Guide to Wyoming Marriage Records

Marriage records are official documentation of marriages recorded in the state. After a marriage is held, information about the event is recorded with the county and submitted to the Wyoming Department of Health's Vital Records Services.

Typically, a marriage record identifies the two people who married and provides details about the marriage. The record may indicate the couple's names, the date and location of the marriage, ages, birthdates, residence, and the name of the marriage officiant.

It is important to note that a marriage record, a marriage license, and a marriage certificate are not the same. “Marriage licenses” are the legal permits issued before a marriage that authorize a couple to marry in Wyoming. A marriage certificate is an official document that attests that a marriage took place. A marriage record is the complete legal file maintained by the government that includes the license, the application details, and the filed marriage certificate.

People search for Wyoming marriage records for diverse reasons, including legal purposes, genealogical research, name changes, and divorce or estate matters. Examples of the use of marriage records for legal purposes include insurance, immigration, and filing joint taxes, when proof of marriage is required. Courts often need marriage records in divorce and estate matters to prove that a marriage existed.

Types of Marriage Records in Wyoming

Examples of marriage records in Wyoming include the following:

Marriage Certificates

A marriage certificate is a legal document that confirms your marriage has taken place. It contains the full names of the married parties, the date of the event, the city or county where the marriage took place, the witnesses' signatures, and the officiant's credentials.

Generally, you will need an official copy of this document whenever you need to prove your marital status. For example, while enrolling the spouse in the employer’s health insurance, receiving military benefits, or settling an estate, a certified copy of a marriage certificate is required.

In Wyoming, certified copies are issued by the Wyoming Department of Health’s Vital Statistics Services for documents dated from May 1941 to the present or by the specific county clerk's office that handled the original file.

Marriage Licenses

A marriage license serves as a pre-wedding authorization. While a marriage certificate proves that you are married, the marriage license only indicates that the Wyoming state authorities have reviewed your application and found you eligible for getting married.

Wyoming marriage licenses are issued by the local county clerk's office. Upon issuance, these licenses are valid for one year.

Are Marriage Records Public in Wyoming?

Wyoming marriage records are subject to certain restrictions on public access. Concerning marriage records, Wyoming is considered a closed-record state. Members of the public may only access a marriage record after 50 years have passed since the date of the event.

During the 50-year restriction window, only the spouses named on the record or a lawyer representing either spouse can generally access the marriage record.

County records are treated differently. While a county clerk maintains information related to the marriage license, not all details provided during the application are publicly accessible. For instance, under Wyoming law, Social Security numbers submitted in the process of obtaining a marriage license are not publicly available in search results.

What Information Is Included in a Marriage Record?

The details on a Wyoming marriage record can vary depending on whether the record you are accessing is an older county or modern state record.

Generally, you can find details such as the:

• Full legal names of both parties, including any maiden names
• Dates of birth and current ages
• Birthplaces, residential addresses, and occupations
• Parents' full names and mothers' maiden names
• Number of times each party has been previously married
• Date, county, and city where the ceremony occurred
• Names of the official witnesses and the wedding officiant

However, to prevent identity theft, certain sensitive data are typically redacted before a record can be viewed by parties other than the spouses named in the record. Examples of redacted details include Social Security numbers, confidential medical or health data, and certain documentation pertaining to minors or sensitive court orders.

How to Find Marriage Records in Wyoming

Step 1: Identify the Marriage Details

Before contacting any records office or agency, you must have information about the record you want for your search to be successful. Knowing the full names of both spouses and any applicable maiden names is important. Additionally, the approximate year of the marriage and the specific county or city in Wyoming where the event took place or the marriage license application was filed are important.

Step 2: Find the Record Custodian

The age of a record determines who its custodian is. For marriages conducted between May 1941 and the present, the principal custodian is the Wyoming Department of Health's Vital Statistics Services office located in Cheyenne. If the marriage was conducted before 1941, then the record generally remains at the county level with the specific county clerk who issued the license. If the record is more than 50 years old, it may be stored as a public record at the Wyoming State Archives.

Step 3: Choose How to Search

Wyoming marriage records can be accessed in the following ways:

• Online: Eligible requesters may use the Wyoming Vital Statistics Portal for paid searches and orders for certified marriage certificates. However, the public can access older Wyoming marriage indexes on sites such as FamilySearch. This genealogical platform has marriage index collections covering marriages from the territorial and early statehood periods.
• By Mail: Requests for marriage records may be made by mail to the Wyoming Vital Records Services.
• In Person: Requests can also be placed on-site at the Vital Records Services office in the Hathaway Building in Cheyenne, located at 2300 Capitol Avenue. The office is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday services are available by appointment.

