New Hampshire Marriage and Divorce Records: Access and Fees (2026)

New Hampshire holds marriage and divorce certificates at the state level through the Division of Vital Records Administration, part of the Secretary of State's office. Access turns on a statutory "direct and tangible interest" test under RSA 5-C:9, and the $15 fee buys a search rather than a document.

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

This page is part of our state-by-state guide to marriage and divorce records. It covers the two-layer New Hampshire system, the eligibility standard that decides who gets a copy, and the age rules that open older records to anyone.

New Hampshire Keeps Both Record Types at the State Level

New Hampshire is a genuine "both" state, and it is consistent across every vital event it registers. The Division of Vital Records Administration, which sits under the Secretary of State rather than the health department, states that it "issues certified copies of birth, death, marriage, divorce and civil union certificates to qualified individuals and agencies that provide a 'direct and tangible' interest in obtaining a record." Civil unions are worth noting explicitly, because the division's landing page lists only "birth, marriage, divorce and death events" and omits them.

One thing the state does not publish is a start year for each record type. Figures like 1652 for marriage and 1808 for divorce circulate widely in genealogy summaries, but they do not appear anywhere on the Secretary of State's vital records pages, so this article does not assert them. The one date the division does publish is about its research holdings: it "has a genealogical research vault that is open to the public containing records that date back to the year 1640."

Alongside the state office, the city or town clerk where a marriage license was issued keeps its own record, and the court that granted a divorce keeps the case file.

You Do Not Have to Order From Concord

New Hampshire spreads issuance across local government, which is the practical shortcut most requesters miss. Around 234 city and town clerks statewide also issue certified copies of vital records, so a walk-in at a local clerk's office is frequently faster than a mail request to the Division of Vital Records Administration.

A note on a system name that causes confusion: NHVRIN, reachable at nhvrinweb.sos.nh.gov, is not a genealogy database and will not produce a certificate. It describes itself as a service that "will ONLY allow you to query New Hampshire's events for birth, death, marriage and divorce" and states plainly that it "is not used for pronouncing, certifying or registering vital records events." It is an aggregate statistical query tool sitting behind a login. If you want a document, go to a clerk or to Concord, not to NHVRIN.

Mail applications go to the NH Department of State, Division of Vital Records Administration, 9 Ratification Way, Concord, NH 03301-2455, in U.S. funds only and with photo identification. The division asks requesters to allow 20 business days from receipt.

Divorce: Certificate Versus Decree

New Hampshire has both layers, and they answer different questions.

The divorce certificate is the vital record held by the Division of Vital Records Administration. It establishes that a divorce occurred and when.

The divorce decree is the court's judgment, containing the terms of the dissolution: property division, support, and parenting orders. It comes from the Clerk of the Superior or Family Division court in the county where the divorce was granted. When a bank, a pension plan, a passport application, or a remarriage process asks for divorce documentation, the decree is usually what satisfies them, because the certificate does not recite the terms.

For the substantive law rather than the paperwork, see New Hampshire divorce laws.

Who Qualifies Under RSA 5-C:9

New Hampshire's access rule is statutory, not merely administrative, which makes it firmer than the practice-based rules some states apply.

RSA 5-C:9 provides that the registrar "shall not permit inspection of, or disclose information contained in vital statistics records ... unless he or she is satisfied that the applicant has a direct and tangible interest in such record." The statute then identifies who is presumed to satisfy that test: "The applicant, a member of his or her immediate family, his or her guardian, or respective legal representatives shall be considered to have a direct and tangible interest." Attorneys, physicians, funeral directors, and other authorized agents fall within the representative category, and properly qualified members of the press, radio, television, and other news media have their own access provision for public information purposes.

For divorce records, "immediate family" reaches further than the phrase suggests. RSA 5-C:1, XV(b) defines the term to include, "In the case of divorce, legal separation, and civil annulment records, the person's former or separated spouse from a legal separation or a marriage ending in divorce or civil annulment." RSA 5-C:102, III says the same thing from the other direction, listing among those with a direct and tangible interest "the spouse of a divorced or legally separated person whose former marriage has been legally dissolved who is requesting certified copies of such divorce, legal separation, or civil annulment record." So an ex-spouse ordering a copy of their own divorce certificate sits in the presumed-eligible group and does not have to build a personal or property right argument.

