Name | Address | City | State | Zip Code | Phone Number | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sussex County Clerk Office | ||||||||||||
Sussex County Clerk | PO Box 29 | Georgetown | DE | 19947 | 202-879-2700 | |||||||
Sussex County Town & City Halls | ||||||||||||
Blades Town Hall | 20 West 4th Street | Seaford | DE | 19973 | 302-629-7366 | |||||||
Bridgeville Town Hall | 101 North Main Street | Bridgeville | DE | 19933 | 302-337-7135 | |||||||
Dagsboro Town Hall | 33134 Main Street | Dagsboro | DE | 19939 | 302-732-3777 | |||||||
Dewey Beach Town Hall | 105 Rodney Avenue | Dewey Beach | DE | 19971 | 302-227-6363 | |||||||
Ellendale Town Hall | 300 McCaulley Ave | Ellendale | DE | 19941 | 302-422-6727 | |||||||
Fenwick Island Town Hall | 800 Coastal Hwy | Fenwick Island | DE | 19944 | 302-539-3011 | |||||||
Frankford Town Hall | 5 Main Street | Frankford | DE | 19945 | 302-732-9424 | |||||||
Georgetown Town Hall | 39 The Circle | Georgetown | DE | 19947 | 302-856-7391 | |||||||
Greenwood Town Hall | 100 West Market Street | Greenwood | DE | 19950 | 302-349-4534 | |||||||
Henlopen Acres Town Hall | 104 Tidewater Road | Rehoboth Beach | DE | 19971 | 302-227-6411 | |||||||
Ocean View Town Hall | 201 Central Ave | Ocean View | DE | 19970 | 302-539-9797 | |||||||
Selbyville Town Hall | 68 W Church St | Selbyville | DE | 19975 | 302-436-8314 | |||||||
South Bethany Town Hall | 402 Evergreen Road | South Bethany | DE | 19930 | 302-539-3653 | |||||||
Sussex County Marriage License Office | ||||||||||||
Sussex County Marriage License | Marriage Bureau, 2 The Circle, 2Nd Fl., Rm 226, P.O. Box 29 | Georgetown | DE | 19947 | 302-853-1717 | |||||||
Sussex County Marriage & Divorce Records Databases | ||||||||||||
Sussex County Divorce Certificates | ||||||||||||
Sussex County Marriage Bureau Marriage Applications | ||||||||||||
Sussex County Marriage Certificates & Records |
Statistics
Married Couples | 46,413 (53.8%) |
Unmarried Couples | 5,363 (2.5%) |
Never Married Men | 24,806 (28.5%) |
Never Married Women | 20,846 (22.2%) |
Separated Men | 1,144 (1.3%) |
Separated Women | 1,755 (1.9%) |
Widowed Men | 2,848 (3.3%) |
Widowed Women | 10,253 (10.9%) |
Divorced Men | 8,425 (9.7%) |
Divorced Women | 11,820 (12.6%) |
Other Records in Sussex County
Where to Find Marriage Records
Marriage Records in Sussex County, DE are maintained by the State Department of Health. It is one of the several departments that fall under the jurisdiction of the Health and Human Services Department. They maintain such information as Certificates of Vital Events for marriages, which include personal particulars like names of the bride and groom, witnesses and parents of the bride and groom, and a few other bits and pieces of personal information about the bride and groom. They also maintain such information as Certificates of Marriage, which list the personal particulars of the bride and groom, the names of the witnesses, and any other bits and pieces of information that are pertinent to the marriage. For example, the Certificates of Marriage will list the name of the officiator, the church or hall where the wedding will be performed, and more. Each state usually maintains such information, except when the marriage is being performed out of state or for some reason, in which case it is a matter left for the courts to decide on.
Most of the information regarding marriage in Sussex County is public record. There is one major exception to this rule, however. If a marriage has been performed in another state before, then the official records of that state will have to be used, since they are considered legal in that state. The Sussex County Record Office does not maintain those records. Instead, these records are turned over to the state’s highest court, which is why one has to go through this entire process to get married in Sussex County.
Typically, the state government will perform a complete check on any marriage records found in Sussex County, before turning them over to the courts. This is because certain pieces of information can only be known by a thorough investigation of all available records. Pieces of information that are easily recovered are the likes of the names of the bride and groom, the parents of the bride and groom, and even their witnesses (if any). The bride and groom can also apply to the courts to search for any additional information, even if it turns out that no marriage records were found in their county.
If you’re wondering if you’ll be required to get a court order to obtain any records from the Sussex County Record Office, the answer is no. The records are available to the public, and it isn’t necessary for anyone to jump through a lot of hoops or fill out a lot of legal forms. Marriage records are considered public information, so people can gain access to them whenever they want to. These records are also easy to obtain, even for someone who lives in another part of the world.
There are a few situations where one would be better off obtaining marriage records in Sussex County through the State Department of Health. These records are kept in a different location than the other records in the county. This is because these marriage records deal with individual information, rather than details of a marriage. For instance, divorce records are considered public information, while information on remarriage would likely be considered confidential. This means that a copy of the license to marry has to be taken from the courthouse where the ceremony was performed, before it can be forwarded to the state department. This is to protect the identities of the couple involved, as well as to prevent any sharing of personal information between individuals.
Regardless of which source one uses to obtain their own records, the process is not very complicated. All that’s needed is proof that the person in question actually married in Sussex County, and there should be no problem. The State of Delaware does allow for the privacy of the data itself, so people aren’t supposed to use anyone else’s record against them personally.