Rhode Island Marriage Records
In Rhode Island, the minimum age requirement to get married is 18. People 16 and 17 can also get married but must be issued a Minor’s Permit to Marry from the town clerk. The minor's permit to marry in the state has to be signed and notarized in the presence of the town clerk. Requesters must also not be married to anyone else when applying for a marriage license. If they have been married previously, a certified copy of their divorce decrees will be required.
Rhode Island residents and out-of-state applicants may get a marriage license from the town clerk’s office. There are no strict requirements concerning residency to get married. If only one of the parties lives in the state, the couple can apply for a marriage license from the city office where the resident lives. If neither of them lives in the state, they will apply to the county where the wedding ceremony will be held.
According to the National Centre for Family and Marriage Research, the median age for first marriages in Rhode Island is 31.8 in men and 30.5 in women. Rhode Island marriage records are open to specific parties with a direct and tangible interest in those on the record. Marriage records are kept on file at the town clerk’s office. The Rhode Island Department of Health is also a repository for marriage records in the state.
What are Marriage Records?
Marriage records can prove that a couple is legally joined in matrimony. Marriage records within the state may contain details concerning the names of the spouses, marriage ceremony dates and wedding locations, witness names, marriage license numbers, and the identity of the officiant. They are stored at both the county and state levels. In Rhode Island, marriage records function as proof of marital status, which is essential when applying for tax and insurance benefits.
They can also come in handy when applying for a rebate or deduction. Rhode Island marriage records are vital to implementing a name change, especially after the wedding. These would be used in their official documentation henceforth. Research institutions can also use marriage records to map social trends and inform local government policies.
According to Rhode Island statutes, Gen. Laws § 23-3-23, to protect the integrity of vital records and ensure the efficient administration of the system, no personnel will allow the inspection of or the disclosure of information contained within the vital records. Marriage records are only accessible to certain parties. These include the parties on the document, such as parents, siblings, guardians, or authorized agents. They can also be revealed to individuals who need information to protect personal or property rights, provided they have court authorization.
Marriages in Rhode Island
According to the Centre for Disease Control, Rhode Island's above-average marriage rate was 6.4 per 1,000 residents in 2021, a slight increase from 5.8 in 2010. It is also higher than the national average of 6.2 per 1,000. Rhode Island’s high marriage rate may be due to the state's acceptance of common-law marriages and a strong local economy.
In Rhode Island, 41% of the population above 16 are married. 47% have never been married before. 9% of the people are divorced, while 3% are widowed. The percentages of the married population in Rhode Island are covered below according to ethnicity:
- White (non-Hispanic) – 47.38%
- Asian (including Hispanic) – 48.41%
- Mixed (including Hispanic) – 26.65%
- White Hispanic – 36.99%
- Black (including Hispanic) – 29.79%
- Others (including Hispanic) – 34.23%
The CDC maintains that the divorce rate in Rhode Island is 2.9 per 1,000. In Rhode Island, the median age group among men and women is 50-54. Marriage by proxy is not allowed by General Laws 15-1-2. The statutes require that the parties to the marriage be present during the wedding ceremony. Marriage licenses in Rhode Island can be retrieved from the town or city clerk’s office, which is the county's representative. Aside from the age requirements, both parties must not be state residents. Rather, the parties should obtain a marriage license from the county where the ceremony is held.
Both parties must also be present during the marriage license application and provide valid identification documents. These may be a driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, or state ID card. Following the license application, Rhode Island does not have a waiting period after the marriage license to the ceremony. Parties can marry immediately after they are issued the license. It is also valid for 90 days when the couple must marry. The fees for getting a marriage license depend on the city, but they range from $24 to $30.
The payment methods also vary, meaning the parties must check with the issuing office to determine the best way to proceed. In Rhode Island, marriage ceremonies have to be performed by an authorized individual. That may be an ordained clergy or elder in good standing, a justice of the courts, a clerk of the supreme courts, or a justice of the peace. After the ceremony is complete, all parties must fill out the part of the license with their details. The officiant should also include their title, the ordaining body, and home address. They will also submit the completed marriage license form to the town clerk within 72 hours of the event. The marriage certificate from the town clerk's office will be available to the couple.
Rhode Island Marriage Certificate
Rhode Island marriage certificates are official documentation the county and state provides to prove two people are married. These documents are issued after the wedding ceremony, and the marriage license is filed with the appropriate authorities. They contain information concerning both spouses, the officiant, witnesses, date and location of the wedding. Marriage certificates are mainly used as proof to show two people are in a marital union.
They can be used during onboarding to a new employer organization for insurance coverage of the other spouse. They are also required when filing joint income tax for rebates and useful deductions. Marriage certificates are also essential in property disputes to prove legitimacy of claims. They can be used during name changes as well, following wedding ceremonies.
Due to the official nature of these documents, marriage certificates are only accessible to the parties on the record and their legal representatives.
They might also be available to third parties, provided they have a court order to view them. The fee for obtaining a certified marriage certificate varies according to the town, but it may range from $20 to $25 per copy.
How To Find and Access Rhode Island Marriage Records
Requesters may access marriage records in Rhode Island in person, via mail, or online.
Finding and Accessing Rhode Island Marriage Records in-Person
There are two main ways to access marriage records in person in Rhode Island: via the city/ town clerk’s office according to the specific county and from the Rhode Island Department of Health. To get records from the city or town clerk, the requester will have to determine the county where the marriage took place and seek the appropriate issuing office. RIDOH’s vital records office is in Simpson Hall, 6 Harrington Rd, Cranston.
In both cases, the interested party must submit appropriate details about the parties in the marriage. That is their full names, marriage dates, and the city where the license was issued. At their offices, they will also bring a valid form of identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, and proof of a relationship with the couple. At RIDOH, the fee is $22 for the first certified copy.
Finding and Accessing Rhode Island Marriage Records via Mail
Likewise, there are two ways to obtain marriage records through the mail: at the town clerk’s office or the Rhode Island Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. Depending on the town, some may provide a certificate request form. It will require the individuals’ names, marriage dates, and location. A copy of a government-issued picture ID will also be included with the request. The same information would be required when issuing a request to the Department of Health, Office of Vital Records in Providence.
The requester will include a check or money order to the Rhode Island General Treasurer or town clerk. They will also include a self-addressed stamped envelope for faster processing and delivery. Depending on the volume of requests, it should then take two to four weeks to process the request.
Finding and Accessing Rhode Island Marriage Records Online
Rhode Island does not offer a state platform option for online vital records requests. But it is possible to request records from the local town clerk’s offices. It also depends on the town, so the best thing would be to visit the website where the license was issued and ascertain if they have a request form mechanism.
Others may allow requests to be emailed to the clerk’s offices. Requesters will have to provide relevant details concerning the parties of interest. They will also include their proof of identity and relationship to the party. Payment may be made by credit or debit card, and the fee ranges from $18 to $25 per request.