Getting a Marriage License in Kings County
Marriage in Brooklyn runs through the City, not the county. The Office of the City Clerk handles every marriage license in New York City, and Brooklyn is one of its five boroughs. So a couple in Kings County does not go to the Kings County Clerk for a license. They go to the City Clerk's Marriage Bureau. The Kings County Clerk handles court files, judgments, and index numbers, but marriage records are a city function. The lead-in sentence below links to the official City Clerk marriage page so the source is clear.
The City Clerk shows Kings County marriage records and license records for the whole city through one office. Older Brooklyn marriage records work differently. The NYC Municipal Archives holds historical Brooklyn and Kings County marriage records for 1866 through 1949. Records after 1949 should be requested from the City Clerk. New York applies a 24-hour waiting period after a license is issued before the ceremony can take place, unless a court waives it. Both applicants generally must take part in the City Clerk's current appointment or online process.
The state's vital records office reinforces this split. The New York State Department of Health says that for Kings County and the other NYC counties, people should contact the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or the City Marriage Bureau. The county clerk is not the place to send a modern marriage-record request.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
A little prep makes the trip short. Both partners usually need to take part in the City Clerk's current process. Bring valid photo ID and be ready to give names, dates of birth, and details about any prior marriages. Plan around the 24-hour wait between the license and the ceremony. The steps below follow the City Clerk's marriage license flow for Brooklyn couples.
- Start with the City Clerk. Use the Marriage Bureau's current appointment or online process to begin the application.
- Bring valid government photo ID for both partners. Be ready to show proof of any prior marriage ending, such as a divorce decree.
- Both applicants complete and sign the marriage license application together.
- Pay the $35 marriage license fee. If you want a civil ceremony at the City Clerk, that costs $25 more.
- Wait the 24-hour period after the license is issued before the ceremony, unless a court waives it.
- After the ceremony, return the signed license for registration so the marriage certificate can be issued.
Marriage License Application Fields
A marriage record request asks for the basic facts that pin down one event. The field set below is drawn from the NYC Municipal Archives historical vital records mail-order form, which is used to pull older Brooklyn marriage records. The fields show what to have ready when you fill out a request, whether for a current license or a historical Kings County marriage record. Names, the place, and the date do most of the work.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Last Name of Groom | Yes if applicable | Printed name as it appears on the record. |
| First Name of Groom | Yes if applicable | Printed name. |
| Last Name of Bride (Maiden name) | Yes if applicable | Printed maiden name. |
| First Name of Bride | Yes if applicable | Printed name. |
| Place of Marriage | Yes | City or borough, such as Brooklyn. |
| Date of Marriage | Yes | Month, day, and year or year range. |
| Certificate or License Number | Optional | Helps staff locate the record faster. |
| Number of Copies Requested | Yes | How many copies you want. |
Note: Brooklyn and Kings County marriage records on the NYC Municipal Archives form cover 1866 through 1949; records after 1949 must be requested from the City Clerk.
Kings County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Fees split along the same line as the records. Marriage fees are set by the City and come from the NYC Administrative Code. A license costs $35. A civil ceremony at the City Clerk adds $25. A certified extract or copy of a marriage record runs $10. A second or later certificate of marriage registration, or a photocopy of the original marriage license under Domestic Relations Law section 14-a, also costs $10. The table sums up the marriage side. Divorce filing fees are court fees and are set by state law for the Supreme Court rather than by the City Clerk.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $35 |
| Civil marriage ceremony at City Clerk | $25 |
| Certified extract or copy of marriage record | $10 |
| Second or later marriage certificate / license photocopy | $10 |
Divorce costs more and adds up across several filings. A divorce in New York opens with an index number bought from the County Clerk or Supreme Court, plus separate fees for a Note of Issue and the judgment packet. Those court fees are set by statute and change over time. Confirm the current Supreme Court schedule before you file, since a divorce file is a court record and not a City Clerk record.
How to Look Up Kings County Marriage Records
Where you look depends on how old the record is. Modern Brooklyn marriages go through the City Clerk. Older ones go through the NYC Municipal Archives. The official City Clerk page below explains how to request a marriage record and is the main source for current Kings County marriage records.
