Look Up Free Oregon Marriage Records (Search Resource)

X

Free Indiana Marriage Record Search

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

First Name

Last Name

City (Optional)

State ALAKAZARCACOCTDEDCFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWY

Search free Oregon marriage records to learn more about someone’s relationship history or get copies of your own documents.

This brief resource shows you how to access and request copies of marital records, including archived genealogical records, throughout Oregon. It also includes details on requesting a marriage license, whether you plan to tie the knot in downtown Portland, on the shores of Crater Lake, or anywhere else in the Beaver State.

Can Anybody Access Marriage Records & Certificates in Oregon?

According to an Oregon Statute, Chapter 432.380, the state limits access to marriage records to the following individuals for 50 years following the event:¹

• The registrants named on the document
• A current spouse or registered domestic partner of one of the registrants
• A registrant’s child
• A registrant’s parent
• A registrant’s sibling
• A registrant’s grandparent
• A registrant’s grandchild
• A registrant’s legal guardian or representative
• An authorized representative of a government agency

Anyone who is authorized to access the marriage record may be required to provide identification proving their relationship to the registrants listed on the document. Once the marriage record is 50 years old, it can be accessed by any member of the general public.

Certified marriage records or copies, printed on special security paper with a state file number, can be obtained from many counties where the couple is registered. Usually, it takes months from the date the application was submitted to the county for the marriage information to be fully registered with the state.

The Oregon Health Authority publishes some marriage data that can be accessed by anyone. That includes information on the state’s marriage rates. Preliminary data for 2023 shows that there were 24,108 marriages in the state that year, with 1,110 being between same-sex couples.²

Note that in Oregon, there is no common law marriage. However, if a couple from another state fulfills the common law marriage requirement, the state acknowledges the validity of their marriage.

Find Oregon Marriage Records & Spousal Information

The Oregon Center for Health Statistics’ Vital Records Division is the state agency responsible for maintaining marriage records dating back to 1906. It’s possible to order certified copies of marriage records through this agency in person or by mail. This agency only issues certified copies.

No matter the ordering method, requesters will need to complete the Oregon Marriage Record Order Form found online using the required information.³ The cost is $28 for the first weekend, plus $25 for each additional copy of the same record.

If the marriage record is younger than 50 years, you will need to provide the proper identification to prove that you can legally access the records.

To order in person, complete the order form and set up an appointment using the online scheduler. All appointments are held at this address:

Oregon Vital Records
Portland State Office Bldg. 
800 N.E. Oregon St., Ste. 205
Portland, OR 97232

Appointments last for 30 minutes, and researchers are encouraged to arrive 10 minutes early. You can bring along your order form, as well as a government-issued photo ID and payment in the form of cash, check, money order, or credit or debit card.

Alternatively, you can visit the address above and put an envelope containing the order form, along with a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID and a check or money order made out to “OHA/Vital Records” for the required amount, in the lobby drop box.

You can also submit the order form, along with a photocopy of your ID and a check or money order made out to “OHA/Vital Records” via mail to this address:

Oregon Vital Records
P.O. Box 14050
Portland, OR 97293

If the record request has not been processed after 6 months, consider reaching out the office by sending an email at CHS.Amendments@oha.oregon.gov or calling (971)-673-1147.

You can also order copies of Oregon marital records by using a third-party service, VitalChek. If using the VitalChek website, the cost is $43.25 for the first copy, plus $25 for each additional copy of the same document. You can pay with a credit or debit card.

Or you can call the VitalChek phone service number at 888.896.4988 to pay with a credit or debit card over the phone. The cost for phone orders is $44.95 for the first record copy, plus $25 for additional copies.

For more information about ordering records from the Oregon Vital Statistics Office, you can call 971.673.1190. Office hours are Mondays to Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

It’s also worth noting that interested parties can view marriage records on microfilm from 1946 to 2008 for free by visiting the Oregon State Archives.⁴ Information on how to access older records can be found in the preceding section.

Retrieving Free Marriage Records via Counties & Cities Throughout Oregon

Although the state’s Center for Health Statistics maintains Oregon marital records, it may be helpful to track down records in the county in which the documents were recorded.⁵ This is especially the case if you would rather visit a nearby county clerk’s office than make the trek to Portland.

This section of the guide to marriage records in Oregon will cover how to order records from the governments of the three most populous counties in the state: Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas. However, you can use the information found here to apply for marriage records in any of Oregon’s 36 counties.

Note that there’s no way to order marriage records from a particular city or town. Each county’s recorder is responsible for handling these records. Also note that the rule for who can view these records applies; unless you’re a registrant, a member of a registrant’s immediate family, or a legal representative, you’ll be unable to access records newer than 50 years old.

Multnomah County: If you wish to order a copy of a marriage license from Multnomah County, which includes the city of Portland, you can do so from the county’s Department of Assessment, Recording & Taxation in person, via the mail, or online. The cost is $7.75 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record.

