Iowa - Obtain a Marriage Certificate

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Procedure

Bureau of Health Statistics Iowa

By Phone (VitalChek)

You can request a certificate by calling this toll-free number 866-809-0290 from 6:00 am CST through 7:00 pm CST, Monday through Friday, except for holidays.

A VitalChek operator will take your information, screen your credit card, authenticate your identity and complete your order.

Online (VitalChek)

Go online and simply follow the steps to place an order. An additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service and all major credit cards are accepted.

By Mail

1. To obtain a certified copy of a vital record (birth, death, marriage) registered with the Iowa Department of Public Health, complete an 'Application for Copy of a Vital Record' form
2. Mail the completed form along with a check or money order payable to the 'Iowa Department of Public Health,' and a clear photocopy of the applicant's current, government-issued photo identification:
   Iowa Department of Public Health
   Bureau of Health Statistics
   Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor
   321 E. 12th Street
   Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075

In Person

To those who are in the Des Moines area, you may apply for a copy in person. You may submit your request at the state vital records office between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for state-observed holidays. The office is located at the address listed below, just inside the main north entrance and main lobby. The Lucas building is the first state office building east of the state Capitol building, on the south side of Grand Avenue.

1. Complete and sign a written request.
2. Submit the completed request and present a valid, current government-issued photo identification.
3. Pay the record search fee.

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Required Documents

• Completed 'Application for Copy of a Vital Record' form
• Written requests for certified copies of vital records will not be accepted if they do not include:
  • The applicant's current government-issued photo identification; except if by mail, a clear photocopy of the I.D.; and
  • The applicant's signature signed in front of a notary public or in the presence of an Iowa Registrar of Vital Records.

Office Locations & Contacts

Iowa Department of Public Health
Bureau of Health Statistics
Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor
321 E. 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075
Phone: (515) 281-4944

County Public Health Contacts

Website

Certificates may also be obtained from your local county. Use the contact information below to inquire.

Adair County : P. O. Box L Greenfield, IA 5089-1290
Phone: 515-743-2445

Adams County : 500 9th St. Corning, IA 50841
Phone: 515-322-4711

Allamakee County : 110 Allamakee St. P.O. Box 248 Waukon, IA 52172-1794
Phone: 563-568-6351

Appanoose County : 201 North 12th Street Centerville, IA 52544
Phone: 515-856-6101

Audubon County : 319 Leroy St. Audubon, IA 50025
Phone: 712-563-4275

Benton County : 111 E. 4th St. P.O. Box 719 Vinton, IA 52349-1771
Phone: 319-833-3012

Black Hawk County : 316 E. 5th St. Waterloo, IA 50703-4774
Phone: 319-833-3012

Boone County : 201 State St. Boone, IA 50036
Phone: 515-432-6291

Bremer County : 415 E. Bremer Avenue Waverly, IA 50677
Phone: 319-352-5661

Buchanan County : 210 N. 5th Ave NE Independence, IA 50644-1959
Phone: 319-334-2196

Buena Vista County : 215 E. 5th St. PO Box 1186 Storm Lake, IA 50588-1186
Phone: 712-749-2546

Butler County : PO Box 325 Allison, IA 50602
Phone: 319-267-2487

Calhoun County : PO Box 273Rockwell, IA 50579-0273
Phone: 712-297-8122

Carroll County : 114 E. 6th St. Carroll, Iowa 51401
Phone: 712-792-4327

Cass County : 7th St. Courthouse Atlantic, IA 50022
Phone: 712-243-2105

Cedar County : 400 Cedar Street Tipton, IA 52772
Phone: 563-886-2230

Cerro Gordo County : 220 North Washington Avenue Mason City, Iowa 50401
Phone: 641-421-3056

Cherokee County : 520 West Main Cherokee, IA 51012
Phone: 712-225-6735

Chickasaw County : 8 East Prospect St. P.O. Box 14 New Hampton, Iowa 50659-0014
Phone: 641-394-2336

Clarke County : 100 S. Main Osceola, IA 50213
Phone: 641-342-3313

Clay County : 215 W 4th Street Spencer, Iowa 51301
Phone: 712-262-1081

Clayton County : 111 High St. SE Elkrader, IA 52043
Phone: 319-245-2204

Clinton County : 1900 North 3rd Street P.O. Box 2957 Clinton IA 52733-2957
Phone: 563-244-0565

Crawford County : 1202 Broadway Denison, IA 51442-0423
Phone: 712-263-3045

Dallas County : 801 Court Street Rm 203 P.O. Box 38 Adel, IA

Eligibility

Copies of Iowa marriage records will only be issued to the persons named in the certificate, next of kin, or to individuals with a legal right to the certificate.

