Search Free Rhode Island Marriage Records

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Free Rhode Island Marriage Record Search

Access anyone's marital information in Rhode Island, free of charge.

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Obtain free Rhode Island marriage records from official sources without sorting through custodians and documents.

The state’s Access to Public Records Act (APRA) allows citizens in Rhode Island to inspect and copy public records upon request, reflective of the broader federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

If you’re seeking a copy of your or a relative’s marriage certificate, look no further. This streamlined resource offers multiple databases and contact information for record custodians who provide marital documents throughout Rhode Island.

Who Can Access Marriage Records & Licenses in Rhode Island?

With a marriage rate of 5.8,¹ marriages in Rhode Island have decreased since the 1990s and early 2000s. Nevertheless, it’s still a lot higher than the neighboring states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.

Unfortunately, marital records in Rhode Island are not considered public records until 100 years have passed since they were issued.

Instead, they are considered vital records. In Rhode Island, that means that they are confidential, and interested persons must have a direct and tangible interest in the record to obtain a copy according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.

That is unlike public records, which any entity or individual has the right to inspect or copy upon request, as per the Access to Public Records Act. Once 100 years pass, any party can request access to a marital record, even without a direct or tangible interest, as they are no longer confidential.

Those who qualify as having direct and tangible interest include:

• The wife or husband
• The mother, father, or sibling of one of the married parties
• A legal guardian or authorized agent of one of the married parties
• Anyone who needs access to the record to protect their personal or property rights
• Lawyers or title examiners
• Genealogical society members

Conducting a marriage background check on a fiancé may qualify as protecting personal rights.

The exceptions are marriage certificates over 100 years old, which are considered public records and available to anyone.

How To Access Rhode Island Marriage Records: RI Marriage License Lookup

Accessing statewide marriage records is a convenient and streamlined process; to look up marriage licenses in Rhode Island, contact the Center for Vital Records of the state’s Department of Health.

The quickest and easiest way to obtain a record is to use the convenient State of Rhode Island’s Vital Records Online Request Service.

Start by selecting your municipality (only select municipalities participate in the online service). On the next page, select Marriage Record. Proceed to fill out the form, entering your name and other details.

To use this form, you must be requesting your own marriage certificate (choose Self if you are the bride or groom) or one from your parent or child. You must also provide a photo ID to prove your relationship to the married party.

The fees are $25 for the first certificate and $18 for each additional copy, plus a $5 processing fee.

If you don’t see your town or municipality on the drop-down list, the next option is to make an in-person visit to a city or town clerk office. An appointment may be required; call your local town or city hall to confirm.

The in-person fees to search a record are as follows:

• For one name, the first two consecutive search years are free.
• Afterward, each year will cost $2.
• Rush processing costs an additional $7.

For the physical certificate copy, the fee is $22. If you purchase multiple copies the same day, the fee is $18 for each additional copy.

Generally, payment is made via check or money order made out to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island. However, accepted payment methods may vary from one town or city clerk to another, so confirm while making your appointment.

To search for a marriage record and obtain a copy, record seekers must provide a valid government photo ID. Alternatively, you can provide two documents containing your name and address, such as a utility bill and bank statement.

If you don’t have time to go to the county or city clerk office, you can submit a request to obtain marital records by mail.

Download and fill out the Application for a Certified Copy of a Marriage or Civil Union Record and send it to the following address:⁴

Center for Vital Records
Simpson Hall, 6 Harrington Rd.
Cranston, RI 02920

In the form, confirm your direct interest in the record (such as your relationship to the married party) and why you are requesting a copy. Also, include a copy of your government-issued photo ID. The fee is $22 for the first copy and $18 for additional copies.

Acceptable payment methods include checks or money orders made out to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island. Applications usually take 8–12 weeks to process, but rush applications take just 5-7 business days.

Finally, eligible parties can apply for copies of public marriage records online or over the phone through VitalChek, a third party endorsed by the RIDOH. You may apply on the VitalChek website or call 888-388-1032, 24/7. The fee is $35 per record.

Searching Marriage Records in Rhode Island Through Local Agencies (Cities & Towns)

Curious parties can search for nuptial records and obtain copies via local city offices. Counties in Rhode Island defer the handling of marriage records to the cities within.

For example, those living in Providence City can obtain a marriage certificate from City Hall in-person or through the mail. An appointment is not required. To obtain a record by mail, send your application to:

Providence Vital Records
25 Dorrance Street, Room 104
Providence, RI 02903

If you have any questions about searching for a vital record, you may call the City of Providence Vital Records department at 401-680-5213 before showing up. Business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, throughout most of the year. In July and August, business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Walk-in fees are $22 for a marriage certificate ($18 for each additional copy). For mail-in orders, the cost for a marriage certificate is $25 (and $18 for each additional copy). Only checks and money orders, made to the City of Providence, are accepted.