Step 4: Submit a Record Request

To order a certified copy, you must complete an application form issued by your state or county clerk. In addition, you must provide a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, and payment of $25 for a state-issued certificate.

Generally, it takes a few weeks for your request to be processed. Note that only certified copies of marriage certificates may be used for legal purposes, while uncertified or digitized versions can only be used for personal reference.

How to Get a Certified Marriage Certificate in Wyoming

Access to Wyoming marriage certificates less than 50 years old is usually limited to those listed on the certificate or their legal representatives. However, when a marriage record is 50 years old or older, anyone can request a certificate.

To get a certified copy of a marriage certificate, you must complete the relevant application form, and providing a photocopy of your valid government-issued ID is typically required. The states’ acceptable IDs include driver's licenses, state IDs, passports, and tribal identification.

Wyoming marriage certificates can be ordered online, by mail, or in person at the Vital Records Services office in Cheyenne. The fee for a state-certified marriage certificate in Wyoming is $25.

The Wyoming Department of Health does not provide a specific timeframe for processing marriage certificates. Processing time will depend on the ordering method, the completeness of the information, and whether staff needs to conduct an extensive search.

Note that Wyoming provides that an individual eligible to obtain a marriage certificate may authorize someone else to collect it on their behalf. For this purpose, Wyoming uses a Permission to Receive Certificate, which requires the requester's authorization and identification.

Upon obtaining a certified marriage certificate, you can use it for matters such as driver's license updates, Social Security name changes, immigration proceedings, passport-related documentation, and court proceedings requiring proof of marital status.

How to Get a Marriage License in Wyoming

If you want to obtain a marriage license in Wyoming, you must submit an application to a Wyoming county clerk. You or your partner does not have to reside in Wyoming to obtain a marriage license there.

While individual counties have their own procedures, basic marriage rules are established by state law. Typically, you must complete an application form and provide photo identification before completing a marriage license application in Wyoming.

Under current state law, the minimum age to marry without requiring additional authorization is 18. However, a person who is 16 or 17 generally needs both parental or guardian consent and judicial approval to be issued a marriage license. Note that limited exceptions may apply under Wyoming's contractual capacity provisions or in situations where a minor has been legally emancipated. Individuals aged 16 or under cannot legally marry in Wyoming.

According to Wyoming Statutes §18-3-402, the statutory fee for a marriage license is $30. However, an additional $5 fee may be included for a marriage-license certified copy. Still, copying or other county charges may affect the final amount charged for a certified county copy.

There is no general waiting period requirement between obtaining a marriage license and getting married in Wyoming. Once the license has been issued, it remains valid for one year from the date of issuance.

Wyoming marriage ceremonies must be performed by authorized officiants under state law. Eligible officiants typically include certain judges and judicial officers, licensed or ordained clergy, and other qualified individuals acting in accordance with the traditions or rites of a religion or religious society.

After the ceremony concludes, the marriage officiant must return the marriage record to the office that issued the marriage license within 10 days. Be aware that Wyoming law requires that the record be signed by two witnesses who are at least 18 years old.

Who Can Request Marriage Records?

For a marriage record within its first 50 years, Wyoming law limits entitlement to the two spouses named on the certificate or a lawyer representing either spouse.

Consequently, an immediate family member, such as an adult child or parent, does not have an automatic right to order their relative's recent marriage certificate from the state portal. They, or another third party, must provide a certified court order or have a power of attorney to obtain the record before the 50-year privacy window expires.

Once the 50-year window passes, third parties, including genealogists and members of the public, may request the state record, provided they provide sufficient information to locate it.

Free and Online Marriage Record Searches

Although official state resources like the Wyoming Vital Statistics Portal allow you to request marriage certificates, they usually require identity verification and a processing fee to obtain the records.

Hence, for a free online search, you may use historical and genealogical platforms. Nonprofit sites like FamilySearch hold historical indices and county marriage ledgers from 1869 to the mid-1960s. These archives allow users to look up basic index details, such as spouses' names, wedding dates, and the county where the marriage occurred.

Using these indexes to perform a broad search is helpful, especially in situations when you do not know the exact county or date of a marriage record. This is because these platforms allow you to search with one spouse's full name, the other spouse's surname, an approximate year range, a birthplace or residence, and alternate name spellings.

