Which Office Holds Which Record
Before any search, sort out the office. This single step saves the most time, because marriage and divorce do not live together in Pennsylvania. Marriage licenses and historical marriage records are with the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. Divorce, custody, and protection-from-abuse filings are with the Prothonotary. The comparison below pairs each record with its keeper.
| Record | Office | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license and marriage record | Register of Wills / Orphans' Court | One Montgomery Plaza, 610-278-3400 |
| Divorce record | Prothonotary | Civil Records, 610-278-3361 |
| Custody and PFA filings | Prothonotary | One Montgomery Plaza, 610-278-3360 |
Keep that split in mind as you read on. The marriage steps below run through the Register of Wills, while the divorce steps near the end run through the Prothonotary. Getting that one fact right is what keeps a records search from stalling at the wrong counter.
How to Apply for a Montgomery County Marriage License
Montgomery County handles marriage license applications online, then finalizes them during a Webex video conference, though walk-in service is also available. The application is not complete until that conference or an in-office appointment. A nice touch for couples who are apart: the county says applicants may log in from different locations for the video step. That flexibility helps service members, students, and anyone whose partner lives in another town while the paperwork gets done.
- Complete the online marriage license application on the county site.
- Schedule and attend the Webex video conference, or use walk-in service.
- Both applicants confirm identity and details during the conference.
- Pay the fee; the charge shows as pending until the application is accepted.
- The license is emailed by the end of the Webex conference.
Apply at least two weeks before the ceremony. The county recommends the lead time because an application can be rejected and an appointment must be scheduled. Payment authorization stays pending until the application is accepted, and only accepted applications are processed.
Marriage License Requirements
The rules are short but firm. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Persons related by blood up to and including first cousins may not marry in Pennsylvania. A Montgomery County marriage license can be used anywhere in Pennsylvania, but it cannot be used outside the Commonwealth.
The license also carries a built-in delay. It is not valid until three days after the Webex video conference or the in-person appointment issue date. The county does not list blood tests or premarital-education discounts on the pages reviewed, so plan around the three-day wait and the two-week lead time rather than around steps that do not apply here.
The where-you-marry rule confuses people too. A Montgomery County license may be used anywhere in Pennsylvania, so a couple can get the license here and hold the ceremony in another Pennsylvania county. The record, though, stays with the county that issued the license. If you used a license from a different county, that other county holds the record, not Montgomery County.
Montgomery County Marriage Record Fees
Marriage fees fall into the license itself and the certified copies you may need later. The table below lists the published amounts. A one-seal certified copy and a two-seal combination are different documents, so order the one your situation requires.
| Record / Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $85.00 |
| Certified copy (one seal) | $25.00 |
| Application and certificate (two seal) | $50.00 |
Note: a certified marriage copy is what most agencies accept for a name change, a benefit claim, or proof of marriage, so order the certified version rather than a plain printout. The two-seal combination includes both the application and the certificate, which some agencies prefer.
Searching Montgomery County Marriage Records
Marriage records in Pennsylvania are kept by the Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division in the county where the license was issued. Montgomery County holds records for licenses issued in the county from 1885 to the present, and the county states all of these records are open to the public and available for viewing. The county provides copies in person or by mail using a Marriage Record Request Form.
The county links a public marriage license search as well, so you can confirm a record before you request a certified copy.
The Marriage Record Request Form needs a few key fields to locate the record. The inventory below lists what the request form asks for.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant or spouse names | Text | Yes | Complete name of the husband or wife at the time of marriage. |
| Date of marriage or license | Date | Helpful | Used to locate the record. |
| Requester name and address | Text | For mail | Needed to return a mailed copy. |
| Record type and payment | Selection | Yes | One-seal copy $25 or two-seal combination $50. |
What the record shows depends on the year. Older records list each applicant's full name, age, residence, occupation, and place of birth. From 1915 forward, the record also adds parents' names, occupations, and places of birth. That makes these records useful for genealogy as well as for proof of marriage.
One office boundary is worth repeating. The Register of Wills keeps marriage records, but it does not issue birth certificates beyond a narrow historical set, and the Prothonotary does not issue birth certificates at all. Birth records for people born in the county after 1915 are held by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, not by these county offices. So a request for a birth record goes to the state, while a marriage record stays local.
Montgomery County Divorce Records
Divorce records are not kept by the Register of Wills, even though marriage licenses are. Divorce is a civil and family matter handled by the Prothonotary, the elected civil clerk of the Court of Common Pleas. The Prothonotary lists divorce among its civil filings and gives a direct line, 610-278-3361, for divorce and civil records.
You can search divorce docket entries for free through the county Civil Viewer, the same tool used for other civil cases. Actual pleadings carry a pay-per-page charge and one view per fee, so save or print the page when it opens. For older or missing divorce records, the Prothonotary asks you to call Civil Records or to come in, mail, or use the courthouse lobby dropbox. The Prothonotary page covers the office in full.
A divorce record and a divorce decree are not the same request. The docket entries show the steps a case took, while a certified decree is the signed order that proves the divorce is final. For proof of a finalized divorce, ask the Prothonotary for a certified copy rather than relying on a free docket printout, since agencies usually want the certified version. The same pay-per-page rule applies to viewing the underlying pleadings online.
Divorce and the Domestic Relations Split
One filing rule matters most for divorcing couples. If a divorce is in progress and an open support case runs through the state PACSES system, then pleadings for child support, spousal support, or alimony pendente lite must be filed with Domestic Relations, not the Prothonotary. Once the divorce is final, alimony filings go back to the Prothonotary.
Getting this wrong can stall a filing, so check which office should receive each document before you file. Custody and protection-from-abuse matters also run through the Prothonotary, but public access to PFA records is limited, since the rules protect a victim's address and contact details. The court records page explains those access limits.
Common Marriage and Divorce Record Questions
A few questions come up again and again at the counter. The short answers below cover the most common ones.
Are Montgomery County marriage records public? Yes. The county states that marriage records for licenses issued in the county from 1885 to the present are open to the public and available for viewing. You can request a certified copy by mail or in person.
Where do I get my divorce decree? From the Prothonotary, not the Register of Wills. Divorce is a civil case at the Court of Common Pleas, and the Prothonotary holds the civil record. Call Civil Records at 610-278-3361 for older or certified divorce records.
How long until my marriage license is valid? Three days after the issue date. Apply at least two weeks before the ceremony so the wait and any scheduling do not push past your date.