Getting a Marriage License in Fayette County
Marriage licenses are handled by the Fayette County Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court, not by the Prothonotary or the Clerk of Courts. The office is in the Fayette County Courthouse at 61 East Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401, and the marriage-license page is published at fayettecountypa.org/525/Marriage-Licenses. Call 724-430-1206 before going to the courthouse because the office requires appointments for all marriage license applications.
Both applicants must appear before the Register of Wills, must be over 18, and must bring valid photo identification. If either applicant was previously divorced, bring the divorce decree. If a prior marriage ended by death, bring the death certificate. The office states that callers should schedule at least a week ahead when a specific date or time is needed; the latest marriage-license appointment is 2:30 p.m., and the office closes from noon to 1 p.m.
The county Marriage Licenses page is the official local source for appointment and license requirements.
Use that page for license procedure details before planning a courthouse appointment.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
Plan the license around the Pennsylvania waiting period and the county appointment requirement. Fayette County charges a cash-only fee, so applicants should not assume a card, personal check, or online payment option will be accepted for the license application.
- Call the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court at 724-430-1206 to schedule the marriage-license appointment.
- Confirm the documents needed for each applicant, especially prior divorce decrees or death certificates.
- Both applicants appear at the Fayette County Courthouse with valid photo identification.
- Pay the $50 marriage-license fee in cash.
- Wait three days after applying before using the license; the license remains valid for 60 days.
Marriage License Application Fields
The county page confirms the required supporting items but the fetched research did not capture the full PDF text for the certified marriage license application. Treat the fields below as the practical information categories supported by the county instructions, and call the Register of Wills before mailing a copy request if the record is difficult to identify.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant or requester name and return address | Expected | Needed so the office can return the certified copy or contact the requester. |
| Identification of the marriage license | Expected | Use names, approximate marriage date, and any license information available. |
| Payment amount | Yes | Certified copy requests require the correct cash or money order amount. |
| Dual-citizenship note | Conditional | State that purpose when applicable because the office must include a copy of the application with the certified license. |
Fayette County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage fees are paid to the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court. Divorce filing and copy fees are paid through the Prothonotary because divorce is a civil Court of Common Pleas record. The Prothonotary states that personal checks are not accepted.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $50 cash only |
| Certified marriage license copy by mail | $10 cash or money order |
| Certified marriage copy for dual citizenship | $25 cash or money order |
| Complaint in divorce | $134.50 |
| Each additional divorce count | $68.50 |
| Divorce with custody | $79 |
| Out-of-state or out-of-county divorce decree filing | $60.50 |
| Election to resume maiden name | $6.25 |
| Praecipe to transmit | $20.25 |
| Certified Prothonotary copy | $14 |
How to Look Up Fayette County Marriage Records
Current marriage-copy requests go through the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court. The office page says to print and complete the application for a certified marriage license and mail it with the proper cash or money order to Register of Wills, 61 East Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401. The county marriage-license page is the best starting URL for forms and current instructions.
Older marriage research may require local office or archive work rather than a UJS docket search. The Pennsylvania State Archives county microfilm guide identified Fayette County marriage license dockets from 1852-1854, marriage license indexes from 1885-1916, and marriage license docket volumes beginning in 1885. The Pennsylvania State Library vital records guide at pa.gov/agencies/statelibrary/programs-and-services/research-guides/vital-records is useful for historical context, but certified local copies still route through the county office when held there.
The Pennsylvania State Library vital records guide helps with historical marriage and divorce research.
Historical guidance is useful for finding older indexes, while certified county records still come from the proper local office.
How to Find Fayette County Divorce Records
Divorce records are Court of Common Pleas civil records maintained by the Fayette County Prothonotary, Nina Capuzzi Frankhouser. The office is at 61 East Main Street, 1st Floor, Uniontown, PA 15401; phone 724-430-1272; fax 724-430-4555; email nfrankhouser@fayettepa.org. The Prothonotary page at fayettecountypa.org/434/Prothonotary notes that public records are available unless sealed by court order.
For docket-level divorce information, search Pennsylvania UJS Case Search at ujsportal.pacourts.us/casesearch and narrow County to Fayette. For file review or certified decree copies, use the Prothonotary's in-office public terminals or contact the office. Pennsylvania State Library guidance says divorce records since 1804 are kept in the Prothonotary's office in the county where the divorce was granted, and from 1874 Courts of Common Pleas governed divorce actions.
Getting Certified Copies
A certified marriage copy comes from the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court. A certified divorce decree comes from the Prothonotary. Certified copies are different from online docket sheets because they carry the issuing office's certification and are commonly needed for remarriage, immigration, citizenship, name changes, benefits, or court filings.
If the record involves a sealed divorce filing, adoption matter, or restricted family-court material, public access may be limited even when a docket exists. For administrative public-record requests that are not court-file copy requests, Fayette County lists Open Records Officer Cristi Spiker at 61 East Main Street, phone 724-430-1200 ext. 1504, fax 724-430-1265, and email fayettertk@fayettepa.org.
Pennsylvania Vital Records Office
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records program is the statewide office for Pennsylvania birth and death records. It is not the local office for Fayette County marriage licenses or divorce decrees. Use the state vital records site for state-held vital certificates, and use the Fayette County Register of Wills or Prothonotary for the county marriage and divorce records described above.
The state Vital Records program explains Pennsylvania birth and death certificate access.
This statewide program is relevant for birth and death certificates, but it is not the county divorce-decree office.
Pennsylvania divorce law is published in state statutes, including 23 Pa.C.S. section 3301 on grounds for divorce.
The statute helps explain why divorce case files are court records, while certified decrees are requested through the Prothonotary.
Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records
Statewide vital records program
Pennsylvania
State contact details vary by certificate type