Everyone else has to demonstrate the interest, and the statute frames that demonstration around need: the interest can be shown "when information is needed for determination or protection of a personal or property right."

There is also an important limit on that restriction, and it sits in a different section of the same chapter.

Older Records Are Public: the 50-Year Rule in RSA 5-C:105

The direct and tangible interest test does not run forever. The division's own access page quotes the carve-out directly: "Certain older records are exempted from these access restrictions: 'Birth records more than 100 years old and death, marriage, and divorce records more than 50 years old shall be considered part of the public domain.' (RSA 5-C:105)"

Read the mechanism carefully, because it is a rolling test, not a fixed year. The statute is titled "Disclosure of Information to Genealogists," and it sets the release on an annual cycle: RSA 5-C:105, I(b) directs that "By April 1 of each year, the division shall release public domain records that became public during the previous calendar year." So the boundary genuinely moves, one year's worth at a time, each spring. Certified copies of public-domain records are issued on safety paper when requested, at the fees set by RSA 5-C:10.

RSA 5-C:105 is not the only age rule in the chapter, and the two do not use the same numbers. RSA 5-C:102, I sets its own fixed thresholds: "Birth records prior to 1901 and death, marriage, divorce, legal separation, or civil annulment records prior to 1948 shall be considered public records." Those fixed dates are a floor rather than a ceiling. Because the rolling 50-year and 100-year test in RSA 5-C:105 has long since moved past 1948 and 1901, the rolling rule is the one that decides where the boundary sits today, and the fixed dates in RSA 5-C:102, I remain a standing baseline underneath it.

The state's own FAQ uses a third set of numbers, saying that "Birth records prior to 1911 and death, marriage and divorce records prior to 1961 are available with unrestricted access," and that New Hampshire statutes "allow general public access to birth records prior to 1911; deaths, marriages and divorces prior to 1961 for genealogical research." Those figures match neither statute: they are more generous than the 1901 and 1948 lines in RSA 5-C:102, I and, by the arithmetic of RSA 5-C:105, they have drifted stale. Work from the 100-year and 50-year rolling test, which is the more generous of the two statutory rules and moves forward each spring.

One consequence readers often get wrong: within the restricted window, a genealogist or an unrelated researcher is not automatically entitled to a certified copy of a New Hampshire marriage or divorce certificate. The genealogical research vault in Concord, which is open to the public in person and staffed with volunteer genealogists, is the route designed for that use.

There is also a designation route for records still inside the window. Under RSA 5-C:105, II through IV, a genealogist may be made an authorized representative by a written statement from the registrant or a member of the registrant's immediate family. The statement has to identify the writer's relationship, name the specific records requested, authorize release, and be signed and notarized. That is a workable path for a family historian working with a living relative's cooperation, and no help at all for a researcher with no connection to the family.

The court file is a separate access question governed by court records rules rather than by RSA 5-C:9; our New Hampshire public records laws page covers that framework.

Fees and How to Order

As of August 2026, the state charges $15, and the important detail is what that buys. It is a search fee, not a copy fee. The division's own wording is that you "pay a search fee. The current fee is $15, plus any additional expenses incurred for credit card transactions. This fee is payable whether or not a record is found." Its FAQ spells out the rest: "If DVRA staff find a record after the search, a certified copy will be issued free of charge. Additional certified copies of the same record are available at a cost of $10.00 each."

So a successful search costs $15 and yields one certified copy. An unsuccessful one costs $15 and yields nothing. Additional copies of the same record issued at the same time are $10 each.

Corrections are priced separately and are handled by the city or town clerk where the event occurred: $10 to make the correction, plus $15 per certified copy of the amended record.

Orders can be placed with the Division of Vital Records Administration in Concord or with a city or town clerk. Expedited service runs through VitalChek and EB2Gov, which add their own fees on top of the $15; the division notes those charges are "not charged by our office." For the decree itself, contact the clerk of the court that granted the divorce.

Every requester must show identification. Citing RSA 5-C:102, VI, the division requires "positive identification including, but not limited to, a driver's license, passport or other picture identification," and offers a documentary-evidence form for anyone without acceptable photo ID.

Our general walkthrough on getting a copy of your marriage certificate explains the identification requirements and mail-order mechanics that apply in every state.

