Find Marriage Records in Suffolk County
Suffolk County contains Boston, Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop. Marriage records here are not held at the county level. Each city and town maintains its own records through the local clerk's office. This page covers where to find Suffolk County marriage records, how to request certified copies, how to apply for a license, and what historical sources exist for genealogy research.
Suffolk County Overview
How Marriage Records Work in Suffolk County
Suffolk County does not keep marriage records. Like all Massachusetts counties, it lost its administrative government in 1997. Marriage records in Suffolk County are held by the individual city and town clerks where the marriage intention was filed. The four municipalities in the county are Boston, Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop. Each has its own clerk office, its own fee schedule, and its own process for requesting records.
Where you file your marriage intention matters. If a couple filed in Boston but held the ceremony in Revere, the record lives at the Boston City Clerk's office, not Revere's. This is true across all of Massachusetts. The clerk where you filed the intention is the clerk who holds your record.
For older records, the Massachusetts State Archives holds marriage records from 1841 to 1930. The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) holds records from 1931 to the present. Both can be good sources if you are not sure which city office filed the original record.
Boston Registry Division
Boston's Registry Division handles all vital records for the city, including marriage records going back to 1630. This is the main office for anyone looking for Boston marriage records or applying for a Boston marriage license. The office is in Room 213 at City Hall. Staff process in-person requests, mail requests, and online orders. Boston also has an online marriage records portal that lets you search and order copies without visiting City Hall.
| Office | Boston Registry Division |
|---|---|
| Address | Room 213, 1 City Hall Square Boston, MA 02201 |
| Phone | 617-635-4175 |
| registry@boston.gov | |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Website | boston.gov - Registry Division |
| Marriage License Fee | $50 |
| Certified Copy (In Person) | $12 |
| Certified Copy (Mail/Online) | $14 |
The Boston marriage certificate page explains all the ways you can order a copy. In-person requests are processed the same day. Mail requests take a few days to process and ship. Boston also allows online ordering through both the city's own portal and VitalChek.
Boston's online marriage portal at registry.boston.gov/marriage lets you search records and place orders directly. This is the fastest way to get a certified copy without visiting City Hall. A 2.5% card processing fee applies, with a $1 minimum charge for credit or debit payments.
Boston has records dating to 1630, making it one of the oldest continuous vital records offices in the country. The records include marriages where the intention was filed in Boston, regardless of where the ceremony took place. If you need a record and are unsure whether it was filed in Boston, start here. Staff can help confirm whether the record exists before you pay for a copy.
Other Suffolk County Clerk Offices
Three other municipalities share Suffolk County with Boston. Each maintains marriage records for couples who filed their intentions with that local office. If the marriage was filed in one of these towns rather than Boston, you need to contact that specific office directly.
| Municipality | Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea City Clerk | 617-466-4054 | Contact for Chelsea marriage records |
| Revere City Clerk | 781-286-8160 | Contact for Revere marriage records. See the Revere city page for more detail. |
| Winthrop Town Clerk | 617-846-4344 | Contact for Winthrop marriage records |
Revere is the only other Suffolk County city with a dedicated page on this site. Chelsea and Winthrop are smaller communities that do not meet the population threshold for individual pages. If you need records from either office, call directly to ask about hours, fees, and how to submit a request by mail or in person.
Getting a Marriage License in Suffolk County
To get married in Massachusetts, you must file a marriage intention with any city or town clerk in the state. You do not have to file in the town where you live or where you plan to hold the ceremony. Both parties must appear in person at the same time to file. You need a valid government-issued photo ID for each person. The clerk will issue a license after the mandatory waiting period passes.
Massachusetts law under MGL Chapter 207, Section 28 requires a 3-day waiting period after filing before the license becomes valid. The license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. If you do not marry within 60 days, the license expires and you must file again and pay again.
The waiting period can be waived by a court order under MGL Chapter 207, Section 30. The fee for a waiver is $195, paid to the Probate and Family Court. The waiver is granted for documented reasons such as medical emergency or imminent military deployment. Not every request is approved. If you need a waiver, file at the court rather than the clerk's office.
The marriage license is valid anywhere in Massachusetts. You can file in Boston and hold your ceremony in any other city or town in the state. The officiant can be a religious official, a justice of the peace, or someone who gets a one-day designation from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office. All of these are legal in Massachusetts.
