Search Free Fairfax County Marriage Records on Anybody

A search of Fairfax County marriage records can reward members of the public with important details about someone’s personal life. There are many reasons why someone would want to locate these records — from personal identification purposes to genealogical research and everything in between.

This resource about tracking down records in this Northern Virginia county will include all the details you need to get started, as well as how to request a new marriage license from Fairfax County authorities.

How To Access Fairfax County Marriage Records

There are two options for requesting marriage record copies from Fairfax County agencies: through the Circuit Court or the county’s Health Department.

The Fairfax County Circuit Court is responsible for issuing marriage licenses. Anyone can request a copy of one of these documents in person at the clerk’s office or by mailing a completed Request for Certified Copy of Marriage License form.¹

The fee for each copy is $2.50. All copies are certified.

If ordering by mail, requesters must include a completed marriage license request form, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment in the form of a money order or cashier’s check made out to the “Clerk of the Court.”

Order requests can be mailed to the clerk’s office at this address:

Fairfax Circuit Court – Clerk of the Court
Attention: Marriage License Copies
4110 Chain Bridge Rd., Rm. 116
Fairfax, CA 22030

Alternatively, you can visit the above address to request a copy in person. If visiting in person, researchers can pay for copies with cash or a MasterCard or Visa debit or credit card (this payment option incurs an additional 4% transaction fee), as well as with a money order or cashier’s check payable to the “Clerk of the Court.”

However, here’s an important note: Fairfax County marital records issued between July 1, 1997, and June 30, 2001, are not available to the general public. Only the wedding parties named on marriage licenses recorded during this period may request copies unless the requester has a court order from the Fairfax County Circuit Court or the written permission of one of the registrants.

For more information, you can contact the Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office at the address above or by calling 703.246.2770.

On the other hand, the Fairfax County Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records maintains marriage records dating back to 1936.

This agency considers marriage records public information after 25 years. This means that, if you want to access a document recorded sooner than 25 years ago, you must be one of the following:

• One of the registrants named on the record
• The parent of a registrant
• The adult child of a registrant
• The adult sibling of a registrant
• The grandparent of a registrant
• The adult grandchild of a registrant
• The legal representative of a registrant

Proper identification must be submitted to the office to prove your authorization.

Marriage records older than 25 years can be accessed by any members of the general public.

The fee to request a marriage record copy is $12, payable by cash, check, money order, credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or Google Pay. Requests can be made only by visiting one of these locations in person:

Annandale District Office
7611 Little River Turnpike
Annandale, VA 22003

Herndon-Reston District Office
1850 Cameron Glen Dr., Ste. 100
Reston, VA 20190

Joseph Willard Health Center
3750 Blenheim Blvd.
Fairfax, VA 22030

If the office is unable to locate the requested record, they will automatically send the request to the Virginia Division of Vital Records for processing.²

For more information, you can call the Fairfax County Office of Vital Records at 703.246.7100.

The next section of this article will discuss how to track down historical marriage records in Fairfax County, Virginia, for genealogical purposes.

How To View Archived & Historical Marriage Records in Fairfax County Virginia

The Fairfax County Circuit Court has a Historic Record Center that maintains marriage records dating from 1853 to 1957. Anyone can use the Historic Record Center’s online record index to track down Fairfax County marital records for free.

There are two options for using the index. You can choose to search by the groom’s name or by the bride’s name.³ Records are ordered in the index alphabetically by last name. Each record includes the full names of both wedding parties, as well as the date of the marriage.

If you wish to order a physical copy of a record included in the index, you can do so by visiting the Circuit Clerk’s Office in person or by mailing a completed Request for Certified Copy of Marriage License form to this address:

Fairfax Circuit Court – Clerk of the Court
Attention: Marriage License Copies
4110 Chain Bridge Rd., Rm. 116
Fairfax, CA 22030

Each copy costs $2.50, payable by these methods:

• In-person: cash, check, cashier’s check, money order, credit or debit card
• By mail: cashier’s check or money order (payable to the “Clerk of the Court”)

Researchers can direct questions to the Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office by calling 703.246.2770.

If you’re searching for information on marriages made before 1853, there are some other helpful resources:

• Local churches
• Local newspapers
• Fairfax Genealogical Society
• Fairfax County Public Library
• Fairfax County History Commission

Given the historical nature of this corner of Virginia, there are also many local history museums and town historical societies that may maintain records of interest to genealogical researchers. You can find out more about these organizations by entering “[name of town] Virginia Historical Society” or a similar search on Google or another web browser.

The Library of Virginia, the state’s repository for archived records, also allows users to search marriage records for free on its website. This service includes records dating from 1719 to 1898.

To use the Marriage Record Card Index Search, researchers enter the name of a bride or groom.⁴ Results can be filtered by county.

For more details, researchers can reach out to or visit the Virginia Library using the following contact information:

Library of Virginia
800 E. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: 804.692.3500

It’s worth noting that Virginia does not recognize common-law marriages.

How To Locate Virginia Marriage Records Outside of Fairfax County: Statewide Access

During your search for Fairfax County marital records, you may discover that the wedding in question occurred beyond the county’s borders.

If that’s the case, you can request a marriage record from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records. This agency allows only the registrants listed on the marriage record — as well as members of their immediate family — to access this information if the record is 25 years old or newer. Records older than 25 years may be requested by anyone.

Copies can be ordered through the Online Application for Certification of a Vital Record.⁵ You can complete the form and then submit it online or drop it off at one of the Virginia Vital Records Office’s walk-in locations.

Each record copy costs $12, payable by cash, check, money order, mobile payment system, or debit or credit card. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the “State Health Department.” Requesters must include a legible copy of their government-issued photo ID with their order.

For more information, you can contact the Office of Vital Records by calling 804.662.6200.

In addition, requesters can use VitalChek, a third-party service, for ordering marriage records.⁶ The cost is $20.80 for each certified record plus a service fee of $11.95.

How To Request a Fairfax County Marriage License

The Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk is responsible for issuing marriage licenses.⁷ Once a license has been issued, it’s valid for 60 days anywhere in Virginia. There’s no requirement that the couple must be married in Fairfax County.

In order to request a marriage license, both applicants must appear in person at the Fairfax County Courthouse. Both parties must be at least 18 years of age.

Here’s the address:

Fairfax County Courthouse
4110 Chain Bridge Rd.
Fairfax, VA 22030

Applicants must bring the following to the courthouse:

• The Online Marriage License Pre-Application form
• The $30 fee, payable with cash or a Visa or MasterCard (incurs a 4% processing fee)
• A valid government-issued photo ID

Each applicant must also be prepared to supply their Social Security number and the full names of both of their parents.

Applicants may request a marriage license Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Unlike some other states, Virginia doesn’t require a waiting period.

For more information, you can contact the clerk’s office at 703.691.7320.⁸

Whether you’re applying for a new license, requesting a copy of your own records for identification purposes, or conducting genealogical research into your family’s history, there are many reasons why you may want to consult marriage records in Fairfax County. Using this resource for Fairfax County marriage records, you should have a good idea of how to complete your search effectively.