How to Find a Marriage License in Idaho

Learning how to find a marriage license in Idaho is a rather easy undertaking. With a computer, Internet access and a bit of information, you are well on your way to finding the license in a short period of time. A bit more complicated, however, is requesting a copy of a marriage license, since Idaho has very strict privacy laws. Generally speaking, you need to be one of the parties named in the document or a very close relative to make this request. Continue reading and you will be on your way to finding a marriage license in Idaho.

Instructions

1. Find out where the bride and groom went to have their marriage license issued. In Idaho, there are 44 counties, all of which offer marriage license services through the respective County Recorder’s Office.

2. Log on to the official Idaho state website. Scroll down a bit and click on the “About Idaho” link toward the top left of the website. Next, click on the “Counties & Cities” link. Finally, opt for “Idaho Counties.” You are now able to access an alphabetical list of all Idaho counties.

3. Click on the link for the county in which the marriage license was issued. Remember that a marriage license is returned to the county recorder’s office that issued it, not to the county recorder in whose district the marriage ceremony was actually performed.

4. Find out the contact information for the county recorder’s office. If an email address is listed, contact the clerk at the office and ask what documentation is needed to request a copy of a marriage license issued by the office. If there is no way to contact the clerk by email, make a note of the phone number and call the clerk.

5. State an acceptable reason why you want a copy of the marriage license, especially if you are neither the bride nor the groom whose names are on the document. Even though a certified copy of the marriage license is mailed out as part of the original application process, the request of additional copies is subject to privacy rules that govern requests for copies of marriage certificates.

6. Call the Idaho Office of Vital Statistics at [phone] if the marriage did not take place within one year after the marriage license was issued. Although in the State of Idaho marriage licenses never expire, they are most likely handled differently if the marriage does not take place within the customary 12-month timeframe.

7. Ask the clerk who answers the phone if you may send in an Idaho Vital Statistics Certificate Request for a license that was not used within 12 months or if you should contact the county of issuance. Most commonly, these files are stored in Boise and you will need to send the request there, especially if considerable time has passed.

Resources

• Visit the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to request copies of a marriage license.
• Log on to the official Idaho.gov website for information about its counties.
• If prompted by the clerk to send in an Idaho Vital Statistics Certificate Request to the Boise office, download the document here.