Requesting Certified Copies
A certified copy of a marriage certificate is the official document used for legal purposes. Banks, courts, insurance companies, and government agencies all accept certified copies. You need to request them from the office that holds the original record. For most Suffolk County marriages, that will be the Boston Registry Division.
Boston charges $12 per certified copy when you request in person, and $14 by mail or online. Payment can be made by cash, check, or credit card. Credit card payments include a 2.5% processing fee. Mail requests take several business days to process. Online orders through Boston's portal or VitalChek are also available and convenient if you cannot get to City Hall.
If you need a certified copy and are not sure which city holds the record, the RVRS at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester holds state copies of all Massachusetts marriage records from 1931 to the present. The RVRS charges $20 for an in-person copy, $32 by mail, and $54 for the first copy ordered through VitalChek. The Massachusetts State Archives handles records from 1841 to 1930 at $3 per copy. The Archives has a free online search tool at sec.state.ma.us/vitalrecordssearch covering records through 1910.
Historical Marriage Records for Suffolk County
Suffolk County has some of the oldest marriage records in the country because Boston was one of the first permanent English settlements in Massachusetts. Boston's records go back to 1630. Many of these early records are now available through genealogy databases and the Massachusetts State Archives. For anyone doing ancestry research in Suffolk County, there are several strong sources to check.
The Massachusetts State Archives holds vital records from 1841 to 1930. You can search the database online for free. Records from 1841 to 1910 are fully searchable online. Records from 1911 to 1930 may require a visit in person or a mail request. The Archives is at 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, and is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Phone: 617-727-2816.
The Massachusetts Archives vital records search portal is a free tool that covers marriages statewide from 1841 to 1910, including all Suffolk County towns.
Search results include the certificate number, names, town, and year. You can use the certificate number to order a certified copy from the Archives for $3 per copy.
FamilySearch has extensive free records for Boston and Suffolk County going back before 1841. These include church records, probate records, and colonial-era vital records that predate the state registration system. FamilySearch is a good first stop for anyone researching ancestors who lived in Boston or Suffolk County before 1841. The site is free and does not require an account for most searches.
The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) at 99-101 Newbury Street in Boston is one of the best resources in the country for Massachusetts genealogy. Their American Ancestors database has extensive Suffolk County and Boston vital records. Some records are free while others require a membership. NEHGS also publishes the Systematic Series of vital records covering many Massachusetts towns through 1850. You can reach NEHGS at 888-296-3447 or visit americanancestors.org.
Massachusetts Marriage Law
All Massachusetts marriages are governed by MGL Chapter 207. The key requirements are the same across all cities and towns in the state. Both parties must be at least 18 years old under MGL Chapter 207, Section 7. There is no blood test requirement. There is no residency requirement. Non-residents can file and marry in Massachusetts without any restrictions.
Under MGL Chapter 207, Section 19, couples must file a notice of intention before the license is issued. The clerk reviews the notice and issues the license after the 3-day waiting period. The license can be used for any type of ceremony, civil or religious, anywhere in the state.
Officiants must be legally authorized to perform marriages in Massachusetts. Religious officials are authorized by their denomination. Civil officiants include justices of the peace and certain government officials. Anyone can get a one-day marriage designation from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office, which allows them to perform a single ceremony on a specific date. The designation is for a specific event and cannot be reused.
Suffolk County Registry of Deeds
The Suffolk County Registry of Deeds handles land records only. It does not hold marriage records or any other vital records. If you are searching for property records, mortgages, or deeds in Suffolk County, the Registry is the right office. But for marriage records, you need the city or town clerk, the RVRS, or the State Archives.
| Office | Suffolk County Registry of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 24 New Chardon Street Boston, MA 02114 |
| Phone | 617-788-6221 |
| Records Held | Land records only (deeds, mortgages, liens) |
| Website | massrods.com/suffolk |
The Registry of Deeds website lets you search land records online. This can be useful for genealogy research if you are trying to trace property ownership alongside vital records. It does not contain any marriage or birth records. For those, you need the city clerk or state offices described above.
Qualifying Cities in Suffolk County
Two cities in Suffolk County have dedicated marriage records pages on this site. Use them to find specific clerk contact information, local fees, hours, and city-specific resources.
Chelsea and Winthrop do not have dedicated pages on this site but do maintain marriage records through their own clerk offices. Contact them directly if you need records from those municipalities.
Nearby Counties
Suffolk County borders several other counties in eastern Massachusetts. Each county page covers local clerk contacts, historical resources, and how to access marriage records in that area.