Obtain Free Franklin County Marriage Records (Ohio)

Look up free Franklin County marriage records on anybody today.

Marriage records in the county are maintained through a slightly different system than in many other states. In Ohio, all counties have a court of common pleas, which deals with cases that don’t fit into other more specialized courts. Within this system, each county has a probate court division. While this division typically handles matters involving estates and wills, in Ohio, marriage licenses also fall under this category.

This resource will detail how to navigate Franklin County’s probate court system as well as any other helpful agencies, where to find recent or archived marriage records, and how to apply for a marital license.

How To Find Franklin County Marriage Records

Begin any search for Franklin County marital records at the local probate court, which, among many other responsibilities, files and maintains marriage licenses for the county.¹

All marriage licenses recorded from 1995 or later are available online through the marriage department’s search platform.² To locate a marriage record using this tool, either the date that the license was issued needs to be known, or the first and last name of one of the involved parties.

Once the intended record has been found, any citizen has the right to order a copy. In Franklin County, marriage abstracts are offered for $2.00 per certified copy, 10 cents per page for non-certified copies, and can be requested online, by mail, or in-person.

The probate court has an online form where anyone can order marriage records virtually.

Some of the information needed to complete the form includes: the names of the parties on the license, the date of the marriage, the number of copies desired, and mailing information of the requester. As information is inputted to this system, a final cost is calculated on behalf of the person placing the order, based on shipping costs and the number of copies.

All major debit and credit cards are accepted (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) for payment and an additional $1.00 service fee will be applied.

To place an order for a marriage abstract by mail, fill out the county’s application for a certified abstract of marriage form.⁴ Details needed for this form are nearly identical to the web form – names of parties, date of marriage, mailing address and phone number of requester.

Alternatively, an individual could include all the same details in a letter to mail if he or she cannot access the application form. Along with the application or letter, a self-addressed and stamped envelope should be included, and the payment for the abstract (checks, money orders, and cash are accepted). All contents should be sent to the Franklin County Probate Court, which is located at the following address:

Franklin County Probate Court
Attn: Marriage Records
373 S. High Street, 22nd Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215-6311

For in-person orders, head to the same address listed above. The court is open from 8:00am to 4:30pm (the department suggests arriving no later than 4:00pm to guarantee timely service).

Walk-ins are welcome, but scheduling an appointment is suggested in order to avoid long wait periods. Call the department at 614-525-3108 to make an appointment.

To obtain a marriage abstract in-person, both names listed on the license will need to be known, and the date of the marriage. All aforementioned payment forms are accepted in-person at the department.

No city or town within Franklin County keeps its own index of citizens’ marriage records. These documents are exclusively housed at the probate court.

Marriage abstracts from before 1995 for Franklin County are still available as well, but the process for obtaining them might vary slightly.

How To View Historical & Archived Marital Records in Franklin County Ohio

While all marriage records in Franklin County dating back to 1803 are filed at the probate court, online access is not guaranteed to records from 1994 and earlier.

There is still a good chance that any archived record will still be accessible through the online search platform and that a copy of the archive can be placed virtually, but if an individual cannot locate a record, he or she should call the marriage department at 614-525-3108, or the “Marriage Information Line” at 614-525-3898.² Alternatively, citizens can email their inquiries to [email protected].

Another resource that can be utilized when attempting to track down archived records is the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

Within the library is the Local History & Genealogy Division (located on the third floor of the main building) where various historical archives can be found, including some vital records, from the central Ohio area.⁵ There are several Columbus Metropolitan Library branches that can be found on the official website.

The address of the main building, where the Local History & Genealogy Division is located, is as follows:

Columbus Metropolitan Library
96 S. Grant Ave
Columbus, Ohio 43215

The state of Ohio banned common law marriages on October 10, 1991, via the state statute 3105.12.⁶ While no one could enter a common law marriage after this date, the state still recognizes any of these unions that were already in place at this time.

How To Locate Ohio Marriage Records Outside of Franklin County

If an individual is continually hitting dead ends while searching Franklin County marital records, then perhaps he or she should consider that the marriage might’ve taken place in a neighboring county. If this turns out to be correct, local custodians will not be able to help locate the record.

Unfortunately, in Ohio, counties are solely responsible for maintaining their own marriage records, and so the state’s Department of Health – Bureau of Vital Statistics does not keep any sort of marriage index or archives for curious citizens.⁷ Furthermore, even the Ohio Clerk of the Courts Association cannot help with these records, and instead can only provide a list of all counties in Ohio where a record may be stored.

A state-level resource that could prove to be of assistance is the Ohio History Connection, a statewide historical society dedicated to preserving Ohio’s history. There is an Archives & Library Division that maintains some marriage indexes across Ohio dating back to the 1800s.⁸

To view the virtual collections catalog, use the division’s ArchivesSpace, a record management tool, to search for the desired marriage record.

There are also two print collections that individuals can view in-person in the archives and library of the Ohio History Connection: the first is marriage recordings through the year 1820, and the second is a marriage index for the years 1821 to 1830. The archives and library are located at the following address:

Ohio History Connection
800 E. 17th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43211

The library can be reached at 614-297-2510, or by email at: [email protected]. The building is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00am to 5:00pm.

How To Request a Marriage License in Franklin County Ohio

In Franklin County, both applicants that are to be involved in the marriage need to appear in the probate court to obtain the license. If both parties arrive in-person before 4:00pm, the license can be issued the same day.

The court can be found at the following address:

Franklin County Probate Court
Marriage Department
373 S. High Street, 23rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6311

The marriage department can be reached at 614-525-3108, or emailed at [email protected] with any questions.

Both individuals will be required to bring a valid form of ID and their social security numbers (if applicable). In Franklin County, one or both people applying for the license must reside in the county.

If neither does, then the license will need to be obtained from a different local probate court.

A full list of requirements for obtaining a marriage license is available on the Franklin County probate court website, and may include items such as: a divorce decree if one party was previously divorced, a death certificate if a previous spouse of either party is now deceased, or proof of any previous legal name changes.⁹

The marriage license will cost the couple $65.00 and can be paid by cash, money order, or debit or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover). There is a service fee if using a credit or debit card. The license will be valid for 60 days once it’s issued, and can be used anywhere in the state of Ohio.

There is an online marriage application that couples can fill out prior to arriving at the probate court to obtain the license.¹⁰

Because marital records and licenses are typically kept at other government custodians, beginning the process of locating the desired document in any Ohio county can be confusing at first. Anyone who needs assistance can refer back to this resource and its links to find out where to go and what forms to fill out when searching for Franklin County marriage records, or any related material.