Confirming Someone Else's Marital Status

For anything recent, New Hampshire's direct and tangible interest test makes this state a poor candidate for casual searching. A request to confirm whether an acquaintance is married or divorced, without a personal or property right at stake, does not meet the statutory standard, and the state publishes no free public marriage or divorce index. NHVRIN does not fill that gap: it returns aggregate statistics behind a login, not names.

The 50-year rule in RSA 5-C:105 is a genuine exception, but it is the wrong tool for this question. It opens records that are more than half a century old, which is useful for family history and useless for confirming whether someone is married today.

RSA 5-C:9 also closes off the commercial route at the source: paragraph III provides that "Commercial firms or agencies requesting a listing of names and addresses shall not be considered to have a direct and tangible interest." A data broker cannot lawfully obtain New Hampshire vital records in bulk, which is a good reason to distrust any product claiming comprehensive New Hampshire marriage coverage.

Court records are the more realistic route for a divorce, since the existence of a case is generally discoverable through court records processes even where the vital record is restricted. Before running any commercial search, read our guide to finding out if someone is married or divorced, which explains why background-check products handle this data badly and where the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act limits how any such report may be used.

For the sibling record type with its own custody rules, see New Hampshire death records.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about how New Hampshire marriage and divorce records are held and released. It is not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, systems, and office procedures change without notice; confirm current details with the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration or the court clerk holding the file. For advice about a specific situation, consult an attorney licensed in New Hampshire.

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Last updated: 2026-08-04. Fees and procedures reflect the sources cited as of that date.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far back do New Hampshire marriage and divorce records go?

The Secretary of State's vital records pages publish no start year for marriage or divorce records specifically. The one date the division does publish is for its genealogical research vault, which is open to the public in person and contains records dating back to 1640. Start years such as 1652 for marriage and 1808 for divorce circulate in genealogy summaries but are not stated on the state's own pages.

Can I get a New Hampshire marriage certificate from a local town clerk?

Yes. Around 234 city and town clerks across New Hampshire issue certified copies of vital records in addition to the Division of Vital Records Administration in Concord, and a local office is often faster than mailing a request. NHVRIN, despite the name, is a statistical query tool behind a login and does not issue certificates.

What does a New Hampshire marriage or divorce certificate cost?

As of August 2026, $15, and that is a search fee rather than a copy fee. The division states the fee is payable whether or not a record is found. If the search succeeds, the first certified copy is issued free of charge, and additional copies of the same record are $10 each. Credit card transactions may add a processing charge, and expedited service through VitalChek or EB2Gov adds vendor fees the division does not charge.

Who can obtain a certified copy in New Hampshire?

RSA 5-C:9 requires a direct and tangible interest. The applicant, immediate family, a guardian, and their legal representatives are treated as having that interest automatically. For divorce, legal separation, and civil annulment records, RSA 5-C:1, XV(b) counts a former or separated spouse as immediate family, and RSA 5-C:102, III separately lists the former spouse of a dissolved marriage among those with a direct and tangible interest, so an ex-spouse ordering their own divorce record is in the presumed-eligible group. Others must show the information is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right.

Do New Hampshire marriage records become public after a certain number of years?

Yes, and two separate sections say so. RSA 5-C:105 provides that death, marriage, and divorce records more than 50 years old are part of the public domain, and birth records more than 100 years old. That is a rolling test, so the boundary moves forward each spring. RSA 5-C:102, I sets a fixed baseline underneath it, treating marriage, divorce, legal separation, and civil annulment records prior to 1948, and birth records prior to 1901, as public records. The rolling rule in RSA 5-C:105 is the more generous of the two and is what sets the boundary today. The state's FAQ uses a third set of dates, 1961 for marriages and divorces and 1911 for births, which matches neither statute.

What is the difference between a New Hampshire divorce certificate and a divorce decree?

The certificate is the vital record held by the state and confirms that a divorce occurred. The decree is the court's judgment with the actual terms, and it comes from the clerk of the Superior or Family Division court in the county where the divorce was granted.

Can a genealogist get a certified copy of an old New Hampshire marriage record?

It depends on the record's age. Under RSA 5-C:105, marriage and divorce records more than 50 years old are in the public domain, so the direct and tangible interest test does not stand in the way. Within that 50-year window the test still applies and a researcher is not automatically entitled to a certified copy. The state's public genealogical research vault in Concord, where volunteer genealogists assist on site, is the route intended for research use.