Hartford Marriage Record Offices
Marriage licenses in Hartford are handled by the City of Hartford Bureau of Vital Records, not by the Superior Court. The city issues a license only when the ceremony will occur in Hartford, because Connecticut requires the license to come from the city or town where the ceremony takes place. Certified Hartford marriage certificates are also local vital records when the event occurred in the City of Hartford.
The Hartford Vital Records page states that births, deaths, civil unions, and marriages are held for events in Hartford from 1852 to the present. The record does not move to the court after the ceremony. If the marriage occurred in another Connecticut town, the requester must contact that town, the town where a spouse lived at the time of marriage when eligible, or the State Vital Records Office.
The Hartford vital-records source shows the local office that keeps certificates for city events.
That city-level custody is the key difference between Hartford marriage records and Hartford divorce records.
Hartford Marriage License Rules
A Hartford marriage license is an in-person service. Both parties must appear at Hartford City Hall, Bureau of Vital Records, 550 Main Street, 1st Floor, Room 103, Hartford, CT 06103. The office posts marriage-license service hours of Monday through Thursday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The Hartford marriage license page lists the local proof and payment rules. Each party must be at least 18 years old. A driver's license or non-driver photo ID is required, and the city also requests a Social Security card. A non-resident may use a passport. Connecticut no longer requires a blood test.
Hartford's marriage license source is the best place to confirm current intake rules before visiting City Hall.
The posted requirements also explain why a license request is different from a later certificate request.
Apply for a Hartford License
Prepare the license application before the visit when possible, then bring the proof and payment the city lists. The license fee is $50.00. Hartford accepts cash or money order payable to City of Hartford, and the city notes that credit cards are accepted. A Hartford license is valid for 65 days, so the ceremony date should fall within that window.
- Confirm the ceremony will occur in Hartford. If it will occur in another town, apply through that town instead.
- Download and complete the marriage license application before the visit if the form is available for use.
- Both parties appear in person with photo ID and Social Security card or the alternate proof listed for non-residents.
- Pay the $50.00 license fee by an accepted method and review the license details before leaving.
- After the ceremony, allow the posted waiting period before requesting a certified marriage certificate.
Note: Hartford notes a mandatory 48-hour wait for a certified marriage certificate after submission of a marriage license, effective January 9, 2024.
Hartford Marriage Form Fields
Hartford marriage record requests depend on accurate names, dates, and the correct event town. The license application and certificate request are separate steps, but the core details overlap. A certificate request by mail also needs a signed application, a mailing address, and payment by money order payable to City of Hartford.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Party names | Yes | Used on the marriage license application. |
| Photo ID | Yes | Driver's license or non-driver ID; passport may apply for non-residents. |
| Social Security card or number | Yes where applicable | Hartford requests a Social Security card for license applicants. |
| Ceremony town | Yes | The Hartford office is used when the ceremony occurs in Hartford. |
| Date of marriage ceremony | Yes for certificate | Needed to locate a certified certificate. |
| Applicant signature and address | Yes for mail | Required on the certificate request form. |
Hartford Marriage Fees
Hartford's researched fee schedule is narrow but important. The city lists the marriage license fee and certified marriage certificate fee. The research did not locate a local divorce filing fee or certified divorce decree fee in the Hartford sources, so those items should be confirmed with the Superior Court clerk before filing or requesting a certified decree copy.
| Item | Amount | Where handled |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford marriage license | $50.00 | Hartford Bureau of Vital Records |
| Certified Hartford marriage certificate | $20.00 | Hartford Bureau of Vital Records or eligible vital-record channel |
| Divorce decree copy | Confirm with clerk | Superior Court where decree was granted |
| Online court lookup | No search fee located | Connecticut Judicial Branch public lookup tools |
Search Hartford Marriage Certificates
Certified marriage certificates are not the same as the license. The license permits the ceremony. The certificate proves the marriage after the completed license is returned and recorded. Hartford participates in an authorized online certificate ordering process, and mail requests use the city application form with spouse names, ceremony date, town, applicant signature, address, and the required fee.
The Hartford marriage certificate page is the local source for certificate ordering.
Use the city certificate process when the marriage took place in Hartford, and use the state guidance when another eligible office may hold the same certificate.
Connecticut Marriage Records
The Connecticut Department of Public Health gives statewide rules for marriage and civil union certificates. Certified copies may be requested from the town where the marriage occurred, from the town or towns where the parties lived at the time of marriage when allowed, or from the State Vital Records Office. This can help when a Hartford resident married in another Connecticut town or when a requester is not sure which office has the record.
The Connecticut DPH marriage certificate guidance gives the state-level access path.
For City of Hartford marriage records tied to a city ceremony, the local Hartford office remains the most direct source.
Hartford Divorce Records
Divorce records are court records, not vital records kept by DPH. The Connecticut DPH divorce page states that divorce decrees and dissolution of civil union decrees must be requested from the Connecticut Superior Court where the divorce or dissolution was granted.
For Hartford divorces, start with the Superior Court civil and family lookup. A party-name search can use Hartford Judicial District and the FA family category when known. Docket-number search works best when a notice, order, or prior copy gives the full docket number. Family case types can include dissolution of marriage, nonadversarial dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, parentage, support, and related family matters.
Connecticut DPH's divorce source makes clear that vital records staff do not issue divorce decrees.
Some family matters, including relief from physical abuse or records that could reveal a protected party's location, may not appear in public online results.