North Carolina Marriage and Divorce Records: Who Can Get a Copy (2026)

North Carolina holds marriage records from 1962 and divorce certificates from 1958 at the state level, with county offices covering everything older. The state's ordering pages are silent about eligibility, but G.S. 130A-93(c) does impose a real statutory limit on who may receive a certified copy.

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. North Carolina is one of the cleaner dual-custody states, with a genuine choice between the state office and the county office for both record types.

Both Records Exist at the State Level

North Carolina is a full "both" state, and the two cutoff years differ.

Marriage: NC Vital Records states that it "has copies of marriage certificates from 1962-present." The county Register of Deeds in the county where the license was obtained can also provide copies, including records from before 1962, and it is the office that handles amendments.

Divorce: NC Vital Records "has copies of divorce certificates from 1958-present." The certificate is a summary document, not the judgment. As the state describes it, divorce certificates "indicate the names of the two persons who obtained the divorce, who initiated the divorce proceeding (plaintiff and defendant), dates of marriage and separation, and some other pertinent information."

For the full picture of a divorce, the state points elsewhere: for "additional case source documentation and details, contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was filed." NC Vital Records does not process divorce filings and does not handle amendments to divorce certificates; those go through the Clerk of Court.

That leaves a useful practical rule. If you need proof that a divorce happened, the state certificate is enough and is often faster. If you need the terms of the judgment, for a lender, a pension administrator, an immigration filing, or an out-of-state court, you need the decree from the Clerk of Court. For the substantive law rather than the paperwork, see North Carolina divorce laws.

Who Is Actually Allowed a Certified Copy

This is where North Carolina is easy to get wrong, because the state's ordering pages and the statute say different amounts.

The state's own ordering material talks about identification, not entitlement. Its FAQ page says that "Due to identity theft and other fraudulent use of vital records, ID of the person requesting a certificate is REQUIRED. Requests that do not include ID will be returned," and that a requester "must be able to provide us with all of the information requested on the application and pay the appropriate search fees." The marriage page frames the same steps as "place an order for a marriage certificate, pay the search fee(s) and provide valid identification." Nothing in that sequence asks the requester to prove a relationship, which has led to North Carolina being described as an open state for marriage and divorce records.

The one hint that entitlement is a live question comes from the FAQ's fallback: "If unable to meet the ID requirements, a family member or other person who is entitled to obtain the certificate, and who can meet the ID requirements, may request it." The phrase "entitled to obtain" points at a rule the ordering pages never spell out.

The statute is stricter. G.S. 130A-93(c) provides that "The State Registrar and other officials authorized to issue certified copies of vital records shall provide certified copies of vital records ... only to the following: (1) A person requesting a copy of the person's own vital records or that of the person's spouse, sibling, direct ancestor or descendant, or stepparent or stepchild; (2) A person seeking information for a legal determination of personal or property rights; or (3) An authorized agent, attorney or legal representative of a person described above." Later subsections add narrow access for funeral directors, confidential intermediaries, and similar roles.

Marriage and divorce certificates are vital records under Chapter 130A, so that list governs them. A cousin, a friend, a journalist, or an unrelated researcher does not appear on it, and neither does simple curiosity. The gap between the webpage and the statute is a documentation gap, not a permission: the requirement exists whether or not the ordering page mentions it.

Two practical consequences follow. Plan the request around a listed relationship or a genuine legal determination of personal or property rights, and expect an office to apply the statute even when the online form does not ask. Where the goal is the court file rather than the certificate, a different access framework applies, and our North Carolina public records laws page covers that route.

What It Costs

North Carolina prices by search rather than by copy, which surprises people.

As of August 2026, the state charges a $24.00 nonrefundable standard certificate search fee per three-year period, and that fee includes one copy of the certificate if a record is found. Because it is a search fee, it is charged whether or not the record turns up, and a search spanning a wider span of years costs more.

By channel:

• Online or phone through VitalChek: $24.00 state search fee plus a $13.95 VitalChek processing fee, with regular shipping included, for a total of $37.95. Overnight shipping raises the total to $57.95.
• By mail: the same $24 search fee, with no vendor surcharge.
• Additional copies: $15 for each additional copy of the same certificate, on any channel.
• In person: expedited processing adds $15 to the standard fees, by appointment.
• County offices: the Register of Deeds for marriage and the Clerk of Court for divorce set their own charges and often provide same-day service.