Once the probable marriage record has been identified on the index search, you may contact the relevant county clerk, Wyoming State Archives, or Wyoming Vital Records Services to obtain the actual record.

Note that finding an entry in a free genealogical database is not the same as obtaining a certified marriage certificate. If legal or official proof of marriage is required, you must obtain an official copy of the marriage record from the appropriate government agency.

Common Law Marriage in Wyoming

According to the state, common-law marriages are not allowed in Wyoming. Hence, couples create one simply by living together and presenting themselves as married. To be legally married in the Equality State, couples must comply with the state's statutory marriage process.

However, Wyoming courts have recognized in appropriate circumstances that a common-law marriage validly established under the law of another state may be recognized. In compliance with the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution, couples who have legally formed their common-law marriage in an approving jurisdiction will be treated as married if they move to Wyoming.

Vital record searches related to common-law marriages will generally yield no results, as such unions do not generate marriage license applications or marriage certificate records.

How to Correct an Error on a Marriage Record

The following are common types of errors found on Wyoming marriage records:

• Misspelled names
• Wrong birth dates
• Incorrect dates
• Incorrect marriage location

For a marriage certificate, either the spouse named on the record or an attorney representing either spouse may submit a correction request to the Wyoming Vital Records Services.

As part of the application, supporting documentation proving the record and showing the correct information is required. When correcting a person's name, date of birth, or place of birth, a certified copy of a birth certificate may be submitted as evidence. If the error concerns the date or place of the marriage, a notarized statement from the officiant may serve as supporting documentation.

Note that for corrections made to a marriage record after the first year, the Wyoming Vital Records Service may require evidence, such as medical records, insurance records, school records, or a notarized statement from the officiant. Furthermore, any subsequent correction or change to a marriage record that has already been amended once requires a formal court order.

Wyoming charges:

• $20 for a correction that does not involve a court order
• $25 if a new certified certificate is also requested
• $55 for a court-ordered amendment. However, if the change is processed strictly using the official WDH Form to Correct a Wyoming Vital Record, the filing fee for a delayed or court-ordered action is recorded at $30.

The completed amendment application form, supporting evidence, a copy of your photo ID, and the required amendment fee must be sent directly to the Vital Records Services office in Cheyenne. Note that if a court order is involved, a certified copy of the court order must be included in the submission.

Processing times for correction requests may take several weeks or months, depending on the complexity of the requests. If the request is approved, the record will be updated, and a corrected certificate will be issued.

Marriage Records and Name Changes

A marriage certificate is the most common document used as proof of marital status after a name change after marriage. However, it is important to note that marriage itself and subsequent updates to a person's name records are different items. While a marriage certificate provides proof of marriage, it does not automatically update a person's name across all government agencies.

For example, the Social Security Administration (SSA) states that an individual who changes their name due to a marriage would need to update their Social Security record. The SSA typically requires an applicant to submit a certified copy of a marriage certificate as proof of a marriage-based name change to update their records. However, additional documents may be required to prove their identity.

Upon updating their Social Security records, newly married Wyoming residents who have changed their names may update their driver's license or ID card. The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) accepts a marriage certificate as proof of a marriage-based name change.

If a Wyoming marriage certificate accurately shows the names and information provided at the time of marriage, the document cannot be amended just because a spouse later uses a different surname.

Marriage Records for Genealogy and Family History

Marriage records are useful in genealogical research, as they link two family lines and help establish where people were living at a particular time.

Marriage documentation in Wyoming began in May 1941, and records became public only 50 years after the event. For anyone seeking older marriage records, the Department of Health recommends contacting the Wyoming State Archives.

County records are also helpful sources for finding historical marriage records. Marriage licenses were recorded at the county level way before the state's modern centralized vital-record system was established.

Online genealogy collections can also help genealogical researchers. For instance, FamilySearch, a historical marriage database, provides a Wyoming, Marriages 1877-1920 collection and another 1869-1923 marriage index collection covering selected counties.

When searching these indexes, start with the spouse's name and gradually add other details, such as an alternate spelling of the name, maiden and married surnames, the other spouse's name, a range of several years, and nearby counties.

Still, it is important to note that older Wyoming marriage records are sometimes incomplete. In such cases, consider filling the gaps using county records, church registers, newspapers, probate records, census records, and State Archives collections.

Frequently Asked Questions