Obtain Free Maine Marriage Records & Find Licenses

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Free Maine Marriage Record Search

Access anyone's marital information in Maine, free of charge.

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Find free Maine marriage records online or track down historical marital records via state or local custodians.

Some older records and documents recorded in small towns may not be available online, but they’re still readily accessible once you know where to look.

Marital records can be obtained online, over the phone, or via postal mail. This resource will explore how to find such information through the most efficient avenues.

Are Marriage Records & Certificates Available to the Public in Maine?

Yes, marriage records and certificates are available to the public; but only under special circumstances; otherwise Maine is a “closed” state.

Those who want to know if a person is married, those seeking genealogical information, and those who need official copies to provide proof of marriage may have differing access to Maine marital records. If you’re not family to those for whom you submit a request, special authorization is needed.

To get started, it’s necessary to narrow down which “custodians” maintain associated information. When an information custodian is found, first use generic names to assure what is sought will be available in a given database or other archival system.

From there, acquiring sought data is a matter of entering the right names into the right fields of the custodian website, or appropriately filling out whatever forms may apply.

For marriage records, the only persons restricted from associated information in Maine are non-relatives and genealogists with no “legitimate interest”.¹ Those who may be defined as “non-family” in Maine include, but are not limited to:

• Boyfriends & Girlfriends
• Fiancés
• Friends
• Neighbors
• Ex-Spouses

Certified copies of Maine marriage records, like certificates, can be purchased online through the Maine Municipal Vital Records Service. First copies are $15 and $6 for additional copies ordered at the same time. Non-certified copies are $10 and $3 for additional copies requested at the same time.

Maine authorities advise not to send cash in the mail; if requesting remotely, either fill out a check payable to the appropriate treasury office, or enter credit/debit information online. Generally, credit/debit cards should be authorized at Town Clerk offices, but this may not be the case in a small town, or additional fees may apply.

Marriages that happened 50 years ago or more do not require family for access, and are available to the general public under the acquisition protocols outlined here. For records by mail, those seeking such info need to either print this marriage certificate request form, or write a letter to appropriate information custodians in Maine which includes the following:

• The Full Name or Names on the Record
• The Date When the Marriage Took Place
• A Photocopy of Valid ID
• Accepted Proof of Family Relation
• The Name of the Person Requesting Information
• A Valid Address and Phone Number Associated With the Requester
• How Many Copies Are Needed
• A SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope)

A certified copy of records will be legally viable, while one that isn’t certified won’t be eligible for legal certification purposes. Non-certified copies are available to genealogists and other non-family relations, even within the 50 years following the marriage ceremony. After this time, availability is wider.

Uncertified certificates have a stamp on them indicating they aren’t intended for legal use. If there are no recent records available (8/31/12 is the cut-off date for “new” records), older records need to be checked among custodian archives to find sought information.

Should this search bear no fruit, working with third-party providers could be the next tactic.

Third-party options cross-reference multiple records simultaneously, in multiple states and counties, and comply with regulations social media agencies can’t. Records not publicly available through the government may be available going this route. This is a tactic for marriages that were made official in states other than Maine, or for deceased residents.

Keep in mind, third-party records are usually not considered “official” unless endorsed by the state of Maine, the county, or the city in question.

Census information provides marriage rates per state, and includes the most recent information of that kind, as well as additional data for government and research purposes. Information included in census data covers yearly trends, age, race, and more.

How To Check Maine Marriage Records & Certificates

The most efficient strategy to obtain marriage records and certificates in Maine is to use a search engine query. For example, searchers can type in “Marriage records in Maine” or “Maine marriage record search.”

It can be useful to add “.gov website” after the primary search term, as this will narrow down initial results on the SERPs, or Search Engine Results Pages.

If you do this, the first site that should pop up is the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention Division of Public Health Systems.⁴ From the link, vital records like birth, death, divorce, and marriage certificates can be ordered through online portals. Sometimes you’ll be able to determine marriage status collaterally.

If you can’t find a marriage certificate, but you can find a divorce certificate, that’s a valid bit of information to help inform your search.

That said, for the most part, the “Vital Records Office” as linked at the beginning of this section should have the info you need. When on the website, you’ll need to provide the name of parties involved in the marriage, when the marriage occurred, where it occurred, a phone number for contact, and a check payable to “Treasurer – State of Maine”.

