Massachusetts Free Marriage Records

By Ben Kingsley


The state of Massachusetts implements the Freedom of Information Act. This law mandates the local government to allow its residents to access their personal files and to use it whenever they need it. One of the documents that the people can access is the Massachusetts marriage records.

The marriage records of Massachusetts are used in a number of ways. The document is an important requirement when dealing with some government transactions. It is used as proof of one's identity and status which is very important in transactions such as insurance, beneficiaries and dependent as well as any other financial related matter. There are also individuals who look into the status of their partners to make sure that they are with an unmarried individual. Sadly when the marriage is no longer working and the couple decides to separate, this document is one of the needed documents that should be presented to process the divorce.

The information that can be found on a marriage certificate is enough to make any transaction that a couple request legal and valid. This is because of the number of information that people can obtained from it. The names of the bride and the groom who tied the knot are indicated on the document along with the date and place where it was registered. The names of the parents of the couple are indicated on the certificate as well together with the names of the witnesses.

In order to obtain a copy of such document, it is important to follow the guidelines set in obtaining such documents. One has to fill out the application form with the basic details of the document being requested. This can be the names of the couple and the date and place of the marriage. One will also be required to provide their contact details on the request form since it will be used to verify one's relationship with the person on the file. The document is only released if the one who filed the request is either the bride or the groom and their immediate families.

Requesting for a copy of a marriage certificate can be done at the Vital Records Section at the Department of Health in Massachusetts. Going to the said office directly would cost only $18 per request. For those who cannot go to the office for some reason, a mail request can be sent but it would cost $28. Also, one should know that the results of a mail request can take a while before the results can be sent and this would also depend on the completeness of the requirements provided.

Waiting is no longer necessary if the search is done online. The Internet has helped speed up the process and doing it is really easy since the request can be done even at the comforts of one's home. One can even search for the document in the wee hours of the night. There are even free public marriage records search which is offered by some websites to entice their customers and let them experience their system on tier own and letting them decide whether they wish to pay for it next time or not.




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