The screen at the NYC City Clerk marriage records page walks through who can request a record and what the City needs to find it.
That page confirms the City Clerk, not the Kings County Clerk, holds modern Brooklyn marriage license records.
To find any marriage record, have the basics ready. You need the names of both spouses, the place of the marriage, and the date or year. A certificate or license number speeds things up but is not required. Genealogy users should know one extra fact. The Department of Records notes there can be differences between Health Department marriage certificates and City Clerk marriage license records, so the set you request matters.
How to Find Kings County Divorce Records
Divorce is a court matter, and only one court can grant it. New York Courts states that divorce is the final legal ending of a marriage by court order, and that the Supreme Court is the only court that handles divorce cases. For Brooklyn, that means the Kings County Supreme Court Civil Term, through its Matrimonial Office. The Kings County Supreme Court Civil Term navigation includes a Matrimonial (Divorce) Office. A divorce decree or judgment comes from the County Clerk or court that issued it. It does not come from the City Clerk.
Access to a divorce file is restricted by law. Matrimonial files can hold sensitive financial, child, and personal details, so not every document in a divorce case is publicly downloadable. New York seals divorce records for 100 years. During that window, access is generally limited to the parties to the case, an attorney of record, or someone with a court order. A stranger cannot pull a Brooklyn divorce file the way they might view a routine civil docket.
Important: New York divorce records are sealed for 100 years. Only the spouses, an attorney of record, or a person with a court order may access a Kings County divorce file during that period.
An uncontested divorce has the simplest path. New York Courts says an uncontested divorce happens when there are no disagreements over financial or divorce issues and the spouse agrees or fails to appear. Before filing, a plaintiff must meet residency rules and have a legal ground for the divorce. Court staff cannot give legal advice, and an attorney is recommended where rights are unclear, a spouse cannot be found, a foreign divorce exists, another matrimonial action is pending, or a party is under 18.
Filing a Divorce in Kings County
A New York divorce moves through set stages, and Kings County adds its own checklist. Missing or out-of-order papers slow an uncontested case, so the matrimonial term clerk's office expects a clean packet. Check the current Kings matrimonial checklist and forms before filing. The steps below sketch the path from start to signed judgment.
- Confirm New York residency and a legal ground for the divorce.
- Decide on a contested or uncontested route.
- Prepare the summons, the complaint or summons with notice, and the required matrimonial forms.
- Buy and file an index number with the County Clerk or Supreme Court.
- Serve the spouse using lawful service.
- For an uncontested case, finish the remaining papers, such as the defendant's affidavit, the Note of Issue, the judgment packet, any child-support forms, and the Sworn Statement of Removal of Barriers to Remarriage.
- Submit the packet to the Kings County Supreme Court Matrimonial Term Clerk's Office in the order the local checklist sets.
- Get the signed judgment of divorce and order certified copies if you need them.
Getting Certified Copies
A certified copy is the version that carries legal weight. You need one for things like a name change, a remarriage, an immigration filing, or a benefits claim. A plain printout will not do. For a marriage record, the certified copy comes from the City Clerk or, for older Brooklyn records, the NYC Municipal Archives. For a divorce, the certified judgment of divorce comes from the County Clerk or the Supreme Court that issued it.
Processing time depends on the office and the age of the record. The state vital records office handles many requests for New York, but New York City is the exception. The lead-in below links to the official state page that explains this split.
The New York State Department of Health vital records page spells out which records the state holds and which ones route to New York City instead.
For Kings County, that page sends marriage record requests to the City rather than to the state office in Albany.
New York Vital Records Office
The state vital records office covers most of New York, but not the five boroughs. The New York State Department of Health says that for Kings County and the rest of New York City, people should contact the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or the City Marriage Bureau instead. So a Brooklyn marriage record request does not go to Albany. It goes to the City. The contact card below points to the state office for general vital records questions, with the NYC exception in mind.
NYS Department of Health, Vital Records
NYC residents: contact NYC DOHMH or the City Marriage Bureau.
Albany, NY