Marriage and divorce

Divorce certificate or divorce decree: which one and where

Pick the state where the divorce was granted: the tool shows whether the state issues a certificate and its fee, or whether only the court clerk can help.

Divorce certificate or decree: where and how much

State office · Florida

$5

Where to orderstate (certificate) or court (decree)
NoteState issues a dissolution certificate (abstract) since June 6, 1927; the actual judgment from the county clerk of court.
Read the guide →

Two different documents prove a divorce. The divorce decree, or judgment of dissolution, is the court's order: it is several pages long, sets out the terms on property, support and children, and a certified copy comes only from the clerk of the court that granted it, in the county where the case was heard. The divorce certificate is a one-page abstract kept by some state vital records offices, giving the names, the date and the place of the divorce, without the terms. Of the 52 jurisdictions covered here, 26 have a state office that issues such a certificate, usually for divorces since a given year, at a first-copy fee from $5 to $34; in the other 26, the court is the only source, and the state at most confirms that a divorce took place. The certificate is enough for many uses, such as remarrying in some states or updating records; a name change back to a former name, a property transfer or a support matter needs the certified decree. Both are ordered from the state where the divorce was granted, whatever your residence. Fees and rules were read on official pages, with the date for each state.

Certified copy of a marriage certificate

1 copies from the state office

$30

Where to orderstate or county
First copy (state)$30
NoteMail fee per copy (online $45 + vendor fee); town or city clerk where license bought also issues; NYC marriages excluded.
See where to order it →

Fees and rules read on official pages by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the fees are checked

Who issues divorce records, state by state

“State fee” is the first-copy fee of the state vital records office for its divorce certificate; where the court is the only source, it is left blank. Court fees for a certified decree are set by each court.

StateIssued byState feeSource
AlabamaState and court$15official page
AlaskaState and court$30official page
ArizonaCourt only–CDC directory (Where to Write)
ArkansasState and court$10official page
CaliforniaState and court$18official page
ColoradoState and court$25fee file hosted on Google Drive
ConnecticutCourt only–official page
DelawareCourt only–official page
District of ColumbiaCourt only–official page
FloridaState and court$5official page
GeorgiaCourt only–official page
HawaiiCourt only–official page
IdahoState and court$16official page
IllinoisCourt only–official page
IndianaCourt only–official page
IowaCourt only–official page
KansasState and court$20official page
KentuckyState and court$6official page
LouisianaCourt only–official page
MaineState and court$15official page
MarylandCourt only–official page
MassachusettsCourt only–official page
MichiganState and court$34official page (archived copy of June 12, 2026)
MinnesotaCourt only–official page
MississippiCourt only–official page
MissouriCourt only–official page
MontanaCourt only–official page
NebraskaState and court$16official page
NevadaCourt only–official page
New HampshireState and court$15official page
New JerseyCourt only–official page
New MexicoCourt only–CDC directory (Where to Write)
New York (outside NYC)State and court$30official page
New York CityState and court$30official page
North CarolinaState and court$24official page
North DakotaCourt only–official page
OhioCourt only–CDC directory (Where to Write)
OklahomaCourt only–CDC directory (Where to Write)
OregonState and court$25official page
PennsylvaniaCourt only–CDC directory (Where to Write)
Rhode IslandCourt only–CDC directory (Where to Write)
South CarolinaState and court$12official page (archived copy of October 9, 2026)
South DakotaState and court$15official page
TennesseeState and court$15official page
TexasCourt only–official page
UtahState and court$25official page
VermontState and court$10official page
VirginiaState and court$15official page
WashingtonState and court$25official page
West VirginiaCourt only–CDC directory (Where to Write)
WisconsinState and court$20official page
WyomingState and court$25official page

Ordering a certified decree

  1. Find the court: the county and the case number are on any paper from the case.
  2. Ask the clerk of that court for a certified copy of the final decree or judgment.
  3. Pay the copy fee, often per page, and the certification fee.
  4. Allow for older files kept in archives, which take longer.

Certified copy of a marriage certificate

1 copies from the state office

$30

Where to orderstate or county
First copy (state)$30
NoteMail fee per copy (online $45 + vendor fee); town or city clerk where license bought also issues; NYC marriages excluded.
See where to order it →

Using it afterwards

To return to a former name, the decree usually has to say so; then Social Security and the motor vehicle office accept it in the same way as a marriage certificate, as the name change page explains. To prove the earlier marriage, order a marriage certificate copy. This page describes the records, not the legal effects of a divorce, which depend on each case.

Questions people ask before ordering

What is the difference between a divorce certificate and a divorce decree?

The decree is the court's full judgment, with the terms of the divorce, issued by the clerk of court. The certificate is a short record kept by some state vital records offices, showing only that a divorce took place, between whom, when and where. Agencies that need the terms ask for the certified decree.

How do I get a copy of my divorce certificate?

If the state issues one, order it from the state vital records office, by mail or through its online vendor. New York State, for example, issues divorce certificates by mail at $30. Elsewhere, order a certified copy of the decree from the clerk of the court that granted the divorce.

Do I need a divorce certificate to remarry?

Many marriage license offices ask only for the date the last marriage ended; some ask to see a copy of the divorce decree or certificate, especially if the divorce was recent. Check the county office that will issue the new license before the appointment.

Who can order a divorce record?

The divorced spouses can always order one. Many states also allow their adult children, parents and legal representatives, while others restrict certificates to the parties and their attorneys. Court decrees are often public records, but some parts, such as financial and child information, can be sealed.

Related pages

Marriage certificate copy

Where a certified copy comes from in each state, the state fee when there is one, and what to ask the county.

Name change after marriage

The order that works: certificate copies, Social Security, driver's license, passport, then the rest.

How to get a marriage license

Where to apply, what to bring, the fee, the waiting period and the date the license expires.

Vital records office

The official office of every state, its ordering page, its online channel and its local counters.

New York birth certificate

New York City or the rest of the state: two offices, two fees, two online channels.

Common-law marriage states

Where an informal marriage is still created, where it was abolished and since when.

Written by

Independent publisher of state-by-state costs and rules for birth, death and marriage records in the United States

Fees checked and updated on · Editorial policy · Contact

Fees of state and city vital records offices for 2026, last checked on