Free Wayne County Marriage Records Search (Past & Recent)

Run a Wayne County marriage records search and conveniently uncover details about an individual’s marital status.

There are many situations in which a concerned citizen may need or want to search for information about someone they know: if they’re married, who they’re married to, when the wedding took place and many other details.

The Michigan Freedom of Information Act ensures that important documents are kept accessible to the people. Marital records are included, so anyone can request copies of marriage certificates in the state — regardless of their connection to the couple or the event.

This article will help readers become acquainted with the tools and resources available to look up and find marital records in Wayne County, Michigan.

How To Look Up Wayne County Marriage Records

Citizens looking for marriage records in Wayne County can count on the Clerk’s Office to find them. The Wayne County Clerk’s Office accepts requests in person, by mail, or online and provides citizens with both certified and non-certified copies of marital records.¹

For those to prefer to place orders in person, it’s mandatory to schedule an appointment ahead of time. The office doesn’t see walk-ins.

Both in-person and mail-in requests must include a completed application with as much information as possible about the marriage records searchers wish to retrieve. The application can be accessed by clicking on the “Order by Mail” button.

The process for obtaining simple and certified records is the same. Certified marriage certificates cost $24 for the first copy and $7 for each extra copy requested at the same time. Simple copies cost $11.50. This is the address to mail orders to or to appear at in person when the appointment time comes:

Wayne County Clerk’s Office
400 Monroe Street – Suite 610
Detroit, MI 48226

Phone: (313)967-6938

For online orders, the Wayne County Clerk’s Office works with VitalChek. It’s important that users keep in mind that this is a third-party provider that may charge extra fees for handling and shipping.

Sometimes, the search at hand is for historical records. Searchers, in many cases, are trying to uncover information and determine facts about their ancestors.

A local search, in those cases, may not be as predictive as expected. Let’s take a look at the tools available for people in Wayne County and Michigan as a whole to perform genealogical and historical searches.

How To Acquire Archived Marriage Records in Wayne County Michigan

There are a few different tools interested citizens can use to try and access information about historical marriage records in Michigan. Knowing those resources is important because, when it comes to older documents, in many cases, a basic Wayne County marriage record search may not lead to the expected results.

The Library of Michigan has a list of resources on their website.³ They also offer information on how to access those resources, which include marriage records from 1967 to 1952. They can also be contacted directly for more information and support about those tools:

Library of Michigan
702 W Kalamazoo Street
Lansing, MI 48915

Phone: (517)335-1477
Email: [email protected]

Another valuable tool is the Michiganology website, which is an initiative of the Library of Michigan.⁴ It allows citizens to search their collections. If a user searches for “marriages”, for example, or any similar keyword combination, they’ll be taken to a list of resources that include church records, personal statements, old newspapers, and plenty of sources that can help find valuable information about those who lived before us.

Certified copies of records starting in 1867 can also be found with the Michigan Health and Human Services. How to accomplish that will be addressed below.

How To Find Michigan Marital Records Outside of Wayne County

In Michigan, marriages have always been recorded with the county that issued the license. However, the ceremony may have taken place anywhere in the state, making it difficult, sometimes, to know where to go for copies of records.

The same problem may occur when the searcher isn’t sure in which county the couple got married or where they issued their license in the first place. When that happens, searching merely for Wayne County marital records may be insufficient and looking at the whole state may become the advisable step to take.

To search and obtain certified copies of marriage records throughout Michigan, interested citizens can work with the Vital Records Office, which operates under the Health and Human Services Department.⁵ They can provide marriage records from 1867 to the present day. They offer different types of records, depending on the searcher’s needs:

• Certified copies
• Authenticated copies with apostille (accepted by foreign governments)
• No marriage with apostille (also accepted by foreign governments, but to prove someone has never married)
• Marriage verification (which, as the name says, confirms someone isn’t married in Michigan)

Searchers should be aware that Michigan doesn’t recognize common law marriages, which were abolished in the state in 1957. Unless the couple had a wedding properly officiated, with a license issued by the state, etc., their relationship won’t appear in any of the searches mentioned in this resource.

Requests for certified copies of marital records can be made by anyone, regardless of any connection with the bride and groom. Those placing an order can do so in person, by mail, online, or by phone.

For in-person orders, the Vital Records Office sees people on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment only. People who prefer to be seen in person can make arrangements for their visit to the office online.⁶

Certified copies of marriage certificates cost $34, and when the time comes, they shall go to the following address:

Michigan Vital Records Department
333 S Grand Avenue
Lansing, MI 48933

Phone: 517.335.8666

Mail order must include a completed application with as much information as possible and be sent with payment to one of the addresses below. Regular orders will take between 4 and 6 weeks to be fulfilled, while rush orders can be delivered in 2 or 3 weeks. The searcher who is in a hurry must include the expedited fee of $12 on their payment.

Vital Records Requests
P.O. Box 30721
Lansing, MI 48908

Phone and online orders in Michigan are fulfilled by VitalChek, a third party that facilitates the requests but charges an extra fee to do so.

How To Request a Wayne County Marriage License

There is a process in place for those who wish to obtain a marriage license in Wayne County. According to Michigan laws, marriage licenses must be issued in the county the couple lives in. It’ll be valid for 30 days, and the couple can have their nuptials officiated anywhere in the state.

When only one of the future spouses lives in Wayne County, that person must appear at the Clerk’s Office in person. It’s not mandatory that both people go together.

Both parties must be at least 18 years old, but there’s an exception: citizens who are 16 and 17 are allowed to obtain a license if they have parental consent.

When both parties are non-residents in the state of Michigan but are planning a destination wedding, the application must be made at the county where the ceremony will happen, and at least one of the individuals must appear in person at the Clerk’s Office.

All applicants must complete an online marriage application and, when it’s done, schedule an appointment to visit the Wayne County Clerk’s Office.⁷ When the time for the appointment comes, this is where they should go to:

Wayne County Clerk’s Office
400 Monroe Street – Suite 610
Detroit, MI 48226

Phone: (313)967-6938

There’s a reason why public records are readily available to those who seek them. Marital records are important, and people should feel comfortable looking for this information.

Interested citizens can search for Wayne County marriage records at any time, and they should do so any time they feel the need to know more about someone in their circle.