Health, Department of

Vital Records Services

Chapter 8: Marriage Registration

Effective Date: 03/20/2018 to Current

Rule Type: Current Rules & Regulations

Reference Number: 048.0059.8.03202018

Chapter 8

Marriage Registration

Section 1. County Clerk's Responsibility

(a) The County Clerk or a designated representative shall: (i) Obtain the information required to complete the marriage license on the Vital Statistics Services Application Questionnaire or authorized intake form; (ii) Secure the signature of each person to be married on the certificate; (iii) Review the license upon its return for completeness and accuracy; (iv) Submit the file within the statutory allotted time by: (A) Completing the marriage license and marriage certificate on the Vital Statistics Services system; or (B) Exporting the marriage license and marriage certificate by any other approved electronic means to the Vital Statistics Services system.

Section 2. Officiant's Responsibility

(a) The person performing the marriage ceremony shall: (i) Confirm the license is valid, by ensuring the ceremony occurred within one (1) year of the license issuance date; (ii) Verify the parties to be married are eligible and capable of entering into the civil contract of marriage; (iii) Enter the ceremony information on the marriage license; (iv) Certify the fact of Marriage by obtaining the signatures and addresses of the two (2) witnesses to the ceremony, and sign the certificate; and (v) Return the certificate to the County Clerk who issued the license within ten (10) days of the ceremony.

Section 3. Certified Copies, True or Conforming Copies, and Disclosure

(a) A County Clerk shall issue one (1) original certificate to the married couple in accordance with W.S. § 20-1-107(c).

(b) Except as required in subsection (a) of this section, a County Clerk may not issue a certified copy of the vital record.

(c) In accordance with W.S. § 35-1-427(a) only the office of Vital Records may issue a certified copy of any vital record certificate or record.

(d) A County Clerk may issue a true or conforming copy of the marriage license or marriage certificate to the married couple. A Clerk may charge a fee for a true or conforming copy.

(e) If there is a public request, a County Clerk may disclose or release information contained in the marriage license application questionnaire. The marriage license application questionnaire is considered a part of the county public record. If a County Clerk creates a marriage license or marriage certificate, this license or certificate is considered a vital record and may only be disclosed pursuant to W.S. § 35-1-427(a).