Getting a Marriage License in Allegheny County
The county does not use a separate marriage clerk. Marriage licenses come from the Department of Court Records Marriage License Section, part of the same office that keeps court files. The Marriage License Office sits on the first floor of the City-County Building at 414 Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh. Staff there take applications, run the wait, and mail the license. The county explains that getting a license is a two-step process, so the application you fill out is not the license itself. The license is issued only after a set waiting period clears.
Both people who plan to marry must take part. You apply online or in person, but both applicants must appear, either at the counter or by video conference for a remote filing. Photo ID is required for each person. A license issued in Allegheny County works in any Pennsylvania county, so where you marry inside the state is up to you. The county also asks couples to apply two to three weeks before the ceremony, which leaves room for the wait and for mailing.
There are two license types. A traditional license needs an officiant to solemnize the marriage. A self-uniting license needs no officiant, so the couple marries themselves with witnesses. The office does not decide who may solemnize a marriage; that is set by law and by the couple's choice. Pick the type that fits your plans before you start, since it is part of the application.
DCR Marriage License Section
City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, 1st Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-350-4230
dcrml@alleghenycounty.us
Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (no applications after 4:00 p.m.)
Extended: Apr–Sep Sat 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Oct–Mar Wed 8:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
A little prep makes the visit fast. Have your ID ready, know your dates and prior-marriage details, and pick your license type first. Online filing needs a valid email address, and you get a confirmation email after you submit it for processing. The steps below match the county's own process.
- Start the application online through the county marriage portal, or come in person to the Marriage License Office.
- Both applicants appear together, either at the counter or by video conference for a remote filing.
- Show photo identification for each applicant.
- Pay the license fee by cash or credit card.
- Wait out the mandatory three-day waiting period that runs after processing.
- Pick up the license at the office, or let staff mail it to your address.
The license is valid for 60 days from the date it is issued. After the ceremony, the officiant must file the marriage return with the issuing Marriage License Office within 10 days. That return is the step that creates the public marriage record. If the officiant never files it, no marriage record will exist, even though the wedding happened.
Note: The completed application is not a license, and the three-day wait runs after processing, so apply at least two to three weeks before the wedding date.
Marriage License Application Fields
The county marriage portal handles both new applications and record orders. You pick an action first, then fill the fields that match. The table lists the main fields and actions the portal uses, drawn from the county marriage portal and DCR notes.
| Field / Action | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply for a Marriage License | Link / action | Yes to start | Opens the DCR marriage application path. |
| Search / Order Marriage Records | Link / action | Optional | Same DCR marriage portal, used to order a record. |
| User Login | Link / action | Conditional | Needed for saved or submitted transactions. |
| Applicant Email | Text / email | Yes online | A valid email is required for online filing. |
| Applicant Appearance | In-person / video | Yes | Both applicants must appear. |
| Photo Identification | Document | Yes | Required for each applicant. |
| License Type | Selection | Yes | Traditional or self-uniting. |
The county marriage license page is where the portal links live and where the fee, hours, and return rules are spelled out.
You can read the Allegheny County marriage and divorce records license page for the current application steps. It shows the same two-step process, the office hours, and the fee total before you start.
That screen lays out the application, the wait, and the validity window in one place. It is the best first stop before you file.
Allegheny County Marriage and Divorce Fees
The marriage license has one total price made up of several smaller fees and surcharges. You pay it by cash or credit card. The total is $90, and the breakdown below comes straight from the county marriage license page. A certified copy of a marriage record carries its own separate fee.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total marriage license application | $90 |
| Computer fee | $29 |
| Allegheny County fee | $35.50 |
| Pennsylvania writ tax | $0.50 |
| Court technology fee | $5 |
| Act 151 surcharge | $10 |
| Act 222 surcharge | $10 |
| Certified marriage record copy | $20 |
Divorce fees are different. A divorce is filed in the family court system, and its filing fees and forms come through the DCR Civil/Family Division rather than the Marriage License Section. The county posts the Civil/Family schedule online, so check there for current divorce filing and copy costs. A DCR records retention fee also applies to new filings, and the county has noticed an increase from $3.50 to $7.00 effective June 1, 2026.
How to Look Up Allegheny County Marriage Records
Marriage records are held by the Department of Court Records, and you order them through the same DCR marriage portal used to apply for a license. The Search or Order Marriage Records action routes to the marriage portal path. You can also call or visit the Marriage License Office on the first floor of the City-County Building to request a record in person.
Have a few details ready before you search. The full legal names of both spouses help the most. An approximate marriage date narrows a common-name match. Remember that a marriage record only exists if the officiant filed the return, so a very recent wedding may not show up yet if the 10-day filing window has not closed. For older unions, the county also keeps historical marriage indexes useful for family research.
For genealogy and broader record research, the county keeps a public records guide that points to civil, criminal, estate, birth, death, and marriage sources across different offices.
You can browse the Allegheny County marriage and divorce records research guide to see which office holds older vital and court records. It helps when a marriage predates the modern filing system.
That guide groups records by type and office, so you can match a marriage or estate search to the right division. It is a good map for older files.
How to Find Allegheny County Divorce Records
Divorce is a Family Division matter heard in the Court of Common Pleas. Divorce filings are kept through the DCR Civil/Family Division, not the Marriage License Section. Docket-level information shows up in the statewide court case search, while the full file is requested from DCR. So a divorce record search has two layers: the public docket, and the underlying case file held by the county.
What you can see online is limited by court rule. Under 204 Pa. Code § 213.81, remote access for family court actions is held to dockets, court orders, opinions, the filing date, party names, the city, state, and ZIP, counsel, the docket number, docket entries, and the case type. The full underlying divorce file may hold confidential documents and often needs a DCR request or an in-person visit. A divorce decree is the order that ends the marriage, and a certified copy of it is the proof most agencies accept.
Getting divorced in Pennsylvania generally means meeting the residency rule, filing a divorce complaint, serving the other spouse, and meeting waiting-period, consent, or fault requirements set by statute. Property, custody, and support issues are resolved along the way, and the court then enters a decree. For more on how family and civil files are pulled, see Allegheny County court records.
Note: A public divorce docket shows case events and orders, but full divorce documents often need a DCR request because family files carry remote-access limits.
Getting Certified Copies
A certified copy is the version courts, agencies, and the Social Security office accept. A plain copy is fine for personal reference, but legal and benefit steps usually need the certified one. For a marriage record, a certified copy carries a $20 fee and is ordered through the DCR Marriage License Section. For a divorce decree, the certified copy comes from the DCR Civil/Family Division.
Bring or have ready the names, the approximate date, and a way to pay. The Marriage License Office takes cash or credit card. Allow time for processing and, if mailed, for delivery. Names change, courts move counters, and fees update, so confirm the current amount before you go. Adoption and other sensitive family records follow separate confidentiality rules and are handled through Orphans' Court rather than the marriage counter.
Confidential Marriage and Family Records
Not every family record is open. Family case files have remote-access limits, so a public docket will not show full underlying documents. Adoption records are confidential and run through Orphans' Court under their own statute. Sensitive identifiers in filings, such as Social Security numbers and a minor's birth date, must go on confidential forms rather than public documents.
Adoption is the clearest example. Adoption decrees and records are governed by 23 Pa.C.S. Chapter 29, which sets special access procedures rather than open public browsing. So an adoption record is not pulled like a routine marriage record. The statute spells out who may access what and how.
You can read the controlling law at the Pennsylvania General Assembly page for adoption records under 23 Pa.C.S. Chapter 29. It covers decrees, confidentiality, and the procedures that limit access.
That chapter is why an adoption file is treated so differently from a marriage license. Estate matters tied to a marriage, such as a spouse's will, run through Allegheny County probate records in Orphans' Court instead.