(The amount will be $3 to $15, minimum, depending on if you’re getting multiple copies of certified or non-certified records; costs will be covered in further detail below.) The same sort of information will be required in a mail query. If you seek such information specifically by mail, send letters to the following address for general state requests:

Vital Records
11 State House Station
220 Capitol Street
Augusta, ME 04333-0011

Vital records are part of Maine’s Division of Public Health Systems. Visit the office with a valid ID and payment if you seek to procure such records in person. Additional offices can be found at the following physical address:

Department of Health & Human Services
11 State House Station
109 Capitol St.
Augusta, Maine 04333

Phone: (207)-287-3707
Fax: (207)-287-3005
TTY: Maine relay 711

For email queries, you have several options. You can submit an FOIA request (Freedom of Access Act), email FOAARequests.DHHS@maine.gov, or try calling (207)-287-3707.

This process applies for both certified and uncertified certificates. Uncertified marriage certificates are available for applicants that are searching for marriages which happened within the past 50 years. Direct lineage and proof of ID are necessary for marriage information, unless a genealogist has state-sanctioned certification which provides authorization.

In that scenario, the genealogist will be required to enter a number certifying their authorization on the certificate request form.

Authorization may be acquired through a research ID obtained via the Maine Center of Disease Control & Prevention, Data, Research & Vital Statistics.⁶ Interested parties must submit an Application for the Registration of Genealogical Researcher Identification Card.

If you can’t demonstrate ID, lineage, or research authorization, such records–certified or uncertified–won’t be available to you.

If you need records that are uncertified, the vital records ordering process is the same; you just pay $10 instead of $15 for the primary copy, and $3 rather than $6 for additional copies requested at the same time. In the subsequent section, older marriage record lookup information will be explored.

However, if you’re not related to the individuals about whom you seek information, it may be prudent to explore sites hosted by third parties. When you find something that seems like it will work, first enter in a generic name to run a search.

Searching Counties & Towns in Maine for Marriage Records or Licenses

Searching county and town archives in Maine for marriage license and certificate information will increase the scope of results. Going with a local municipal search can also be effective, and may save time. The smaller the community, the more information on Maine marriage records can be acquired at the town level.

There are advantages to doing local searches: you’re more able to conduct requests in-person, and staff tend to be more flexible.

Also, it’s notable that very small communities may not have online records; your only choice may be going down to a town’s records office in person. The larger the community, the easier it tends to be to conduct a search using established online records.

The largest counties in Maine are:

• Cumberland County
• York County
• Penobscot County

Most marriage records for the state will be in one of these counties, as Maine’s population is over 1.3 million people, and said counties account for over half that population.⁸ Generally, the best strategy is to start with the most populous counties, conduct searches specifically in those counties, and then move on if said searches don’t turn anything up.

Once you know the counties you need to search, the next step is to explore associated search results. For example, you can type “Cumberland County marriage record search” into a search engine and you’ll get a plethora of results. Look at the first five, and associated links you can find in those results. When you find something worth considering, look into creating logins and running generic searches.

For Cumberland County, the Town Clerk handles officialization of marriage.⁹ You can either visit the Town Clerk with proper payment and identification as outlined in this writing, or you can fill out this online Marriage Request Form.

If paying via check (the cost will be the same as all other queries outlined here), make payable to the Town of Cumberland.

The Town Clerk’s office is located at the following address:

Cumberland Town Clerk’s Office
290 Tuttle Road
Cumberland, ME 04021

Requests are received, processed, and mailed to those seeking such information–provided they qualify as direct relatives, or have approved genealogical certification. The Town Clerk’s Office in Cumberland can be reached at (207)-829-5559 or at info@cumberlandmaine.com.

It’s worth noting that Portland, Maine, is actually the county seat of Cumberland County. Sometimes regional records management may differ from primary records maintained by the “county seat” of a given region.

Town Clerks tend to maintain vital records in Maine. At this time, city, county, and court offices funnel records requests through “Vital Records” offices as already outlined in this article. For example, if you’re in Greenville, Maine, you fill out this form to request a marriage certificate.

The form can be filled out and submitted online, in person, or through the mail. Once again, such vital records are managed by the Town Clerk. However, sometimes you may only be able to find this information through the county.

