How to get a certified copy of a marriage certificate in North Carolina
Additional copies are listed at $15. CDC requires a signed application and valid photo ID. The Register of Deeds where the license was obtained can also supply certificates, including records before 1962. The state payment instructions accept a business or certified check or money order. CDC source for North Carolina.
The CDC marriage entry for North Carolina names NC Vital Records 1903 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1903 as its contact. It lists $24.00 (first copy), $15.00 (each additional copy) for the stated service.
| Field | CDC Where to Write | Current official evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Office | NC Vital Records 1903 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1903 | NC Vital Records or county Register of Deeds Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Service charge | $24.00 (first copy), $15.00 (each additional copy) | $24 state search for a three-year period, including one copy if found Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Years held or service coverage | The State Office has marriage records beginning with 1962. Business or certified check or money order should be made payable to NC Vital Records . To verify current fees and access additional information on how to obtain copies of vital records, the telephone number is (919) 733-3000 or visit the North Carolina Vital Records website . | 1962 to present Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Ordering route | CDC entry | Use the state ordering route or the county Register of Deeds Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
Getting a marriage license in North Carolina
Ask the North Carolina official office about current marriage license requirements, which have not been verified for this page.
Searching North Carolina marriage records
Contact the North Carolina official records office for marriage-record search availability, unverified on this page as of 2026-11-11.
Common-law marriage and community property
| Source scope | State entry |
|---|---|
| SSA common-law digest | Not recognized. 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 |
SSA lists the following North Carolina common-law position in its digest effective 2023-05-30. Not recognized. The entry is used in Social Security benefit decisions. For married taxpayers domiciled in North Carolina, the separate property classification comes from IRS Publication 555.
The numbers
| Measure | State | US or reporting-area benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage rate | 6.1 | 6.3 |
| Divorce rate | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, men | 29.9 | 30.8 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, women | 27.5 | 28.8 |
CDC reports a 2024 marriage rate of 6.1 per 1,000 residents for North Carolina, below the national 6.3. Marriages performed within North Carolina, including visitors' marriages, supply the numerator.
For divorces occurring in 2024, North Carolina has a rate of 2.5 per 1,000 residents, above the reporting-area benchmark of 2.3.
For first marriages in North Carolina, ACS 2024 puts the male median at 29.9 and the female median at 27.5, with respective margins of error of 0.4 and 0.5 years. Within North Carolina, the gap between these medians is 2.4 years.
North Carolina's male first-marriage median is below the nationwide 30.8, and its female median is below the US 28.8. Ordered oldest first, North Carolina ranks 32nd for men and 31st for women among states and DC.
North Carolina and Las Vegas
Las Vegas issued 753 licenses to couples listing a North Carolina mailing address in 2025. That placed North Carolina 16th among state and DC origins. Visit the Las Vegas address series and its source notes for the annual history.
The highest annual Las Vegas mailing-address total for North Carolina was 894 in 2021. In the 2021 to 2025 window, North Carolina contributed 4,066 licenses, or 1.08% of the countywide statistical-file total. The latest North Carolina count of 753 compares with 814 in 2024 and 605 in 2019.
North Carolina Las Vegas licenses fell 7.49% against 2024. The North Carolina total is 24.46% above its 2019 level, with a 15.77% gap below its recorded maximum.
The annual North Carolina Las Vegas record includes 826 licenses in 2007, 688 licenses in 2008, 742 licenses in 2009, 683 licenses in 2010, 679 licenses in 2011, 578 licenses in 2012, 522 licenses in 2013, 552 licenses in 2014. County sources and coverage.
The annual North Carolina Las Vegas record includes 511 licenses in 2015, 499 licenses in 2016, 606 licenses in 2017, 573 licenses in 2018, 605 licenses in 2019, 450 licenses in 2020, 894 licenses in 2021, 804 licenses in 2022 (through 22 December). County sources and coverage.
The annual North Carolina Las Vegas record includes 801 licenses in 2023, 814 licenses in 2024, 753 licenses in 2025. County sources and coverage.
A couple traveling from North Carolina with a Clark County license can follow the Nevada certificate instructions, including the officiant's 10-calendar-day filing deadline and the $20 certified-copy fee. That guide links online, postal and counter purchase instructions.