VitalChek is the vendor North Carolina names for online and telephone orders. One point of precision is worth keeping straight, because the exclusivity language is narrower than it is usually quoted: the state's fee schedule says VitalChek "is the only authorized vendor through which constituents may submit a remote order for a state-issued, certified birth certificate." That sentence is about birth certificates. For marriage and divorce, VitalChek is the named remote channel for state-issued copies, but it is not the only way to get the record at all, since the county Register of Deeds and Clerk of Court are independent custodians. Our general guide to getting a copy of your marriage certificate covers identification and mail-order mechanics that apply in every state.

Records Before 1962 and Before 1958

North Carolina's dual-custody design means older records are not lost, only located elsewhere.

For a marriage before 1962, the Register of Deeds in the county where the license was obtained is the custodian, and county holdings frequently run back much further than the state's own start date. For a divorce before 1958, the Clerk of Court in the filing county holds the case file, which is the only record for those years since no state certificate was created.

That structure also makes the county office the natural genealogy pointer in North Carolina. There is no need to route a nineteenth-century marriage request through Raleigh, because Raleigh does not have it.

Confirming Whether Someone Is Married or Divorced

North Carolina publishes no free statewide marriage or divorce index, so a name search means working through county offices. Register of Deeds offices commonly run their own online record searches for the counties they cover, which can confirm that a marriage record exists, and Clerk of Court offices maintain case records for divorces.

Keep two limits in mind. G.S. 130A-93(c) applies to the certified copy regardless of what an index shows, so being able to find a record is not the same as being entitled to a certified copy of it. And commercial background-check products handle marriage and divorce data unreliably, because it lives in thousands of separate county systems nationwide. If any search is used to screen someone for a job, an apartment, or credit, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act imposes permissible-purpose and notice obligations that a personal search does not meet. Our guide to finding out if someone is married or divorced explains the lawful routes.

North Carolina abolished new common-law marriages, so a couple who never obtained a license has no record to request; see North Carolina common-law marriage. For the sibling record type, see North Carolina death records.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about how North Carolina marriage and divorce records are held and released. It is not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, vendors, and office procedures change without notice; confirm current details with NC Vital Records, the county Register of Deeds, or the Clerk of Court. For advice about a specific situation, consult an attorney licensed in North Carolina.

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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 North Carolina state marriage and divorce records go?

NC Vital Records holds marriage certificates from 1962 forward and divorce certificates from 1958 forward. For earlier years, the county Register of Deeds holds marriage records and the county Clerk of Court holds divorce case files.

Are North Carolina marriage records open to anyone?

No. G.S. 130A-93(c) limits certified copies of vital records to the person named, a spouse, sibling, direct ancestor or descendant, stepparent or stepchild, a person seeking information for a legal determination of personal or property rights, and their authorized agents or attorneys. The state's ordering pages address identification rather than relationship, saying only that ID of the requester is required, but the statute still applies.

What does a North Carolina marriage or divorce certificate cost?

As of August 2026, a $24 nonrefundable search fee per three-year period, which includes one copy if a record is found. Online and phone orders through VitalChek total $37.95 with regular shipping. Additional copies of the same certificate are $15 each.

Does North Carolina use VitalChek?

Yes, for online and telephone orders of state-issued certificates. Read the state's exclusivity language carefully, though: the fee schedule says VitalChek is the only authorized vendor for a remote order of a state-issued birth certificate. That sentence is about birth certificates. Marriage records can also be obtained from the county Register of Deeds and divorce case records from the Clerk of Court.

What is on a North Carolina divorce certificate?

The names of the two people who obtained the divorce, which of them was plaintiff and which defendant, and the dates of marriage and separation, among other information. It is not the decree, and it does not contain the terms of the judgment.

Where do I get the actual divorce decree in North Carolina?

From the Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was filed. That office holds the complete case record, processes divorce filings, and handles amendments. NC Vital Records does none of those things.

Can I get a North Carolina marriage certificate the same day?

Often, yes, from the county Register of Deeds in the county where the license was obtained, which frequently offers same-day service. The state office offers in-person expedited processing by appointment for an additional $15.