Lancaster County Marriage License
Marriage licenses are issued by the Lancaster County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court on the second floor of the courthouse at 50 N. Duke St., Lancaster, PA 17602. The office lists Anne L. Cooper as Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. Applicants are directed to submit the online marriage license application and pay by credit card at submission. If an applicant cannot apply online, payment is brought to the oral examination instead.
After the online application is submitted, applicants receive an email receipt and must come to the office for the oral interview. Oral interviews are held weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. when the courthouse is open, and the office does not schedule appointments. Safari is not supported for the online process. Marriage license visitors are also warned that cell phones and smart watches must be placed in lobby lockers at the courthouse.
The county's Marriage Licenses page is the source for Lancaster County marriage records requirements, fees, and certified copy instructions.
Apply for Marriage License
Applicants should prepare identity documents and prior-marriage proof before starting the online application. A license is valid for 60 days from issuance and is valid on the third day after the oral examination. Applicants must be at least 18. A current government-issued photo ID with a photo and expiration date is required, and the office may ask for more identification.
- Complete the online Lancaster County marriage license application and pay the non-refundable fee by credit card if using the online path.
- Watch for the emailed receipt after submission and bring required identification to the courthouse oral interview.
- Attend the oral interview during weekday marriage department hours. No appointment is scheduled.
- Present Social Security number information and any required divorce, annulment, death, translation, or name-resumption documents.
- Wait until the license becomes valid on the third day after the oral examination, then use it within the 60-day license period.
Lancaster Marriage Requirements
Pennsylvania allows a license issued by any Pennsylvania county to be used in any Pennsylvania county, but the license is not valid outside Pennsylvania. Lancaster County also states that Pennsylvania bars marriage between blood relatives down to and including first cousins. Applicants with prior marriages need specific proof. For a prior divorce or annulment, the applicant must present a decree with court seal and signature. Foreign-language decrees need an official English translation and notarization. A maiden-name resumption document is required if applicable.
Widows and widowers must provide the date of death of the deceased spouse, but the county says a death certificate is not needed. The county also warns that internet ordination can be uncertain because of conflicting court judgments over whether online-ordained officiants may perform ceremonies. Applicants are told to consult counsel on that issue if the officiant's authority is in doubt.
Marriage office contact: Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court, 50 N. Duke St., Lancaster, PA 17602; main phone 717-295-5994; marriage hotline 717-295-3533.
Marriage Form Fields
The research summarized the official certified marriage request form and the required application facts. The marriage application itself asks for identity, eligibility, Social Security information, and prior-marriage history. Certified copy requests add file and mailing details so the office can locate the Lancaster County license and return the record.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant names | Yes | Full names for both applicants; certified copy form asks for applicant 1 and applicant 2 name at time of application. |
| Social Security number | Yes | If not known from memory, original Social Security card must be presented. |
| Government photo ID | Yes | Current ID with photo and expiration date; more ID may be required. |
| Prior divorce or annulment | Conditional | Decree with court seal/signature; official translation and notarization for foreign-language decrees. |
| Widow or widower information | Conditional | Date of death of deceased spouse; death certificate not needed. |
| File number and marriage date | For certified copy | Used to locate a certified copy when known. |
| Requester contact and mailing address | For certified copy | Requester name, address, email, phone, date sent, and self-addressed stamped envelope. |
| Armed Forces fee-waiver details | Conditional | Certified copy fee may be waived for proof of U.S. Armed Forces service. |
Lancaster Marriage Divorce Fees
Marriage fees are paid to the Clerk of Orphans' Court. Divorce filing and decree copy fees are tied to the Prothonotary because divorce is a family/civil matter. The Prothonotary fee bill includes both divorce filing charges and decree certification charges. Card convenience fees and exact accepted payment rules differ by office, so the payment method should be checked before visiting or mailing a request.
| Item | Fee / payment |
|---|---|
| Marriage application and license | $75, non-refundable. |
| Marriage payment methods | Exact cash, certified check, money order, credit/debit, plus $0.95 card convenience fee; no personal checks. |
| Certified marriage copy | $20 payable to Clerk of Orphans' Court. |
| Certified marriage copy for proof of U.S. Armed Forces service | Fee waived for certified copy only. |
| No-fault divorce 3301(c)/(d) | $237 in the Prothonotary fee bill. |
| Opening a divorce | $185.25 in the Prothonotary fee bill. |
| Certified divorce decree | $20.50 each, payable by check or money order to Lancaster County Prothonotary. |
| Election to resume prior name | $24.75 if divorce granted in Lancaster; $50.25 if out-of-county or out-of-state. |
Search Lancaster Marriage Records
Lancaster County provides an official Paperless marriage license search portal for county-issued marriage records. The research found that the portal did not expose all fields to plain text fetch, so users should search it in a normal browser. Certified copies are available only for licenses issued in Lancaster County. For a certified record by mail, send the $20 fee, both applicants' names, the date of marriage, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court.
Apostille-supporting documents may not be available the same day. Even in-person requesters should provide a self-addressed stamped envelope when a mailed return may be needed. The county's records hub also links marriage and probate record search, making the Register of Wills office the right local starting point for both search and certification.
The official Lancaster County marriage license search portal is the online lookup path for local marriage records.
Find Lancaster Divorce Records
Divorce filings are Prothonotary family matters in Lancaster County. The Prothonotary page lists divorce filings, custody petitions, guardianship, PFA documentation, civil records requests, judgments, liens, and other civil-side papers. A modern divorce records search may start with UJS or the Prothonotary's Civil Court Record Search, especially when the case number is not known.
The Prothonotary FAQ says a divorce decree request needs the case number and both party names. If the case number is unknown, the civil search may help locate it. The divorce decree request form asks whether a certified copy is needed, number of copies, date of request, case or docket number if known, plaintiff name at divorce, plaintiff maiden name if applicable, defendant name at divorce, defendant maiden name if applicable, approximate year of divorce if unknown, email, phone, and mailing name and address.
Certified decree requests must be mailed with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Non-certified requests may be emailed. Older divorce index coverage listed by the Prothonotary includes Divorce 1851-1997, while current and more recent cases should be checked through modern civil search tools and the Prothonotary office.
Certified Copy Requests
Certified marriage and divorce records come from different offices. For a Lancaster County marriage license, send the marriage copy request information and payment to the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. For a divorce decree, use the Prothonotary decree request process with the case number and party names. A certified copy is typically needed when the record must prove marital status for legal, immigration, benefit, name-change, or court purposes.
Plain online search results may be enough to identify a file, but the office-issued copy is the record used when a seal or certification is required.
- Certified copy
- A copy bearing the office certification that it is a true record from that office.
- Decree
- The court order that finalizes the divorce case.
- Apostille
- A form of authentication often needed for use of a public record outside the United States.
Note: Online search results may help locate a record, but they are not the same as a certified copy issued by the office.