The process for acquiring a marriage certificate is the same in Portland, Maine. An application for a certified copy of a marriage record should be filled out and submitted to the Portland City Clerk’s Office.

The address of the Clerk in Portland for snail-mail or in-person inquiries is:

Portland City Clerk’s Office
Rm. 203, 389 Congress St.
Portland, ME 04101

This information can also be found in Cumberland, County at Maine’s regional Department of Health & Human Services. Use the same process outlined in this section for other counties and municipalities throughout the state of Maine.

The process for certified and non-certified marriage records requests is uniform throughout the state.

Alternatively, you might use this address for information in Portland, Maine:

Cumberland County Department of Health & Human Services
142 Federal St., Suite 100
Portland, ME, 04101

Phone: 207-871-8380

If you were in Newport, Maine, and your information request at the city level did not turn up anything, you could contact the county offices with the following information:

Penobscot County Government Offices
97 Hammond St
Bangor, ME 04401

Penobscot County can be reached via telephone at 207-942-8535, or through their online contact form here. For York County, the following contact information will put record seekers in touch with someone who can assist:

York County Manager
45 Kennebunk Rd
Alfred, ME 04002

The county manager’s phone number is 207-459-2312.

In general, archived information about marriage records or genealogies can be found at Maine’s primary government website, as well as associated instructions to look up said information.

How To Research Your Family Lineage & Genealogy Through Archived Marriage Records in Maine

Maine state records archival started in 1892, and has continued to the present day.¹² Prior to 1892, these historical records were maintained at the town level — meaning you’ll have to localize your search to find such information if you’re seeking anything predating 1892.

For modern records, most towns and cities work through the state website alluded to in this resource. However, not all towns offer marital records; though it’s possible to request they begin working with the state generally. The smaller and older the town, the more likely you’ll need to consider secondary measures to acquire the information you need.

Since Maine is a “closed” state, you need to be a family member who can prove their relation, or have a genealogy license to obtain marriage records. You’ll have to pay the fee for certified and uncertified records, as well as the additional fee for copies.

Remember, non-certified Maine marriage records will come with a stamp that says “Not For Legal Purposes”, and will only be $10.

Certified records are $15, and $6 for additional copies after the primary. Non-certified copies are $3. Requests made by mail often take 7 to 10 days, but it’s possible to get the record the day you request it if submitted in person.

If you can’t find the info you’re looking for as outlined so far in this article, try the following:

• Search Library Records (in Microfiche or Otherwise) For Newspapers
• Explore Libraries of Historical Societies or Other Historical Archives
• Explore Localized Church Records for Unofficial Unions

Libraries you might refer to in Maine include:

• Auburn, Bangor, Brookesville, and Fort Fairfield Public Libraries
• Bath, Brookeville, and Kennebunk Free Libraries
• Brown, Stephen Williams, and Walker Memorial Libraries
• The Maine Historical Society Public Library
• The Maine State Library

Since Maine does not recognize common law marriages, any associated records for such unions may only be accessed through legacy archives like those in this bullet list.¹³ You won’t find official city, county, or state archives for common law marriages in Maine.

How To Apply for & Submit a Maine Marriage License

To apply or submit for either a marriage license or certificate in Maine, the process is fairly streamlined and uniform statewide. While not all small towns and municipalities follow the primary trend of the state, most do.

The basic process involves providing the proper identification to prove who you are, demonstrating your relationship to those for whom you’re seeking vital records, and paying the fee. The price is $15 per certified marriage certificate and $6 for additional copies purchased at the time of request.

The cost for uncertified Maine marital records is $10, plus $3 for each additional copy. Remotely requested records will be sent to approved persons within 7 to 10 business days.

Quicker acquisition is available for those who make such requests in person. You should be able to find most vital records by properly filling out associated request forms. If you don’t, search through local county and city records; you can do so in person at associated offices during business hours, or on associated websites.

If that doesn’t reveal any information, check third parties, public, free, and historical libraries. Make sure to check newspapers archived in such information repositories. Current records extend to 08/31/12. Maine didn’t keep statewide records before 1892. Common law marriage is not recognized in Maine.

The information you need can be found, it just may require a little extra effort if you’re searching for information prior to 1892, or if you’re not related to the individuals you’re seeking Maine marriage records for. For a broader lookup of other record types, refer to the Maine free public information search instructions to reveal details of divorces, crimes, property, court cases, and more.