Where to request
Marriage licenses for couples who applied in New Castle County are issued and held by the New Castle County Clerk. Certified copies of the resulting marriage certificate are ordered from the same county clerk's office. The Delaware Health & Social Services, Office of Vital Statistics may keep a statewide marriage index but generally does not issue the certificate itself.
You will need to identify the county where the couple applied for the license — this is not necessarily the county where the wedding ceremony took place, so be ready to check both if you are uncertain.
Issuing office details
| Primary office | New Castle County Clerk, Delaware |
|---|---|
| State backup | Delaware Health & Social Services, Office of Vital Statistics |
| State address | 417 Federal St, Dover, DE 19901 |
| State phone | (302) 744-4549 |
| State website | https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/ss/vitalstats.html |
| Standard turnaround | 6-8 weeks by mail |
Fees
- Birth records: $25
- Death records: $25
- Marriage records: $25
- Divorce records: contact prothonotary
Counties may charge their own fees in addition to or in place of the state fee for marriage and divorce records. Confirm with the New Castle County Clerk's office before mailing payment.
How to order
By mail
Download the application form from the official Delaware office page at https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/ss/vitalstats.html (for state-issued records) or from the New Castle County website (for county-issued marriage and divorce records). Include a clear photocopy of an acceptable photo ID and a money order for the fee.
In person
For state-issued records, walk-in service is available at the central office in the state capital — see the address in the table above. For county-issued marriage and divorce records, walk-in service is available at the New Castle County courthouse during regular business hours; bring photo ID and the fee in cash, money order, or card.
Online
Delaware's state office partners with VitalChek for expedited online ordering of birth and death certificates. Many county clerks now also offer online ordering for marriage records through their own portals or through VitalChek; check the New Castle County Clerk's website for the current option.
What you'll need
- Full legal name on the certificate, including any maiden or alternative names.
- Date of the event (or a date range, for older or uncertain records).
- Place of the event — at minimum, the city or township within New Castle County.
- For births: parents' full names, including mother's maiden name.
- For deaths: spouse's name (if any) and approximate age at death.
- For marriages: both spouses' full legal names at the time of marriage.
- For divorces: case number if known, otherwise both parties' full legal names and the year of the divorce.
- A clear copy of acceptable photo identification.
- A money order or cashier's check for the fee, made payable as instructed by the office.
For estate executors handling multiple certified copies at once, this estate-administration document checklist explains how many certified copies you typically need and which institutions will accept a single copy versus require their own original.
Common pitfalls
The most common reasons a request to New Castle County or to the Delaware Health & Social Services, Office of Vital Statistics is delayed:
- Wrong office. Sending a marriage record request to the state office in a county-issued state, or vice versa, simply gets the application returned weeks later.
- Insufficient identification. Photocopies must be clear, in color where possible, and unexpired.
- Wrong fee. Personal checks are sometimes refused; out-of-state checks even more often.
- Restricted record. If you are not the registrant or an immediate family member, expect the office to require additional documentation of your eligibility.