How to get a certified copy of a marriage certificate in Wisconsin
Additional copies ordered together are $3. CDC restricts certified copies to applicants with a direct and tangible interest and directs readers to the state application, photo ID requirements and ordering options. CDC source for Wisconsin.
The CDC marriage entry for Wisconsin names WI Vital Records Office P.O. Box 309 Madison, WI 53701-0309 Customer Service: 608-266-1373 as its contact. It lists $20.00. If multiple copies of the same record are ordered at the same time, additional copies are $3.00 each. for the stated service.
| Field | CDC Where to Write | Current official evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Office | WI Vital Records Office P.O. Box 309 Madison, WI 53701-0309 Customer Service: 608-266-1373 | Wisconsin Vital Records Office Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Service charge | $20.00. If multiple copies of the same record are ordered at the same time, additional copies are $3.00 each. | Uncollected. Official office |
| Years held or service coverage | In Wisconsin, records were not required to be registered with the state until October 1907. However, a limited number of records on file for events that occurred prior to that date are on file at the state level. If multiple copies of the same record are ordered at the same time, additional copies are $3.00 each. | October 1907 to present Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Ordering route | CDC entry | Order by mail, or use the authorized online or phone routes linked by the state Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
Getting a marriage license in Wisconsin
Ask the Wisconsin official office about current marriage license requirements, which have not been verified for this page.
Searching Wisconsin marriage records
Contact the Wisconsin 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 after 1917. Wisconsin recognizes common-law marriages validly entered into in other states. SSA GN 00305.075. Digest effective 2023-05-30, checked 2026-11-11 |
| IRS community-property list | Listed IRS 555, checked 2026-11-11 |
SSA lists the following Wisconsin common-law position in its digest effective 2023-05-30. Not recognized after 1917. Wisconsin recognizes common-law marriages validly entered into in other states. The entry is used in Social Security benefit decisions. For married taxpayers domiciled in Wisconsin, the separate property classification comes from IRS Publication 555.
The numbers
| Measure | State | US or reporting-area benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage rate | 5.2 | 6.3 |
| Divorce rate | 2.0 | 2.3 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, men | 30.5 | 30.8 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, women | 28.3 | 28.8 |
CDC reports a 2024 marriage rate of 5.2 per 1,000 residents for Wisconsin, below the national 6.3. Marriages performed within Wisconsin, including visitors' marriages, supply the numerator.
For divorces occurring in 2024, Wisconsin has a rate of 2.0 per 1,000 residents, below the reporting-area benchmark of 2.3.
For first marriages in Wisconsin, ACS 2024 puts the male median at 30.5 and the female median at 28.3, with respective margins of error of 0.3 and 0.6 years. Within Wisconsin, the gap between these medians is 2.2 years.
Wisconsin's male first-marriage median is below the nationwide 30.8, and its female median is below the US 28.8. Ordered oldest first, Wisconsin ranks 25th for men and 26th for women among states and DC.
Wisconsin and Las Vegas
Las Vegas issued 660 licenses to couples listing a Wisconsin mailing address in 2025. That placed Wisconsin 18th 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 Wisconsin was 1,463 in 2007. In the 2021 to 2025 window, Wisconsin contributed 4,157 licenses, or 1.11% of the countywide statistical-file total. The latest Wisconsin count of 660 compares with 737 in 2024 and 816 in 2019.
Wisconsin Las Vegas licenses fell 10.45% against 2024. The Wisconsin total is 19.12% below its 2019 level, with a 54.89% gap below its recorded maximum.
The annual Wisconsin Las Vegas record includes 1,463 licenses in 2007, 1,192 licenses in 2008, 1,211 licenses in 2009, 1,113 licenses in 2010, 1,103 licenses in 2011, 1,029 licenses in 2012, 863 licenses in 2013, 811 licenses in 2014. County sources and coverage.
The annual Wisconsin Las Vegas record includes 825 licenses in 2015, 832 licenses in 2016, 927 licenses in 2017, 869 licenses in 2018, 816 licenses in 2019, 574 licenses in 2020, 1,061 licenses in 2021, 913 licenses in 2022 (through 22 December). County sources and coverage.
The annual Wisconsin Las Vegas record includes 786 licenses in 2023, 737 licenses in 2024, 660 licenses in 2025. County sources and coverage.
A couple traveling from Wisconsin 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.