Oklahoma Marriage Records

Marriage records in Oklahoma are official documents maintained by county clerks that prove legal unions between two individuals. These records are created when a completed and signed marriage license is submitted to the county clerk following the marriage ceremony. Marriage records include both marriage licenses, which grant legal permission to marry, and marriage certificates, which confirm that the marriage has been legally solemnized.

Oklahoma marriage records are considered public records, meaning they are accessible to anyone upon request. Since 2010, Oklahoma has seen over 24,000 marriages annually, with a slight decline in 2020. However, by 2023, marriage rates had dropped to 5.9 per 1,000 residents. Divorce rates in the state have also declined, from 5.2 per 1,000 in 2010 to 3.3 in 2023.

To get married in Oklahoma, a couple must obtain a marriage license from a county clerk's office, meet the state's eligibility requirements, and have the ceremony officiated within the state. Common law marriages are recognized, and same-sex marriages have been legal since 2014. An Oklahoma marriage certificate, issued after the ceremony, serves as the official record of the marriage, including details such as the spouses' names and the marriage date. This certificate is necessary for various legal and financial purposes and is available through the county clerk's office.

What are Marriage Records?

Marriage records are documents issued or maintained by the state as proof of marital union between two persons. County clerks maintain marriage records in the state. These records are created upon submitting a completed and signed marriage license to county clerks after the completion of marriage ceremonies. Marriage records include marriage licenses and certificates. Marriage licenses grant permission to be married legally, while marriage certificates prove that the persons named on the certificate as couples are lawfully married in the state.

Oklahoma marriage records are public records. They are available to anyone upon request. Individuals may request marriage records for information purposes, insurance purposes, and documenting name changes.

Marriages in Oklahoma

Since 2010, more than 24,000 have been held yearly in Oklahoma, except for 2020, when the Sooner State experienced 23,307 marriages. Oklahoma had 23,405, 24,580, and 24,062 marriages in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. The counties with the most significant number of marriages in the state in recent years were Oklahoma, Tulsa, and Cleveland. Marriage rates have declined since 2010, when the state recorded 7.2 marriages per 1,000 population. In 2023, there were 5.9 marriages per 1,000 people in the state. Ottawa, Love, Cotton, and Stephens Counties had the highest marriage rates in the state in 2013, with 15.8, 11.8, 9.2, and 9.1 marriages per 1,000 residents, respectively. Divorce numbers and rates have followed a similar pattern to marriage rates. In 2010, Oklahoma courts issued 19,589 divorce decrees. By 2023, that figure had dropped to 13,449. The 5.2 divorces per 1,000 population rate in 2010 also fell to 3.3 in 2023.

To get married in Oklahoma, you must obtain a marriage license from a county clerk's office. However, before you apply for a marriage license, you must fulfill the state's eligibility requirements. While you do not have to undergo a premarital blood test or be a resident of the state to apply, you must meet the state's age requirement for a marriage license to be issued. Typically, applicants must be 18 to be issued a marriage license. Those aged between 16 and 17 must get parental consent from their parents or legal guardians. No one aged under 16 may be issued a marriage license except by court order.

Oklahoma law does not require applicants to have their marriage ceremonies in the county where the marriage licenses were issued. However, the license must be used within the boundaries of the state. To apply for the license, you and your partner must appear in person at the court clerk's office, typically located in the county's main courthouse. At the clerk's office, you will need a valid ID (driver's license, passport, state-issued ID, or birth certificate) showing your age and payment ($50) for the license. If you and your partner have completed a minimum four-hour state-approved premarital education course or counseling, you may pay $5 instead of the standard $50 if you can provide a certificate of completion at your application time. Premarital counseling programs must be led by a qualified health professional, an official representative of a religious institution, or an individual trained by the original authors or their authorized agents of a nationally recognized marriage education curriculum, such as the Prevention & Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP).

Note that if you were in a previous marriage, you must wait six months after the divorce decree is filed to apply for a marriage license. This waiting period may be waived if you are getting married to the former spouse from whom you were divorced. If you are 18 or older, there is no waiting period to get married. However, if you are under 18, your marriage license only becomes valid 72 hours after issuance.