Fees

Vital records: A fee of $20.00 is required for the record search and includes one copy if a record is on file in the vital records office. Each additional copy of the record is also $20.00.

If the record is not located, the applicant shall receive a notification of the record search. The $20.00 fee shall be retained for the search.

Notes:

• You may pay the fee in check or money order made out to the Iowa Department of Public Health. In-person requests may also be paid in cash.
• Checks must be drawn from the applicant's account; money orders must be in the name of the applicant. Fees must be paid at the time of the application.
• The fee is for the search of the record and is non-refundable. No refunds will be made for overpayments of $5.00 or less.
• Fees must be paid in U.S. funds to the issuing registrar's office. In some instances, the local county registrar (County Recorder) may only accept cash or money orders for in-person requests and money orders for mail-in requests. All applications must be accompanied by a valid, current government-issued photo I.D. (legible photocopy if applying by mail) and all applicants must satisfactorily prove entitlement.

VitalCheck additional charges:

• Fee to screen your credit card and authenticate the caller: $13.00
• Group order, which consists of more than one Vital Event, i.e. Birth, Death or Marriage within one order: $3.00

Note: Credit cards currently being accepted by VitalCheck include American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Bureau of Health Statistics Iowa:

• Application for Copy of Marriage Certificate (PDF)

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Processing Time

• VitalChek: Processing time is currently about two (2) weeks depending on the amount of requests VitalChek is currently processing. UPS orders will be delivered within 7-10 business days after processing.
• By Mail: Mail requests will take an average of 5 to 7 business days to reach the Vital Records office, and 5 to 7 business days to be returned to you. Turnaround time may be 4 to 6 weeks, depending on seasonal demands. Genealogy requests are accepted by mail only and may require a minimum of 60 business days for processing, and will be mailed to the applicant by standard postal delivery only.
• In Person: Certificates are generally [Note] ready for pick up the next business day after 2:00 PM or mailed by standard postal service to an entitled person. Mail turnaround time may take 5 to 7 additional days. Note: Exceptions may occur for inaccurate or incomplete applications, or if further verification is required for entitlement or locating records.

Instructions

• In Iowa, registration of births, deaths and marriages began July 1, 1880. No records of events prior to July 1, 1880, are on file in the office. All original records that have been registered are on file with the Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• You may obtain certified copies of vital records by telephone, in-person, or through a postal service.
• Statewide record searches are available from the state registrar.
• Local registrars are located in county recorders offices and maintain records of birth, death and marriages that have occurred in that county.
• County registrars do not have code authority to have the following on record:
  • Single-parent births prior to July 1, 1995;
  • Adoptions;
  • Birth records after a legal change of name through Iowa Code chapter 674;
  • Delayed records filed one year or more after the event;
  • Any record ordered seal by a court of law;
  • Birth, death, and marriage records between the years 1921 to 1941.
• All requests for certified copies of vital record events must be in writing and completely identify the record, as well as satisfactorily establish entitlement to the record being requested.

Required Information

• The Persons name as it appears on the record
• Date and place of event
• Fathers full name and Mothers full maiden Name
• Purpose for obtaining a copy of the marriage certificate
• Relationship of person receiving the copy to person named on the record
• Date of birth
• Name and address of the person who will receive the copy
• Applicant's name
• Daytime phone number

If not provided, unreadable or expired, the request will be returned unprocessed.

Need for the Document

Marriage is a legal contract binding two people together, granting them rights and obligations. A Marriage Certificate is an official statement that two people are married.

A copy of the marriage certificate is often necessary when you apply for procedures such as obtaining a passport or applying for social benefits.