Search Wilmington Marriage Records

Wilmington marriage records are held by the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace, whose office sits in downtown Wilmington at the Louis L. Redding City/County Building. The Delaware Office of Vital Statistics also keeps a state copy of each Wilmington marriage record. Use the search tool below to begin your research into Wilmington marriage records and public records in the city. This page covers where to find Wilmington marriage records, who can request them, and what fees apply.

Wilmington Marriage Records at the Clerk of the Peace

The New Castle County Clerk of the Peace runs its main office inside the city of Wilmington. The building is at 800 North French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. The phone number is (302) 395-7780. Hours run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Both people must show up in person to apply for a marriage license. Each spouse brings a valid photo ID, proof of address, and, if married before, a final divorce decree or death certificate. The resident fee is $70. Non-residents pay $120. A 24-hour wait kicks in once the clerk hands over the license, and the license is good for 30 days. The ceremony must take place inside Delaware.

A certified copy of a Wilmington marriage record from the Clerk of the Peace costs $25. The office will only fill the order for one of the spouses, a close family member, or an approved legal agent. Delaware marriage records are confidential for 50 years from the date of the ceremony.

The New Castle County Clerk of the Peace issues the license and keeps the record after the officiant returns the signed form. For the full history of the office, the Delaware Public Archives page at archives.delaware.gov walks through how the role has evolved since the colonial period.

Wilmington Vital Records Options

Wilmington couples can also order a certified copy of a Delaware marriage certificate from the state Office of Vital Statistics. The closest branch is at 258 Chapman Road in Newark, a short drive from downtown Wilmington. You can reach it at (302) 283-7130. The central office in Dover also handles mail orders.

Vital records in Wilmington cover four kinds of life events: birth, death, marriage, and divorce. The New Castle County Clerk of the Peace keeps marriage records. The state Office of Vital Statistics keeps birth and death records. Divorce records are held by the New Castle Family Court at 500 North King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, for cases from 1978 forward. Divorce records from before 1978 are at the New Castle County Prothonotary at the same address.

Certified copies of a Wilmington marriage record cost $25 and require proof of relationship to the person on the record when the marriage is less than 50 years old. The state page at dhss.delaware.gov has the downloadable application form and the full list of approved requesters.

Online orders go through one of two approved vendors. Use GoCertificates or VitalChek. Both send the request to the state Office of Vital Statistics.

Older Wilmington Marriage Records

The city of Wilmington kept its own marriage records from 1881 to 1954 through the Justice of the Peace. Those files sit at the Delaware Public Archives now. Staff can pull the index by bride or groom name. Some entries also appear in the New Castle County registers. Statewide registration of marriages began in 1847 and was generally followed by 1913.

For Wilmington marriage records older than 50 years, contact the Delaware Public Archives at 121 Duke of York Street, Dover, DE 19901. Call (302) 744-5000 or email archives@delaware.gov. The full guide at archives.delaware.gov lists each series by year. The visiting page at archives.delaware.gov/visiting-researching-at-dpa has the research room hours and rules.

The Historical Society of Delaware, located in Wilmington, holds key statewide papers including manuscripts, photos, and local family records. Delaware counties began keeping marriage records as early as 1832. Many of those were transferred to the Delaware Public Archives. Index cards for Delaware marriages from 1680 to 1850 were pulled from bonds, licenses, probate records, and church registers.

Wilmington and Delaware Marriage Law

Marriage in Wilmington follows state law under Title 13, Chapter 1 of the Delaware Code. Section 109 requires a license for every marriage. Section 110 lets the Clerk of the Peace deny the license if any legal bar is known.

Section 120 lists what each spouse must provide on the application. Section 115(b) gives the officiant four days after the ceremony to return the signed form to the Clerk of the Peace. Section 129 gives same-gender couples the same rights and duties as different-gender couples under Delaware law.

The 50-year privacy rule means that during that wait, the record is only open to the spouses, close family, or an approved agent. After the 50-year mark, the file is moved to the Delaware Public Archives and opens to the general public for any purpose.

What Is on a Wilmington Marriage Record

A Delaware marriage record from Wilmington lists basic facts about both spouses, the ceremony, and the officiant. Each field is filled in at the time of the application or after the ceremony, and the full file lives in the county register and, for recent records, in the state Office of Vital Statistics database.

A modern Wilmington marriage record shows 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 as well, along with the date and place of any earlier marriage and how it ended. The officiant signs the record and notes the date and place of the ceremony.

Older Wilmington marriage records from the Justice of the Peace files cover 1881 to 1954 at the Delaware Public Archives. These may include the name, age, and place of birth of each spouse, parents' names, the number of earlier marriages, and the witnesses and officials present. Forms left space for this data, but not every field was filled in at the time.

Processing times for Wilmington marriage records depend on the office and the request method. In-person requests at the Clerk of the Peace are handled while you wait. In-person requests at the Newark branch of the Office of Vital Statistics are also same-day for most marriage records. Mail orders to the state office in Dover typically take two to four weeks. Online orders through GoCertificates or VitalChek can take a few business days to a week depending on the shipping option.

Common reasons Wilmington residents order a marriage certificate include:

• Legal name change after marriage
• Spousal benefits through Social Security or pensions
• Insurance claims
• Probate and estate cases
• Green card or visa applications

Related Pages

Wilmington is the largest city in New Castle County and the biggest city in Delaware overall. All Wilmington marriage records pass through the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace.