Are Kentucky Marriage Records Available to the Public?
Yes. Marriage records are considered public records in the State of Kentucky. As a result, they are available to anyone who can provide the relevant information for a record search and pay all the required fees. The information the requester must provide includes:
- Full names of both parties in the marriage (including the bride's maiden name)
- Month, day, and year of the marriage
- County where the marriage license was issued
Family Court records can include marriage records and divorce records. These records contain the personal information of those involved, and their maintenance is critical should anyone wish to make changes. Because of this, both marriage and divorce records can be considered more difficult to locate and obtain than other public records and may not be available through government sources or third-party public record websites.
How to Find Kentucky Marriage Records
A marriage record refers to all the documents that provide information about the formal recognition of the union of two people as partners in a family unit. Kentucky records marriages between same-sex couples and unions between men and women who purchased a marriage license from a county clerk's office.
Various state agencies maintain marriage records and provide them to eligible individuals upon request. The state office responsible for issuing marriage records (as well as other vital records like birth records, dissolution of marriage records, and divorce certificates) in Kentucky is the Office of Vital Statistics (OVS). Locally, an interested person can find marriage records at a county clerk's office. Typically, what these offices release to requesters are public marriage records.
How to Find Out if Someone is Married in Kentucky
Overall, there are two ways that a person can find out if someone is married in Kentucky:
- Query the county clerk's office that issued the marriage license.
- Query the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics (OVS)
These two offices maintain permanent public records on marriages held in Kentucky, which date back to the 50s and earlier. Hence, they can provide information on a person's marital status.
However, the above methods work when a person knows at least the full name of the person who may have gotten married, the marriage date (or approximate date), or the county that issued the marriage license. When this information is not readily known, one can search other records containing marriage information. For example, newspapers, death records, obituaries, and military records.
How to Check Marriage Status Online
To check marriage status online in Kentucky, an individual may visit a county clerk's website to search the office's marriage records database. This website must belong to the clerk's office that issued the marriage license. For example, the Campbell County Clerk's Office has a marriage license lookup database that the public can search to find marriage records particular to the county.
Note that the Office of Vital Statistics has no central database that individuals can access to check if someone got married in Kentucky. Nor does the department provide online resources for persons wishing to check marriage status online in Kentucky. Furthermore, not all clerk's offices maintain a marriage records database on the internet. Thus, in most cases, one must visit or write a Kentucky vital records office to verify a person's marital status.
What is Considered a Marriage Record in Kentucky?
Kentucky marriage records contain details of marriages legally entered into in the State of Kentucky. While some records are prepared before the solemnization of such unions, others are provided after marriage ceremonies to certify state-recognized unions.
Both government websites and organizations may offer divorce and marriage records. Similarly, third-party public record websites can also provide these types of records. However because third-party organizations are not operated or sponsored by the government, record availability may vary. Further, marriage and divorce records are considered highly private and are often sealed, meaning the availability of these types of records cannot be guaranteed.
How to Change Your Name After Marriage in Kentucky
The first step to changing your name after marriage in Kentucky is to obtain a marriage license. A certified marriage license is the document that facilitates a name change.
Parties should first visit a Kentucky social security office to request a name change on their social security number. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is in charge of this process. Parties must submit an application form and attach a legal name change document and proof of identity. In Kentucky, interested parties must apply for a replacement driver's license with the new name within the first ten days of a name change. Proof of residency, marriage certificate or court order, and a social security card displaying their new name to their county circuit clerk are required.
What is Considered a Marriage Certificate in Kentucky?
A Kentucky marriage certificate is a legal document that provides irrefutable evidence that a couple has entered a legally recognized marriage in the State of Kentucky. A marriage certificate will include the:
- Names of both parties to the marriage
- Location of the marriage ceremony
- Date of the marriage ceremony
- Name of the official who performed the marriage
In Kentucky, marriage certificates are issued by the Office of Vital Statistics. This office has records of Kentucky marriages dating back to June 1, 1958. For certificates and records prior to this date, contact the Clerk of the County where the marriage license was issued.
How Do I Obtain a Copy of a Marriage Certificate in Kentucky?
To obtain a certified copy of a Kentucky marriage certificate, an individual can submit a marriage record search request to the Office of Vital Statistics. The Office of Vital Statistics has, on file, all certificates from June 1958 to the present. To obtain copies of a certificate prepared before this date, contact the County Clerk where the marriage license was issued. Anyone requesting a marriage certificate in Kentucky must fill out an application form, providing relevant information for the search to be conducted, and pay a fee of $6. The fee covers the cost of a marriage record search in Kentucky and is non-refundable, even if the certificate is not located. Requests for marriage certificates can be submitted by mail or in person.
A request submitted by mail should include a completed Application For A Certified Copy Of Marriage Certificate form along with a check/money order for the search fee (made payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer). Send these to:
Office of Vital Statistics
Cabinet of Health and Family Services
275 East Main Street, 1E-A
Frankfort, KY 40621
Requests by mail can take up to 30 days to fulfill.
In-person requests are also accepted at the Office of Vital Statistics in Frankfort, KY. Complete the Application For A Certified Copy Of Marriage Certificate form and take it to the office during working hours, along with the required fee. Cash payments are accepted for in-person requests.
The Office of Vital Statistics does not directly process online or phone requests for a marriage certificate in Kentucky. This is the same for any other vital record (for example, dissolution of marriage records) maintained by the office. However, the department partners with an independent vendor to provide an online record request service to interested parties. Such persons can order online on the vendor's website, or they can call a designated phone line to place the order. Individuals who wish to order online or by phone can visit the OVS website to learn how to find a marriage certificate via such means.
What is Considered a Marriage License in Kentucky?
Kentucky marriage licenses are legal documents that serve as an approval for two people to be legally married in the State of Kentucky. Any couple who wishes to get married in Kentucky must obtain a marriage license for the marriage to be considered legal. Marriage licenses are obtained from the Offices of Kentucky County Clerks. Any two persons can apply for a marriage license in the State of Kentucky, provided both of them are over 18 years, can provide acceptable IDs, and pay the required fee.
Kentucky Formal Marriage Licenses
A formal marriage license, in the State of Kentucky, is the typical marriage license issued to an eligible couple who put in an application at any County Clerk’s Office in the state.
How to Get a Marriage License in Kentucky
A Kentucky marriage license is obtained from any County Clerk in the state. However, applicants aged 17 years old and having a court order must apply for the license in their county of residence. The fee for obtaining a Kentucky marriage license from any clerk's office is $50; this fee is non-refundable. As mentioned earlier, both applicants must be present when applying for a license and must provide acceptable IDs. Acceptable forms of identification in Kentucky are:
- Driver’s License
- Government-issued Photo ID
- Passport
- Original Birth Certificate
- Social Security Card
A marriage license is valid for 30 days after its issuance, and it can be used anywhere in the state. Both applicants will be required to complete a marriage license application and provide the following information:
- Name and address of each applicant
- Date of birth and current age of each applicant
- Place of birth of each applicant (if born in KY, provide county; if born in another state, provide state)
- Father’s name of each applicant
- Mother’s name of each applicant (first and maiden name)
- Current marital status of each applicant
- Number of previous marriages of each applicant
- Occupation of each applicant
- Race of each applicant
- Relationship between applicants (if applicable; first and second cousins cannot marry in KY)
- Proposed date of marriage
Some county clerks may provide an online marriage license application form that parties can fill out before coming to the office.
Kentucky Common-Law Marriage Licenses
Common-law marriage is a relationship between two people who live together and present themselves as a couple but did not obtain a marriage license or have an official ceremony. Kentucky laws do not allow for common-law marriages, but common-law marriages contracted in a state in which such marriages are valid will be acknowledged in Kentucky.
Are Prenups Public Records in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky considers a prenup (also known as a prenuptial or antenuptial agreement) as a legal contract that potential spouses can draft and sign before marriage to relay how property and finances will be shared if the marriage is terminated due to a divorce or a spouse's death.
Kentucky is not among the U.S. states that adopt the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act (UPAA) to enforce prenuptial agreements contracted within their borders. The state also does not have an extensive law governing the creation, enforcement, and validity of prenups, except for KRS 371.010 (5). Nonetheless, a prenuptial agreement in Kentucky is generally valid when in writing and legally takes effect after a marital union.
Prenups are not subject to the Kentucky Open Records Act and do not constitute public marriage records. Thus, while spouses may allow their immediate family, legal representatives, a divorce or probate court (where it applies), or other trusted entities to view the document, no member of the public has the statutory right to peruse the contents of a prenup in Kentucky.
