Find Marriage Records in Bristol County
Bristol County marriage records are kept at the city and town clerk offices in each of the county's 20 communities, not at a central county office. This page covers how to find and request marriage certificates and licenses from local clerks, state agencies, and historical databases that serve Bristol County residents and researchers.
Bristol County Overview
How Bristol County Marriage Records Work
Bristol County was created in 1685, making it one of the oldest counties in Massachusetts. The county seat is Taunton. The county covers 20 cities and towns spread across southeastern Massachusetts, from Attleboro in the north to Westport on the Rhode Island border.
Like all Massachusetts counties, Bristol does not have a county clerk handling vital records. Marriage records are kept at the local level. The city or town clerk where the marriage license was issued stores the original record. If you need a copy of a marriage certificate, your first call should be to the clerk of the town where the license was taken out, not a county office.
The state holds backup copies at two agencies. The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) has records from 1931 to the present. The Massachusetts State Archives has records from 1841 to 1930. Both cover every community in Bristol County.
Bristol County is one of only a few Massachusetts counties with three separate Registry of Deeds districts. These handle land records only, not marriage records. Do not contact the Registries of Deeds for marriage certificates.
City and Town Clerks in Bristol County
The three largest cities in Bristol County all have active clerk offices that handle marriage license applications and certified copy requests. Contact the clerk in the city or town where the marriage occurred.
New Bedford is the largest city in Bristol County by population. Their clerk office is at 133 William Street, Room 118. Marriage records are available for marriages that took place in New Bedford.
| Office | New Bedford City Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 133 William Street, Room 118, New Bedford, MA 02740 |
| Phone | (508) 979-1425 |
Taunton is the county seat and handles marriages for the city's own residents. The clerk office at City Hall processes license applications and copies of past records.
| Office | Taunton City Clerk |
|---|---|
| Phone | (508) 821-1025 |
| Website | taunton-ma.gov - Birth, Death, Marriage Records |
Fall River has its own clerk office handling marriages for that city. Fall River is in the southern part of the county near the Rhode Island border.
| Office | Fall River City Clerk |
|---|---|
| Phone | (508) 324-2220 |
For smaller towns like Attleboro, Mansfield, Norton, Seekonk, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, or any other Bristol County community, search the town's official website for the town clerk contact information. Most towns list vital records fees and procedures on their clerk pages.
Bristol County Registries of Deeds
Bristol County has three Registry of Deeds districts. These offices handle land records, not marriage records. They are noted here only because many people search for them when looking for county records offices in Bristol County.
The Northern District in Taunton serves Attleboro, Berkley, Dighton, Easton, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Taunton. Their number is (508) 822-0502 and the website is at tauntondeeds.com. This screenshot shows their online portal for property records.
The Fall River District serves Fall River, Freetown, Somerset, and Swansea. Their number is (508) 673-2910 and the site is at fallriverdeeds.com. Again, this office handles property records only.
The Southern District in New Bedford serves Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford, and Westport. Their number is (508) 993-2603 and the site is at newbedforddeeds.com.
Getting a Marriage License in Bristol County
You apply for a marriage license at any city or town clerk in Massachusetts. Both people must show up together with valid photo ID. The clerk will issue the license and collect the fee. Massachusetts residents pay around $25 plus a $4 documentation fee. Non-residents pay $65 plus the same $4 fee.
A 3-day waiting period applies to every marriage license in Massachusetts. MGL Chapter 207, Section 28 sets this rule. The license is not valid until three full days after it was issued. Plan your ceremony date to account for this. Once issued, the license is good for 60 days. If you do not use it within 60 days, you have to start over and pay the fee again.
Both people must be 18 or older. MGL Chapter 207, Section 7 sets the minimum age. After the wedding, the person who performed the ceremony signs the license and returns it to the clerk's office within a set time. The clerk records the marriage and sends a copy to the state RVRS. You can then request a certified copy of the certificate.
The full set of requirements and steps for getting married in Massachusetts, including the license process, is on the state's getting married guide. This covers everything from documentation to what happens after the ceremony.
State and Historical Sources for Bristol County Marriage Records
Two main state agencies hold Bristol County marriage records in addition to local clerks.
The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) has marriage records from 1931 to the present for all Massachusetts communities, including all 20 Bristol County towns. In-person copies cost $20 each. Mail copies cost $32 each. The RVRS is at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester, and their phone is (617) 740-2600. See the RVRS main page for more details on what they hold and how to request records.
For marriages from 1841 through 1930, the Massachusetts State Archives is the right place. Their address is 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, phone (617) 727-2816. Certified copies cost $3 each. The Archives also has a free online database. You can search the Archives vital records search by name and year to find marriage entries for Bristol County and the rest of the state.
FamilySearch has indexed Bristol County marriage records. The FamilySearch Bristol County page links to free online collections covering marriages from 1841 to 1915. This is a good starting point for genealogy research. The New England Historic Genealogical Society at americanancestors.org also has Bristol County records, including some that predate state registration. A membership is needed to access most of their collection.
The Massachusetts law about marriage page on mass.gov gives a plain-language overview of state marriage laws. It covers who can marry, waiting periods, and records access rules. This is a good reference if you have questions about what the law requires.
Bristol County Probate and Family Courts
Bristol County has three Probate and Family Court locations. These courts handle divorce, probate, and family law matters. They do not store marriage records, but they come up often in family records research because divorce records are kept there.
The Taunton court can be reached at (508) 823-6588. The Fall River court number is (508) 672-1751. The New Bedford court is at (508) 999-5249. If you need a divorce record for someone who lived in Bristol County, these are the courts to contact depending on which city the case was filed in.
All three court locations handle cases from the communities in their area. For marriage records specifically, go to the city or town clerk. But if your research also involves a divorce or estate matter, the Probate Court is the right resource.
Cities in Bristol County
Three qualifying cities in Bristol County have dedicated marriage records pages with local clerk details and contact information.
Other Bristol County communities include Attleboro, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Seekonk, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Acushnet, Berkley, Dighton, Easton, Freetown, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Somerset, Swansea, and Westport. Each has its own town clerk for local marriage records.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Bristol County. If you need to check marriage records from a nearby area, these pages cover the clerk offices and state resources for each county.