How to get a certified copy of a marriage certificate in Massachusetts
CDC directs earlier records to State Archives and lists an Archives fee of $3. The current state source below changes the boundary for the records transferred to the Archives. CDC source for Massachusetts.
For the Massachusetts marriage record service, CDC identifies Registry of Vital Records and Statistics 150 Mount Vernon Street 1st Floor Dorchester, MA 02125-3105. Its listed charge is In person: $20.00, Mail request: $32.00.
| Field | CDC Where to Write | Current official evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Office | Registry of Vital Records and Statistics 150 Mount Vernon Street 1st Floor Dorchester, MA 02125-3105 | Registry of Vital Records and Statistics Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Service charge | In person: $20.00, Mail request: $32.00 | $32 by mail, $20 in person. Online or phone first copy costs $54 Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Years held or service coverage | State office has marriage records from 1931 to the current year, all years prior are located at the State Archives. | Records from 1931 through 1935 have moved to the State Archives. Use the current office instructions for coverage Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Ordering route | CDC entry | Order in person, by mail, online or by phone. Charges depend on the route Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
CDC lists State office has marriage records from 1931 to the current year, all years prior are located at the State Archives. (reviewed January 25, 2019). The official state source gives Records from 1931 through 1935 have moved to the State Archives. Use the current office instructions for coverage (checked 2026-11-11).
Getting a marriage license in Massachusetts
Massachusetts lists the following for issuing office. City or town clerk. Official source (checked 2026-11-11).
Massachusetts lists the following for fee. Fees vary by town. Official source (checked 2026-11-11).
Massachusetts lists the following for waiting period. Three days. A court may authorize marriage without delay. Official source (checked 2026-11-11).
Massachusetts lists the following for issued-license validity. 60 days. Official source (checked 2026-11-11).
Searching Massachusetts marriage records
For marriage-record searches, consult the Massachusetts official records office. Public-search availability was unverified at the 2026-11-11 check.
Common-law marriage and community property
| Source scope | State entry |
|---|---|
| SSA common-law digest | Not recognized. However, by statute, if parties domiciled in Massachusetts enter into a ceremonial marriage while one party is barred from remarrying by a Massachusetts divorce, and one party entered into the marriage in good faith, a valid marriage arises upon removal of the impediment if the parties are domiciled in Massachusetts at that time. SSA GN 00305.075. Digest effective 2023-05-30, checked 2026-11-11 |
| IRS community-property list | Outside the listed community-property states IRS 555, checked 2026-11-11 |
Massachusetts has this entry in SSA's state-law digest, effective 2023-05-30. Not recognized. However, by statute, if parties domiciled in Massachusetts enter into a ceremonial marriage while one party is barred from remarrying by a Massachusetts divorce, and one party entered into the marriage in good faith, a valid marriage arises upon removal of the impediment if the parties are domiciled in Massachusetts at that time. Those conditions belong to the benefit-program guidance. The Massachusetts community-property classification follows the domicile-based federal-tax discussion in IRS Publication 555.
The numbers
| Measure | State | US or reporting-area benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage rate | 5.4 | 6.3 |
| Divorce rate | 1.5 | 2.3 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, men | 32.4 | 30.8 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, women | 30.9 | 28.8 |
Massachusetts recorded 5.4 marriages per 1,000 residents in 2024. Its rate is below the nationwide 6.3 and uses marriages performed in Massachusetts, including those of visiting couples.
The Massachusetts divorce entry is 1.5 per 1,000 residents for 2024, below the reporting-jurisdiction rate of 2.3.
Massachusetts's median first-marriage age is 32.4 for men and 30.9 for women in ACS 2024. Its margins of error are 0.5 years for men and 0.3 for women, while the Massachusetts male-female median gap is 1.5 years.
Ordering state and DC first-marriage medians oldest first puts Massachusetts first for men and second for women. The Massachusetts male estimate is above the national 30.8, and its female estimate is above the US 28.8.
Massachusetts and Las Vegas
Massachusetts supplied 358 Las Vegas licenses by mailing address in 2025, the 29th state or DC total. The corresponding Las Vegas page has the available annual history. The county method page gives the reporting limits.
Massachusetts accounted for 0.52% of Las Vegas licenses in the 2021 to 2025 files, with 1,968 licenses by mailing address. The Massachusetts annual peak is 796 in 2007. The Massachusetts checkpoints are 2019 with 389, 2024 with 410, and 2025 with 358.
For Massachusetts, the latest Las Vegas figure fell 12.68% from 2024. Compared with 2019, Massachusetts is 7.97% below, and its latest total sits 55.03% below its annual peak.
Licenses carrying Massachusetts mailing addresses totaled 796 licenses in 2007, 616 licenses in 2008, 588 licenses in 2009, 601 licenses in 2010, 541 licenses in 2011, 490 licenses in 2012, 481 licenses in 2013, 414 licenses in 2014. County sources and coverage.
Licenses carrying Massachusetts mailing addresses totaled 444 licenses in 2015, 448 licenses in 2016, 402 licenses in 2017, 396 licenses in 2018, 389 licenses in 2019, 221 licenses in 2020, 402 licenses in 2021, 413 licenses in 2022 (through 22 December). County sources and coverage.
Licenses carrying Massachusetts mailing addresses totaled 385 licenses in 2023, 410 licenses in 2024, 358 licenses in 2025. County sources and coverage.
After a Clark County ceremony, Massachusetts couples can use the Nevada proof-of-marriage guide, which links online, mail and counter orders. The officiant must file within 10 calendar days, after which the certified certificate costs $20.