For your application to be processed, you must fill out the correct form, provide a photo-issued government ID or two documents stating your name and address, and pay the required fees.

For more information and for the required form, visit the City of Providence Vital Records page.⁵

If you live in other counties or cities, refer to your city’s vital records office. The process is similar; applications are usually accepted in person or through the mail.

In Warwick, the process is similar, but cash is accepted for in-person applications in addition to checks and money orders. To apply for a marriage certificate in person, head to the Warwick City Hall. The address is listed below. Walk-in hours are 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday to Friday.

An appointment is not required for marriage certificate copies, although an appointment is required for marriage license issuing. You can make an appointment by calling 401-738-2006 Ext 1.

For mail-in orders, Warwick only accepts checks made to the City of Warwick. You must also include a copy of your driver’s license, a self-addressed return envelope, and a signed copy of your application. Mail it to:

Warwick City Hall
City Clerk’s Office
3275 Post Road
Warwick, RI 02886

If you have any questions pertaining to your walk-in or mail-in request, such as which documents are required, call the city clerk’s office at 401-738-2006. Alternatively, you may reach out to the Warwick city clerk by filling out the contact form.⁶

Some cities, like the City of Cranston, have partnered with Permitium to allow online applications. The streamlined online application allows you to order documents for pickup from City Hall. For an added fee, you can also have them shipped directly to your home. Orders are processed within two business days.

To get started, head to the City of Cranston Requests for Vital Records application page. Click on “I am requesting a certified Marriage Certificate” on the left side of the screen. On the next page, choose who you are requesting it for.

It could either be for yourself, a close relative, a client (if you are an attorney), or “Other.” If you select “Other,” you must specify your relationship. Then, continue to follow the prompts and fill out the required fields.

Fees are $25 for mail orders and $22 for pickup orders ($18 for each additional copy). A $5 online processing fee, a $1 shipping fee (for mail orders), and a credit card processing fee will apply. It takes 5-7 business days for the city to process your request and deliver the document.

Rhode Island isn’t a common law marriage state. Rhode Island law no longer allows civil unions, either, as of 2013. However, if you entered into a civil union before 2013, and you didn’t merge it into a marriage, you can obtain a copy of your civil union record from your local city or town clerk.

For older records, the state archives can prove useful as well. The best ways to find historical records will be outlined in the section below.

How To Search Archived Marriage Indexes in Rhode Island & Find Ancestral Information

In Rhode Island, marriage records become public records once they reach 100 years of age. That means that you no longer must have a direct and tangible interest to obtain the marriage record.

Instead of being managed by the Rhode Island Department of Health and by individual city and town clerks,⁹ they are administered by the State Archives,¹⁰ which maintains records back to the 1600s.

The easiest way to search free marriage records in Rhode Island is to use the online vital records form.¹¹ It allows you to search for records from 1853 up until 100 years prior to the date of the search. Enter your details and the name of the individual you are looking up.

All marriages from 1853 and onward are located in this statewide index.

To narrow your search, include any additional details you are privy to, such as the date and place of the marriage and the names of the parents. However, this information is not mandatory.

While the vital records search is free, obtaining a certified copy comes with a fee of $2 per copy + $0.15 per black and white page or $0.50 for colored pages.

Another option is to use the Rhode Island’s Digital Archives, which contains digitized versions of marriage records from 1853 and onward (up until 100 years prior to the current date). You can search through this digital database at no cost.

However, there is no option to search by name in the Digital Archives. If you know the year the person got married, you can go through the digital photographs of the marriage records from that year until you find the one you are looking for.

If the record is from before 1853, contact the city or town clerk where the record was issued.

The Rhode Island Historical Society also maintains records of marriages from 1853 until 1900.¹³

How To Apply for a Rhode Island Marriage License

City and town halls issue marriage licenses in Rhode Island.¹⁴ The license can be obtained at the city or town hall of either party, or of the party that lives in Rhode Island if the other is from out of state. If none are Rhode Island residents, the city or town hall where the marriage ceremony is being performed will issue the license.

Both parties must provide original birth certificates and government-issued photo IDs. If the photo ID doesn’t list an address, a valid proof of address must be provided as well.

If either party was previously in a marriage or legal union, proof of divorce or dissolution of the prior union must be provided. If the prior spouse died, a certified death certificate must be provided.

If any of the documents are not in English, a certified translation must accompany the original document.

Both parties must be present to obtain a marriage license. Fees are $24 + a $3 processing fee.

For a list of Rhode Island cities and towns and their websites and city or town hall phone numbers, see this list of Rhode Island Cities & Towns; these are the same town halls you should contact if you later want copies of your Rhode Island marriage records.¹⁵