An Oklahoma marriage license is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance. Upon obtaining your marriage license, you must deliver it to the marriage officiant within 10 days of issue. All marriages in the Sooner State involve a formal ceremony solemnized in the presence of at least two adults, competent persons as witnesses. The marriage officiant must return the license to the licensing authority within five days after the marriage ceremony date. Failure to return the license within this period is a misdemeanor and is liable to be punished with a fine of no less than $100. Marriage officiants in Oklahoma must be at least aged 18 and belong to one of the following categories:

A judge or retired judge of any Oklahoma court
An ordained or authorized minister or preacher of the gospel
A priest or an ecclesiastical dignitary of any denomination who is duly ordained or authorized by the church to which they belong to preach the gospel
A rabbi

In Oklahoma, proxy marriages are prohibited. Both parties must be physically present to apply for a marriage license and during the wedding ceremony. Additionally, Oklahoma law forbids marriages between first cousins or closer relatives, though it makes an exception for relationships by marriage, such as in-laws. However, a stepparent is not allowed to marry their stepchild. While Oklahoma does not permit cousin marriages within the state, it recognizes such marriages if they were legally performed in another state.

In Oklahoma, common law marriage is legally recognized. The state grants couples the same rights and responsibilities as those in a traditional marriage. This includes equal treatment in matters such as taxes, employment benefits, inheritance rights, and the division of marital property in the event of a divorce. For a relationship to be deemed a valid common-law marriage by an Oklahoma court, several critical criteria must be met. The couple must have a mutual agreement to be married, be in an exclusive and committed relationship, live together as spouses, and present themselves to the public as a married couple. Note that Oklahoma does not require a specific duration of cohabitation for a common-law marriage to be considered valid.

Same-sex marriages were legalized in Oklahoma following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 2014 to deny review of the state's same-sex marriage case, which led to immediate legal recognition of these unions. The subsequent 2015 Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges declared it unconstitutional for any state to deny same-sex couples the right to marry. Despite this, Oklahoma still has a statute on record (Oklahoma Statute, Title 43, Section 2) stating that same-sex marriages performed in other states would not be recognized in Oklahoma. However, this statute is no longer enforceable.

Oklahoma Marriage Certificate

An Oklahoma marriage certificate is an official document confirming the lawful union between two individuals. This vital document serves as proof of marriage and is issued to the couple after their marriage ceremony has been appropriately conducted and solemnized according to Oklahoma marriage laws. The certificate includes details such as the full names of both spouses, the date of the marriage, and the location where the ceremony took place.

In Oklahoma, obtaining a marriage certificate begins with acquiring a marriage license from the county clerk's office, a legal prerequisite for the ceremony. After the marriage is officiated and the officiant signs the license, it is submitted back to the clerk's office, where the marriage is officially recorded. The document is typically kept on file by the state and is available for future reference by the couple or authorized individuals. Couples may request a certified copy of their marriage certificate for various legal and financial activities, including joint tax filings, property ownership, and insurance claims.

How To Find and Access Oklahoma Marriage Records

Marriage records in Oklahoma are maintained by county clerks. Therefore, requests for certified or uncertified marriage records in the state must be made to the county clerks.

Finding and Accessing Oklahoma Marriage Records Online

Since the Oklahoma Department of Health's Office of Vital Records does not maintain marriage records, you must contact the county clerk in the county where the marriage license was filed to find out whether there are online means of obtaining copies of marriage records. For example, the Oklahoma County clerk allows marriage record requesters to place their requests online via its record request page. The clerk charges $1 for the first page, $.50 for each additional page, $.50 for the certification of each document, and $2 for a certified copy of a marriage license. If copies are to be authenticated, it costs $5 per authentication certificate.

While some third-party websites provide access to marriage records in Oklahoma for a fee, the availability and validity of such records cannot be guaranteed.

Finding and Accessing Oklahoma Marriage Records Offline

County clerks typically receive requests for marriage records by mail or via in-person orders. You should contact the county clerk’s office for specific steps in obtaining a marriage record in the jurisdiction. For instance, to obtain a marriage record by mail in Cleveland County, submit a completed Records Request Form, the appropriate fee, and a self-addressed envelope for the receipt of the record to:

Cleveland County Court Clerk

200 S. Peters Avenue

Norman, OK 73069

Also, to obtain a copy of a marriage license in Tulsa County, visit the Court Clerk's Office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

References

Counties in Oklahoma

List of Content

What are Marriage Records?
Marriages in Oklahoma
1. Oklahoma Marriage Certificate
How To Find and Access Oklahoma Marriage Records
1. Finding and Accessing Oklahoma Marriage Records Online
2. Finding and Accessing Oklahoma Marriage Records Offline