How to get a certified copy of a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania directory entry links to a courthouse list and supplies no statewide fee or years-held range. CDC source for Pennsylvania.
The CDC marriage entry for Pennsylvania names Marriage License Clerks, County Court House, in county where license was issued. as its contact. It lists Varies for the stated service.
| Field | CDC Where to Write | Current official evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Office | Marriage License Clerks, County Court House, in county where license was issued. | Uncollected. Official office |
| Service charge | Varies | Uncollected. Official office |
| Years held or service coverage | Make application to the Marriage License Clerks, County Court House, in county where license was issued. A list of court houses is available here . The CDC entry does not state years held. | Uncollected. Official office |
| Ordering route | CDC entry | Uncollected. Official office |
Getting a marriage license in Pennsylvania
For Pennsylvania, the official waiting period information is Issued on or after the third day following application, subject to statutory exceptions (Official source (checked 2026-11-11)).
For Pennsylvania, the official issued-license validity information is Valid for up to 60 days from issuance (Official source (checked 2026-11-11)).
Ask the Pennsylvania official office about the issuing office and fee, which remain unverified on this page.
Searching Pennsylvania marriage records
Contact the Pennsylvania 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 | Recognized on or before 01/01/2005. To contract a common-law marriage on or before 01/01/2005, Pennsylvania law required clear and convincing evidence that the parties exchanged words in the present tense, spoken with the specific purpose of establishing the legal relationship of husband and wife. 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 Pennsylvania common-law position in its digest effective 2023-05-30. Recognized on or before 01/01/2005. To contract a common-law marriage on or before 01/01/2005, Pennsylvania law required clear and convincing evidence that the parties exchanged words in the present tense, spoken with the specific purpose of establishing the legal relationship of husband and wife. The entry is used in Social Security benefit decisions. For married taxpayers domiciled in Pennsylvania, the separate property classification comes from IRS Publication 555.
The numbers
| Measure | State | US or reporting-area benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage rate | 5.5 | 6.3 |
| Divorce rate | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, men | 30.9 | 30.8 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, women | 29.3 | 28.8 |
CDC reports a 2024 marriage rate of 5.5 per 1,000 residents for Pennsylvania, below the national 6.3. Marriages performed within Pennsylvania, including visitors' marriages, supply the numerator.
For divorces occurring in 2024, Pennsylvania has a rate of 2.1 per 1,000 residents, below the reporting-area benchmark of 2.3.
For first marriages in Pennsylvania, ACS 2024 puts the male median at 30.9 and the female median at 29.3, with respective margins of error of 0.3 and 0.3 years. Within Pennsylvania, the gap between these medians is 1.6 years.
Pennsylvania's male first-marriage median is above the nationwide 30.8, and its female median is above the US 28.8. Ordered oldest first, Pennsylvania ranks 17th for men and 16th for women among states and DC.
Pennsylvania and Las Vegas
Las Vegas issued 875 licenses to couples listing a Pennsylvania mailing address in 2025. That placed Pennsylvania 14th 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 Pennsylvania was 1,874 in 2007. In the 2021 to 2025 window, Pennsylvania contributed 5,301 licenses, or 1.41% of the countywide statistical-file total. The latest Pennsylvania count of 875 compares with 997 in 2024 and 1,028 in 2019.
Pennsylvania Las Vegas licenses fell 12.24% against 2024. The Pennsylvania total is 14.88% below its 2019 level, with a 53.31% gap below its recorded maximum.
The annual Pennsylvania Las Vegas record includes 1,874 licenses in 2007, 1,535 licenses in 2008, 1,533 licenses in 2009, 1,468 licenses in 2010, 1,319 licenses in 2011, 1,286 licenses in 2012, 1,178 licenses in 2013, 1,144 licenses in 2014. County sources and coverage.
The annual Pennsylvania Las Vegas record includes 1,162 licenses in 2015, 1,069 licenses in 2016, 1,087 licenses in 2017, 998 licenses in 2018, 1,028 licenses in 2019, 862 licenses in 2020, 1,337 licenses in 2021, 1,110 licenses in 2022 (through 22 December). County sources and coverage.
The annual Pennsylvania Las Vegas record includes 982 licenses in 2023, 997 licenses in 2024, 875 licenses in 2025. County sources and coverage.
A couple traveling from Pennsylvania 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.