Find Madison County Marriage License

Madison County marriage license applications are handled by town and city clerks across the county. The county seat sits in Wampsville, where the County Clerk keeps older marriage records and court filings. Couples who want to get married can apply at any clerk office in places like Oneida, Cazenovia, Hamilton, or Canastota. The license is good for 60 days and can be used anywhere in New York State. If you are searching for a past marriage record, the Madison County Archives hold marriage licenses from 1908 to 1926 along with other historical documents. The New York State Department of Health also has statewide marriage records starting from 1881.

Madison County Clerk Office

The Madison County Clerk office is at 138 North Court Street in Wampsville. The County Clerk does not issue marriage licenses directly. That job belongs to the town and city clerks in each community. But the County Clerk does keep a small collection of marriage certificates from 1908 to 1931 that you can search on public computers in the office. The Madison County Clerk website has contact information for all departments.

The Madison County Archives sit in the same building as the County Clerk. These archives hold marriage licenses from 1908 to 1926, along with census records from 1800 to 1870, court records from 1853 to 1985, deeds from 1806 to 1920, and naturalization records from 1852 to 1953. Researchers can visit during regular business hours to search these files. The archives are a solid resource for anyone doing genealogy work in Madison County.

How to Get a Marriage License

Both people must go to the clerk office together. You cannot send one person alone or do it by mail. Under DRL §13, a marriage license is required before any ceremony can take place in New York. The fee is $40, which you pay to the town or city clerk. Most offices take cash or checks. Call ahead to ask about other payment methods.

You will need to bring proof of age and proof of identity. For age, the clerk accepts an original birth certificate with a raised seal, a baptismal record, naturalization papers, or a census record. For identity, bring a driver's license, passport, or employment picture ID. If either person was married before, you need a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate for the former spouse. The clerk checks all documents before the license is issued.

DRL §13-b requires a 24-hour waiting period. You pick up the license one day and cannot use it until the next. After that, you have 60 days to hold the ceremony and return the signed license to the issuing clerk.

Madison County Marriage License Online

The Madison County website lists all town and city clerk offices along with phone numbers and hours. You can use it to find the clerk closest to you in Madison County.

The County Clerk's office has also partnered with Info Quick Solutions to provide online records search for deeds, mortgages, and other recorded documents. While marriage licenses are not part of this online system, it can be helpful if you need related property or court records from Madison County.

Town Clerks in Madison County

Madison County has multiple town and city clerks who can issue a marriage license. The towns of Brookfield, Canastota, Cazenovia, Chittenango, DeRuyter, Earlville, Eaton, Fenner, Georgetown, Hamilton, Lebanon, Lenox, Lincoln, Madison, Nelson, Oneida, Smithfield, Stockbridge, Sullivan, and Wampsville all have clerks.

Each clerk office keeps its own marriage records. If you need a certified copy of your marriage certificate later, you must go back to the clerk who issued the original license. The fee for a duplicate copy is $10. The New York State Department of Health also keeps copies and charges $30 per certified copy. Birth, marriage, and death records in Madison County are maintained by the clerk in the town where the event took place, not by the County Clerk.

The Madison County Historical Society at 435 Main Street in Oneida is another resource for researchers. The Surrogate's Court in Wampsville holds probate records and can provide copies of wills at $0.25 per microfilmed page.

Marriage Ceremony Rules

Section 11 of the Domestic Relations Law lists who can perform a marriage ceremony in New York. The list includes judges, justices, mayors, city clerks, members of the clergy, and members of the state legislature. The officiant does not have to live in New York, but they must be authorized under the law. At least one witness must be present during the ceremony.

There is no required script. The only rule is that both parties must state, in front of the officiant and a witness, that they take the other person as their spouse. After the ceremony, the officiant signs the license and returns it to the issuing clerk. If the license is not returned within the 60-day window, the marriage may not be properly recorded.

State Marriage License Records

The New York State Department of Health keeps marriage records from 1881 for the whole state outside New York City. Certified copies cost $30 each. Regular mail requests take 10 to 12 weeks to process. Send your request with a check made payable to the New York State Department of Health along with a copy of your photo ID.

For genealogy research, the DOH genealogy page explains how to get uncertified copies of older marriage records. Records must be on file for at least 50 years and both spouses must be known to be deceased. The base genealogy search fee is $22 for a one-to-three year window. Processing can take eight months or longer through the state. Contacting the local clerk directly is often faster for records they hold.

The New York State Archives in Albany also has microfiche indexes to vital records starting in 1881. These indexes cover the entire state outside of New York City and are arranged by name.

Nearby Counties

These counties are next to Madison County. Your marriage license from any New York clerk office works anywhere in the state, so it does not matter where you apply.