Find Marriage and Divorce Records in New York County

Where New York County Marriage and Divorce Records Live

Two offices split this work. Marriage records and licenses for Manhattan go through the Office of the City Clerk, also called the NYC Marriage Bureau. Divorce records and judgments are court files. Those are kept by the New York County Clerk at 60 Centre Street as Supreme Court records.

This split trips up many searchers. The state health department keeps marriage records for the rest of New York, but not for the five boroughs. So a marriage that took place in Manhattan will never show up in the state system. You get it from the city clerk instead. A divorce, on the other hand, is a lawsuit. It runs through Supreme Court, and the file lands with the county clerk who holds all Manhattan civil case records.

Knowing this up front saves a wasted trip or a rejected request. The kind of copy you need also matters. A certified copy is the one courts and agencies accept. A plain print from a public terminal is not.

New York County Marriage Licenses Through the City Clerk

Manhattan marriage licenses are issued by the Office of the City Clerk. The bureau runs on appointments only. There are no walk-in visits. The city clerk site tells people not to come in unless they booked an appointment and got a confirmation email first.

Appointments for a marriage ceremony, a marriage license, and other select services are booked through a system called Project Cupid at nyc.gov/cupid. A virtual appointment option for a marriage license is also available, so part of the process can be done online before any in-person visit. The official city clerk marriage license page lays out the steps and what to bring.

The screenshot below comes from the NYC City Clerk marriage license page, the office that issues every Manhattan marriage license.

That page is the right starting point for any Manhattan marriage license, since the county clerk does not handle marriage licenses at all.

Marriage License Application Fields

The Project Cupid system collects a set of details before it confirms an appointment. Both applicants take part. The table below lists the fields drawn from the city clerk and Project Cupid process. Some details, like the exact accepted ID list and the current fee, should be checked on the official Project Cupid page since they can change.

How to Apply for a Marriage License in New York County

The process moves through Project Cupid first, then to an appointment. Following the steps in order keeps the visit short and avoids a second trip. Here is the path most Manhattan couples take.

1. Go to the Project Cupid system at nyc.gov/cupid and create an account to begin a marriage license application.
2. Pick the appointment type. Choose Marriage License, and later book the Marriage Ceremony if you want the city clerk to perform it.
3. Enter both applicants' names and the contact email, then complete the online portion of the license application.
4. Book the appointment date, time, and borough office. Remember there are no walk-ins, so the slot must be reserved.
5. Wait for the confirmation email. Do not visit any office until that email arrives.
6. Bring valid government ID for each applicant and pay the current fee at the appointment to receive the license.

If the ceremony happens somewhere other than the city clerk's office, the Certificate of Marriage Registration is mailed afterward rather than handed over on the spot.

Marriages Outside New York City and State Vital Records

The split between city and state matters most when a marriage happened somewhere other than the five boroughs. The New York State Department of Health, through Vital Records, holds marriage records since 1881 for all of New York State except New York City. It does not hold records for licenses bought in the boroughs, including Manhattan.

So if a couple married upstate or on Long Island, the state vital records office can supply the certificate. If they married in Manhattan, the state will not have it. Copies of those city licenses come from the town or city clerk where the original license was purchased, which for Manhattan means the NYC City Clerk.

The image below is from the New York State Department of Health marriage records page. Keep in mind that NYC marriages, including New York County, fall outside this state DOH system.

For any Manhattan marriage, skip the state page and go straight to the city clerk, since the DOH cannot fill that request.

New York County Divorce Records and DRL Section 235

Divorce records are Supreme Court records. The New York County Clerk maintains them as part of the Manhattan civil case files. A divorce, separation, or annulment filed in New York County is handled by Supreme Court, and the resulting file stays with the county clerk.

These files are not open to the general public. Domestic Relations Law Section 235 restricts public inspection of matrimonial pleadings, affidavits, findings, judgments, separation agreements, and testimony. The county clerk's records department states that parties, attorneys of record, and any person holding an original notarized authorization letter may access the record. That letter must name the parties and give the index number or the approximate year the divorce began. Non-parties without such a letter cannot pull the file, though they may be able to request a certificate of disposition instead.

There is one long-term exception. The county clerk page says that 100 years after the initial filing, divorce records become public for inspection under DRL Section 235.

The image below shows DRL Section 235 on the New York State Senate site, the statute that controls who may see matrimonial records.

Because of this law, divorce files get far stricter handling than ordinary civil cases at the same courthouse.

Certified Copies of New York County Divorce Records

A certified copy of a divorce record is often needed for remarriage, citizenship, Social Security benefits, or a name change on official documents. These are the moments when a plain copy will not do, and an agency wants the certified version.

Parties and attorneys requesting a divorce judgment need a non-expired government photo ID, the parties' names as filed, the index number or approximate year, plus payment. A non-party must bring an original notarized authorization letter from a party or attorney of record. That letter names the bearer, the parties, the index number or approximate year, and contact details. In-person divorce record requesters speak with the front-counter clerk at the county clerk's office.

Payment can be made by cash, certified check, attorney check, credit card, money order, or official bank check payable to the New York County Clerk. Personal and company checks are not accepted. The fee structure is set out below, drawn from the county clerk fee list.

You can reach the records and certification staff at the county clerk office below.

Filing for Divorce in New York County

People who want the record because they are starting a case follow a different track. A divorce in Manhattan is filed in Supreme Court, and most matters now use electronic filing. The basic path runs as follows.

1. Confirm venue. If you file in New York County, Supreme Court handles divorce, separation, and annulment matters.
2. Use the NY Courts divorce forms and e-filing guidance. Matrimonial e-filing through NYSCEF is governed by 22 NYCRR 202.16-c.
3. Check the New York County NYSCEF protocol. Mandatory e-filing applies in most case types, with matrimonial e-filing handled under its own authorized rule.
4. Pay the required fees. The county clerk fee list includes a $210 index number and a $125 Note of Issue for an uncontested matrimonial case.
5. Serve papers, file proof of service, and move through the uncontested or contested divorce steps.
6. After judgment, request certified copies from the county clerk certifications office with ID and the case details.

Even with e-filing, the matrimonial papers stay confidential under DRL Section 235. A NYSCEF login may show only the docket entries unless the user is a party, an attorney of record, or an authorized agent.

Older Manhattan Divorce Records by Storage Type

Where an old divorce file sits depends on the year it was filed. Checking the likely storage type first can save a return visit. Divorce files from 1985 to 1997 are kept on microfilm and reviewed onsite under DRL Section 235 access rules.

Related New York County Records

Several other Manhattan offices handle records that touch marriage and divorce. For wills, estates, and guardianship, see the Surrogate's Court page. For agency files under FOIL, see New York County public records. For the office that holds Supreme Court files and certifies copies, see the New York County Clerk page. For the full set of Manhattan case-search portals, see New York County court records.

Each office sets its own ID rules, fees, and request methods, so confirm the requirements with the right one before you go.