Access Butler County Marriage Records

Butler County Marriage Licenses

Marriage licenses are issued by the Butler County Marriage License Bureau within the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court Office. The office is on Level L of the Government Center, 124 West Diamond Street, Butler, PA 16001. Applicants may apply Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays, and the county states that no applications are accepted after 4:00 p.m. The contact phone for marriage-license questions is 724-284-5354.

The Butler County marriage license page is the county source for marriage application rules.

The license page is central because it gives the age, prior-marriage, documentation, and payment rules for Butler County marriage records.

Apply for Butler County Marriage Records

Both applicants must meet Pennsylvania and Butler County requirements. All applicants must be 18. Pennsylvania does not require premarital blood testing or physical examinations. Butler County does not accept personal checks for marriage licenses or marriage-license certifications, while credit and debit cards are accepted with a convenience fee. Persons related by blood as first cousins or closer may not marry in Pennsylvania.

1. Confirm both applicants are eligible to marry in Pennsylvania and can appear with required documents.
2. Gather prior-marriage proof if either applicant was previously married.
3. Bring original documents, not photocopies, for death certificates, divorce decrees, or civil annulments.
4. Apply at the Marriage License Bureau during the county's posted application window.
5. Pay the required license fee with an accepted payment method.

Butler County Marriage Divorce Fees

The research located two clear fee points for these record types: the marriage license fee and the certified divorce decree fee. Other filing costs may exist, but they were not supplied in the assigned research for these records. Do not assume a filing fee or copy fee that is not listed by the office handling the record.

Butler County Divorce Records

Divorce pleadings and divorce decrees are kept by the Butler County Prothonotary, the civil and family filing office for the Court of Common Pleas. The county divorce page directs filing questions, fees, and frequently asked questions to the Prothonotary and directs divorce/service forms to the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. Divorce records are separate from marriage license records, even when a prior divorce decree is needed for a new marriage license application.

The Butler County divorce page identifies the Prothonotary as the office for divorce record questions.

The divorce source helps distinguish the Prothonotary's court file from the marriage-license records held by the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court.

For public access, divorce records follow the civil and family court path rather than the marriage-license path. The Prothonotary states that civil and family records are available in the office except when sealed by court order. Family details may still be restricted by public-access policy, confidentiality rules, or a judge's order, so a certified decree request is narrower than a request for a full divorce file.

Find Butler County Divorce Decrees

The Prothonotary FAQ gives the certified divorce decree request process. Call first to verify the decree. If the case number is known, provide it. For pre-2000 records when the case number is not known, provide the names of the husband and wife and the approximate filing year. Post-2000 case numbers can be found in CountySuite at no charge.

The Prothonotary FAQ gives the certified-copy process for Butler County divorce decrees.

The FAQ is the best source for copy details because it identifies the case-number lookup, mail request, fee, and envelope requirements.

Prior Marriage Proof

Butler County is specific about proof of a prior marriage ending. A previously married applicant must provide an original death certificate or an original divorce decree dated more than 30 days before the application. If the decree is not available, the applicant must obtain a certified decree with the court seal from the issuing court. Photocopies are not accepted. Foreign divorce decrees require a certified English translation.

Civil annulments require the same documentation as divorces. Church annulments are not accepted. If a female applicant is divorced and changed name, certified documentation is required. Out-of-state marriages must follow the other jurisdiction's rules rather than Butler County's license process.

These proof rules also explain why a Butler County divorce decree may be needed for a new marriage license even when the divorce occurred years earlier. If the divorce was filed in Butler County after 2000, the case number can be located through CountySuite at no charge before the certified-copy request is mailed to the Prothonotary.

Butler County Record Offices

Marriage and divorce records use different offices because Pennsylvania's clerk structure is split. The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court handles marriage licenses and related certifications. The Prothonotary handles civil and family court filings, including divorce pleadings and decrees. Probate and marriage records connect through the Register of Wills office, while civil divorce records connect through the Butler County Prothonotary.