If ordering in person, you may pay with cash; a debit/credit card (for an additional 2% convenience fee); or a check, money order, or cashier’s check payable to “Multnomah County Recorder.” Here’s the address to visit:

Multnomah County Assessment – Recording & Taxation
501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. No. 175
Portland, OR 97214

The office is open Mondays to Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You can also order copies through the mail by using the Request for Certified Copies Form.⁶

This form can be mailed — along with a check or money order payable to “Multnomah County” and a photocopy of your government-issued ID — to the above address. Or you can drop it off in the drop-box in the building’s lobby.

Finally, it’s also possible to order both certified and non-certified copies of Multnomah County marriage records online through the county’s Digital Research Room.⁷ This option is available for marriages dating back to 1980. To use this option, you must enter at least the last name of one of the registrants.

Once you’ve entered the information to search, you can view an index of marriage records that match.

If you wish to order a certified copy, the charge is $4 per copy. Non-certified copies cost $0.25 each. You can pay with a credit or debit card.

For more information, you can contact the Multnomah County Office of Assessment – Recording & Taxation by calling 503.988.3326.

Washington County: To order a copy of a marriage document from Washington County, the process is a lot simpler. The Washington County Recording Office allows authorized individuals to purchase certified copies for $7.75 a piece either in person, through the mail or email, or over the phone.

To order a copy in person, you can pay with a debit/credit card (for a 2.45% fee) or with cash or a check or money order made out to “Washington County Recorder.” No appointment is necessary; researchers just have to visit this address:

Washington County Recording Office
155 N. First Ave., Room 130
Hillsboro, OR 97124

The office is open Mondays to Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Alternatively, you can submit a written request to the address above. There’s no online form you can print and fill out; requestors should be sure to include as much information about the marriage as possible. If ordering by mail, you can pay with a check or money order.

You can also order copies by sending an email to RecordingCopyRequests@washingtoncountyor.gov. If ordering through this method, you should include as many details about the record as possible and call the office to pay over the phone with a credit/debit card. You can also order with a credit/debit card over the phone by calling 503.846.8752.

Clackamas County: On the other hand, the Clackamas County Recording Office issues copies of marriage records only through the mail.⁸ The cost is $7.75 for the initial copy, and $4 for each additional copy of the same record. You can pay with a check made out to “Clackamas County Clerk.”

There’s no online form to print out and submit; you can simply write a letter including the names of both wedding parties and the date of the marriage, along with your phone number and mailing address and send it to:

Clackamas County Clerk Recording Division
1710 Red Soils Ct., Ste. 110
Oregon City, OR 97045

For more information, you can call the office at 503-655-8551 or email recording@clackamas.us. Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To find out information on ordering marriage records from other counties in the state, you can search “[name of county] marriage record copies” using Google or another search engine.

Access the Oregon Marriage Index for Family Lineage & Genealogy Research

You may be looking for Oregon marital records for the purposes of conducting genealogical research and building your family tree.

If so, the Oregon State Archives maintains marriage records dating back to 1850 for some counties. This includes a microfilm index of Oregon marriages dating from 1906 to 1924 and from 1946 to 2008 and a record of marriage returns from 1906 to 1969. Marriage returns include the names of the couple, along with the date of the wedding.

However, note that not all Oregon marriages are included in the Archives’ holdings.

You can use the Oregon Historical Records Index Search Tool to find out if the Archives has the record you’re looking for.⁹ The only requirement is the last name of one of the registrants. Under “Record Type,” select “Marriage.”

You can view the records in person for free at this address:

Oregon State Archives
800 Summer St. N.E.
Salem, OR 97301

The Archives are open Mondays to Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, you can call 503.373.0701.

In addition, there are many other resources for individuals interested in genealogy. They include:

• Local Churches
• Local Newspapers
• Oregon Genealogical Society
• Oregon Public Library
• Oregon Historical Society¹⁰

How To Apply for an Oregon Marriage License

In Oregon, each county clerk’s office or recording office is responsible for issuing marriage licenses.

To qualify for a new marriage license, you must be at least 18 years old (or be 17 with a consent form signed by a parent or guardian). You cannot be currently married and be able to prove that your former marriage ended in divorce, annulment, or death.

Marriage license costs and processes vary per county. Costs tend to be in a range of between $50 and $75. However, no matter in which county you receive your license, it is valid for a wedding anywhere in the state.

After applying, there’s a three-day waiting period before you may be married. Once you’ve received your license, it’s valid for 60 days.

Many counties allow couples to apply for a marriage license online (here’s the Multnomah County Application Form, for example).¹¹

However, paper applications are available upon request in person. The state government provides a guide to completing a marriage license application.

To locate a county clerk or recording office, you can visit an online index of county governments.¹² You can then navigate to the clerk’s office or recording office for the desired county.

By conducting a search of Oregon marriage records, you can find out more information about someone’s marital status, conduct genealogical research, or secure a copy of your own records for legal purposes.

If you’d also like divorce details, you can turn to the tutorial on finding OR dissolutions of marriage; for several additional public record types (crime, warrants, arrests, property, court documents, and more), utilize the steps for retrieving free Oregon public information.