Marriage License vs Marriage Certificate: What Is the Difference?

The difference at a glance

USAGov puts it simply: a marriage license legally allows you to marry, and a marriage certificate proves you got married. Most licenses expire within 30 days to a year, depending on the issuing state, so a license is a short-lived permission slip. The certificate is the document you keep and use as proof.

Some offices blur the line. The Texas State Law Library notes that Texas law does not use the phrase "marriage certificate" in its marriage chapter, and that the marriage license itself is the legal document used to provide proof of the marriage. In California, by contrast, the state health department describes a certified copy of a marriage certificate as "not a copy of the marriage license." The vocabulary depends on where you married.

Who issues each document

Licenses are issued locally. In Texas, for example, a license may be obtained from any county clerk's office. Copies of the record come from that local office, and in many states from the state as well:

• Texas: certified copies of the license are purchased from the county clerk where the license was issued. The state vital statistics office keeps marriage indexes going back to 1966 that can help you work out which county that was.
• New York: the state Department of Health holds marriage records back to 1881 for licenses bought anywhere in the state except New York City. Copies are also available from the town or city clerk where the license was obtained.
• California: the Department of Public Health issues certified copies of marriage certificates and separates them into two kinds, covered below.
• Florida: in Palm Beach County, the Clerk of the Circuit Court offers certified copies of recorded marriage licenses. If your license came from another county or state, you have to go to that county or state.

How to get certified copies after the wedding

1. Confirm where your license was issued. The office that issued it holds the record, even if you now live somewhere else.
2. Check whether your state or county issues the copy. Some states route requests through the state vital records office, while others, such as Texas, send you to the county clerk.
3. Decide which kind of copy you need. If the copy will be used for identification or a name change, ask for the certified (sometimes called authorized) version.
4. Prove who you are. New York, for example, accepts requests from spouses, and anyone else must document a judicial or other proper purpose. It asks for a copy of valid photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport.
5. Ask whether originals are returned. The Social Security Administration says it returns documents submitted with an application, but check each agency's rules before you send a copy you cannot replace easily.

California adds a wrinkle. A certified copy can be used to obtain identification for a person named on the certificate, while a certified informational copy cannot. People who are not eligible for the first kind can receive the second. Both are certified copies of the original on file, but they do not do the same job.

What a marriage certificate is used for

The most common use is a name change. The Palm Beach County Clerk says the certified copy of your marriage record is the legal document needed to change your name with the Social Security Administration, the motor vehicle agency, your bank, your employer and your credit card accounts.

• Social Security: to change the name on your Social Security record, you request a replacement card. The Social Security Administration says a document supporting a name change must be recent and identify you by both your old and new names. Cards issued to reflect a legal name change do not count toward the limits on replacement cards.
• Passport: the State Department lists a marriage certificate as an example of acceptable name change evidence. If less than a year has passed since your passport was issued and your name changed, you can apply by mail with Form DS-5504, your most recent passport, an original or certified name change document and a photo. After a year, you may be able to renew by mail with a certified copy, or apply in person.
• Other records: banks, employers and motor vehicle offices commonly ask for the same certified copy.

The keepsake mistake

Many couples receive a decorative "marriage certificate" at the ceremony. It might be signed by the officiant and witnesses and look entirely official. In Texas, the State Law Library points out that some counties offer a keepsake marriage certificate that may be separate from the marriage license itself.

The trouble comes when someone tries to use it as proof. The Social Security Administration states plainly that it accepts only original documents or documents certified by the custodian of the original record, and that photocopies and notarized copies are not acceptable. A keepsake fits none of those descriptions. If an agency asks for your marriage certificate, it almost always means a certified copy of the recorded marriage record from the issuing office.