Delaware City Marriage Records

Delaware City is a small historic town on the Delaware River in New Castle County. Delaware City marriage records are held by the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace in Wilmington, and the state Office of Vital Statistics in Newark keeps a central copy of each file. Use the search tool below to begin looking up public records in the city. This page covers each office, the fees, and the rules that apply to Delaware City marriage records.

Delaware City Marriage Records at the Clerk of the Peace

Delaware City sits in New Castle County. All Delaware City marriage records pass through the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace at 800 North French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. Call (302) 395-7780. Weekday hours run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Both people must show up together in person to apply for a license. Each spouse brings a valid photo ID such as a driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID. Proof of address is part of the request. Anyone who was married before must bring a final decree or death certificate.

The resident fee is $70, and non-residents pay $120. A 24-hour wait starts once the clerk signs the license. The license is valid for 30 days, and the ceremony must take place inside Delaware. Minors cannot marry in Delaware. No one under 18 may apply.

The New Castle County Clerk of the Peace issues the license and keeps the record after the officiant files the signed form. The county page at nccde.gov covers the full process for a Delaware City marriage record request.

How to Order Delaware City Marriage Records

A certified copy of a Delaware City marriage record from the Clerk of the Peace costs $25. Delaware marriage records are private for 50 years. Inside that window, the office only releases a copy to a spouse, a parent, a child, a legal guardian, or an approved legal agent.

Delaware City residents have four ways to order a Delaware marriage certificate:

• In person at the Clerk of the Peace in Wilmington
• In person at the Office of Vital Statistics branch in Newark
• By mail to the Office of Vital Statistics central office in Dover
• Online through one of two approved vendors

For mail orders, write out the full names of both people as they appeared on the license, the date of the ceremony, a phone number, and whether the request is for a marriage or civil union license. Include a check or money order and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Office of Vital Statistics Nearby

The nearest Office of Vital Statistics branch for Delaware City is at 258 Chapman Road in Newark. Call (302) 283-7130. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. The office offers same-day service on most Delaware marriage records held by the state from 1969 forward.

Delaware City is about a 25-minute drive from the Newark branch and about 20 minutes from downtown Wilmington. Either office can print a certified copy of a Delaware City marriage record while you wait. The full program page at dhss.delaware.gov has the application form.

Delaware marriage records released by any state office are confidential under 16 Del. C. Section 3110(b). The person asking must be one of the spouses, a close family member, or a legal agent.

Older Delaware City Marriage Records

Delaware City marriage records older than 50 years have been moved to the Delaware Public Archives at 121 Duke of York Street in Dover. Call (302) 744-5000 or email archives@delaware.gov. A certified copy from the archive costs $25.

State registration of marriages began in 1847 and was generally followed by 1913. Delaware counties began keeping marriage records as early as 1832. Earlier files can be found in church records, family Bibles, and bond files at the archive. A Delaware City marriage record from the 1800s may list the name, age, and place of birth of each spouse, parents' names, and the presiding official.

The guide to vital statistics records breaks down each series by year.

Officiants and the Marriage Form

The Delaware marriage form used for a Delaware City ceremony is a three-page set. One page goes to the bride and groom. One page goes to the state file. One page stays with the officiant, who must keep it for at least one year under 13 Del. C. Section 114.

Under 13 Del. C. Section 107(b), a valid license signed by the Clerk of the Peace must be in the officiant's hands before the ceremony. Within four days, the officiant must return the signed copy to the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace. Judges of Delaware's constitutional and statutory courts can solemnize marriages under a 1996 law that amended 13 Del. C. Section 106.

Delaware Marriage Law

Delaware City marriage records follow state law under Title 13, Chapter 1 of the Delaware Code. Section 109 requires a license for every marriage. Section 115(b) gives the officiant four days to return the signed form to the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace.

Both applicants must be at least 18. Section 128 fines any officiant who runs a ceremony without a license or before the 24-hour wait has ended. Section 129 treats same-gender couples the same as different-gender couples.

The vital statistics regulation at dhss.delaware.gov/dph/hp/vsregs covers how every branch must handle Delaware City marriage records, from the initial filing to the release of certified copies.

What Is on a Delaware City Marriage Record

A modern Delaware City marriage record lists the full name of each spouse, sex, Social Security number, date of birth, occupation, and residence at the time of the marriage. Parents' names and places of birth are on the form. Anyone who was married before must list the date and place of the earlier marriage and how it ended. The officiant signs the record and notes the date and place of the ceremony.

Older Delaware City marriage records may list the bride and groom, their ages, their places of birth, their parents' names, and the presiding official. Before 1913, the Recorder of Deeds in New Castle County logged each marriage and sent a copy to the State Board of Health every three months. Compliance with the statewide system was not always full in the early years.

Processing times for Delaware City marriage records vary by the office and request method. In-person requests at the Clerk of the Peace in Wilmington or the Office of Vital Statistics branch in Newark are handled while you wait for most records. Mail orders take two to four weeks. Online orders arrive in a few days to a week depending on the shipping option chosen.

Common reasons Delaware City residents order a Delaware marriage certificate include:

• Legal name change after marriage
• Social Security or pension paperwork
• Insurance claims
• Real estate and title work
• Family history research

Related Pages

Delaware City is a small city in New Castle County on the Delaware River. All Delaware City marriage records pass through the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace.