Maine Marriage Records

Marriage Records in Maine

Marriage records contain basic information about the married couple.  This information includes the names of the two individuals, the date of the marriage, and the place of marriage.  Some marriage records will also include the names of the mothers and fathers of the couple.  Additionally, some records contain the names of the official witnesses to the marriage.  Some governmental marriage records contain the maiden names of the mothers of the bride and groom as well as the place of residence of the married couple.

A marriage record should not be confused with any of the following documents: a marriage license, a marriage announcement, or a marriage index.  The marriage license is the legal document that was issued to the couple that was married.  The marriage announcement is the public listing of the wedding, in most cases, in a published newspaper.

A marriage index is simply a list of the marriages within a specific location.  Typically, such an index includes the names of the bride and groom, the date of the marriage, the name of the county in which the marriage occurred, and either the file number of the license or the volume and page name for a register listing as well as the location of the marriage record. 

In Maine, marriage records can be obtained from the Office of Vital Records or the State Archives Office.  It is necessary to contact the State Archives for certified copies of marriage records from 1892 to 1922.  Certified copies of marriage records from 1923 to the present are available from the Office of Vital Records.

To acquire marriage records after 1922, send your request and payment to the following address:

Office of Vital Records
244 Water Street

Station 11
Augusta, ME 04333-0011

To acquire marriage records between 1892 and 1922, send your request and payment to the following address:

Maine State Archives
State House Complex

Station 84
Augusta, ME 04333-0084

A fee of $15.00 is charged for the first certified copy of a marriage record with an additional $6.00 charged for each subsequent copy that is requested at the same time for the same record.  Checks should be made out to �Treasurer- State of Maine.�

For more information or to ask questions concerning marriage records from 1923 to the present, call the following number: 1-207-287-3181 for the Office of Vital Records.  For more information or to ask questions concerning marriage records from 1892 to 1922 to the present, call the following number: 1-207-287-5795 for the State Archives in Maine.

To pay for an order by credit card, you may contact the Vital Chek Network at the following toll free number: 1-877-523-2659.  This number is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  Questions can also be sent using the following contact information: [email protected].

Additionally, if you would like to pay for the marriage records using a credit card or to place your order online, you will need to place your order via the Internet using the following link: www.vitalchek.com.  However, it is important to note that this option can only be used for records dated after 1922.  Moreover, there is an additional charge of $12.95 for the use of this service in addition to the above listed fees and the shipping charges.

This link directs you to a page where you will enter the following information into search boxes: the state where the event occurred, the city of the event, the date of the event, and the reason for the request.  The type of record that you are requesting has already been entered.  The county is automatically filled in for you once you select the city.  Each of the search boxes has a drop down menu for convenience.  Moreover, each of these pieces of information is required before you can continue to the next step.

Once you have entered your data, click the continue button.  This generates a page that lists the type of record, the agency involved, the shipping options available, and the itemized costs of your request.  Once you select the shipping option that you prefer, you may select the purchase button to move on to the next page.  At the bottom of this page, a few links are available to obtain additional information on the listed agency, the types of records, and the available methods of purchase.  The document that you will receive is a certified copy of the marriage certificate

For a successful search for the marriage records that you are trying to locate, you must be able to provide the following information:

• Applicant�s name, address, and telephone number
• Your relationship to the individuals listed in your search request
• The reason for your request
• The full name of the individuals listed on the record
• The file number of the certificate (if possible)
• The date that the marriage occurred, including month, day, and year

Get Unlimited Access to sources for Maine Marriage Records, Unlimited Background Checks and much more!