to marriage records of a person born to unwed parents is restricted. The Registry lists the bride, groom, legal representative, parents, and legal guardians, and G.L. c. 46, s. 2A adds the subject's attorney or conservator, a person whose official duties entitle them to the information, and anyone acting on a proper judicial order.

I do not know which court granted the divorce. What do I do?

Use the RVRS divorce inquiry. It cannot supply the record itself, but it identifies the probate court that granted the divorce and the docket number, which is what the Probate and Family Court needs to locate the file.

Where do I get a marriage record from the 1920s?

The Massachusetts State Archives, which holds 1841 through 1935 and charges $3.00 per certificate with processing up to 12 weeks. Digital images from 1841 to 1930 are also searchable free on FamilySearch if you need the information rather than a certified copy.