Getting a Marriage License in New London County
Connecticut does not issue marriage licenses through a county office or a courthouse. The license comes from a town clerk, working as the local registrar of vital statistics. You apply in the Connecticut town where the marriage will take place. So a couple marrying in Groton, Norwich, Stonington, Waterford, or New London uses that town's vital records office, not a shared county desk.
Both spouses-to-be must appear in person at the local vital records office. The state Department of Public Health sets the rules and the price. The marriage license fee is $50, paid to the town that issues it. Each town can set its own hours and appointment rules, so call first. Towns ask for government identification and basic identity facts about each party.
After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license to the same office that issued it. Once it is filed, the license becomes the marriage certificate. From that point a couple can request certified copies. The City of New London, for example, runs a marriage license application page through its municipal site for couples marrying in that city.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The steps below follow the process the Connecticut Department of Public Health describes on its marriage license and certificate FAQ. Most of the work happens at the town level, so plan around the town clerk's schedule.
- Decide the Connecticut town where the ceremony will occur. The license must come from that town's vital records office.
- Contact that town clerk or vital records office for current hours and appointment rules. Walk-in policies differ from town to town.
- Both parties appear in person together with government identification and the required identity information.
- Pay the $50 license fee at the time of filing.
- Have the ceremony performed by an authorized officiant within the license period.
- Make sure the officiant returns and files the signed license with the issuing vital records office.
- Request certified copies after the license is filed if you need them for name changes or benefits.
Note: A license is valid only in the town that issued it, so confirm the ceremony location before you apply.
Marriage License Application Fields
The town application asks each party for identity and history details that feed the state vital records index. The exact form layout varies by town, but the core fields stay the same statewide. The table lists what a couple generally provides at the counter.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant names | Yes | Legal names of both parties. |
| Date and place of birth | Yes | Used to confirm age eligibility. |
| Residence address | Yes | Each party's home address. |
| Parents' names and birth names | Yes | Used for vital record indexing. |
| Prior marital status | Yes | Divorce, death, or civil union history may be required. |
| Ceremony date and place | Yes | License must come from the town where the marriage occurs. |
| Officiant | If known | Some towns ask for this at filing. |
| Identification | Yes | Government photo ID for each party. |
| Signature and oath | Yes | Signed in person before the issuing office. |
New London County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Vital record fees in Connecticut are set by statute and stay the same from town to town. The license fee goes to the issuing town. Certified copy fees depend on whether you order from a town or from the state. The figures below come from the Department of Public Health.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $50 |
| Town-issued marriage or civil union certificate | $20 |
| State-issued marriage or civil union certificate | $20 |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Set by the Superior Court clerk |
Town requests usually take a money order payable to the town, since the Department of Public Health page notes that personal checks are not accepted. State requests take a money order payable to the Treasurer, State of Connecticut. Credit cards and personal checks are not accepted for a mailed state request.
How to Look Up New London County Marriage Records
Connecticut keeps marriage records in more than one place. The town where the wedding happened holds a copy. The towns where the parties lived at the time may also hold one. The State Vital Records Office keeps a statewide copy as well. That gives you several ways to find the same certificate.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health explains the request process on its how to obtain a record page. To pull a marriage certificate, you generally need the full names on the record, the date of the marriage, and the Connecticut town where it took place. A spouse name and a mailing address for the certified copy help the office complete the request.
The state page below walks through each step for ordering a certified vital record by mail or in person.
Use that official guidance to confirm acceptable identification and the current processing time before you mail a request for a New London County marriage record.
How to Find New London County Divorce Records
Divorce records do not live with vital records. The Department of Public Health says plainly that the State Vital Records Office does not maintain divorce decrees. A divorce, formally a dissolution of marriage, is a Superior Court case. To get a decree, you contact the Connecticut Superior Court where the divorce was granted.
For many New London County residents, that is the New London Judicial District family clerk at 1 Courthouse Square in Norwich, reachable at 860-887-3515, depending on where the case was filed. Family case data can also be searched online through the Superior Court case look-up for civil, family, housing, and small claims matters. Broader case search guidance sits on the court records page.
A divorce file can include the summons, complaint, financial affidavits, parenting documents, agreements, and the final judgment. Some details are restricted. Custody material, child support figures, psychological evaluations, and protective order content may be redacted or limited to the parties. Sensitive family records are not always open in the public portal.
Filing a divorce follows a set order. A spouse confirms venue in the right Superior Court family division, then prepares the summons, complaint, financial affidavits, and parenting papers if minor children are involved. The other party is served or signs a waiver. The court may require case management, parenting education, mediation, or hearings before judgment. After judgment, the Superior Court clerk can issue the decree.
Ordering Official Copies of Records
An uncertified printout often works for personal reference. A certified copy is what you need for legal use, such as a name change, a passport, an immigration matter, or a benefits claim. Certified marriage copies come from the town that filed the license or from the state. Certified divorce decrees come from the Superior Court clerk that entered the judgment.
The state explains how to request official copies on its copies of records guidance, which covers ordering official state copies and the identity proof each request needs.
That resource shows the request categories and the proof of identity each official copy order requires, which helps a New London County requester avoid a rejected or delayed order.
Processing time depends on the office and the request volume. Confirm fees and turnaround before you mail anything, since town and state offices price and process copies differently.
Connecticut State Vital Records Office
The Connecticut State Vital Records Office sits within the Department of Public Health. It keeps statewide birth, death, marriage, and civil union registries. For a marriage record, it works as an alternative to the issuing town. The office does not hold divorce decrees, which stay with the Superior Court.
The state describes the office and its services on its State Vital Records Office home page.
That page is the statewide hub for New London County marriage and civil union copies when ordering through the state rather than through a local town clerk.
Marriage license and certificate rules are summarized on the state's marriage licenses and certificates FAQ.
That FAQ confirms the $50 license fee and the direction to contact the Superior Court for a divorce decree, the same split that shapes a New London County records search.