Marriage and Divorce: Frequently Asked Questions

For legal questions about Texas vital records, please consult an attorney. For marriage and divorce questions, consult the Texas Family Code. For questions about ordering marriage verification or divorce verification letters online, see the TexasOnline: Frequently Asked Questions page.

• I need a copy of my marriage license or my divorce decree. How can I order that?
• Can you tell me the date and location of someone's marriage or divorce?
• I need a “single-status letter.” How do I get one?

I need a copy of my marriage license or my divorce decree. How can I order that?
Our office cannot issue a certified copy of a marriage license or divorce decree. You can obtain a certified copy of a marriage license from the county clerk's office in the county that issued the marriage license. You must obtain a certified copy of a divorce decree from the district clerk's office in the county where the divorce was granted. Click here for a list of county and district clerks.

Can you tell me the date and place where someone was married or divorced?

Verification letters of marriage are available for marriages that occurred from 1966 to 2005.
Verification letters of divorce are available for divorces that occurred from 1968 to mid-2006.

For records prior to those years, you must contact the county where the marriage license was issued or the district clerk in the district where the divorce was granted. Click here for a list of county clerks and district clerks.

Download the VS142.9 – Mail Application for a Verification Letter (Word 48K). The fee to search our files and indexes is $20. The fee is retained as payment for the search, even if a record is not found.

I need a “single-status letter.” How do I get one?
Request a marriage verification letter through TexasOnline or see the Verification of a Marriage or Divorce page for more information. List only yourself as the spouse. If no marriage records are found, a single-status letter will be sent to you.

Last Updated August 23, 2007