Sussex County Delaware Marriage Records

Search For Marriage Records

NameAddressCityStateZip CodePhone Number
Sussex County Clerk Office
Sussex County ClerkPO Box 29GeorgetownDE19947202-879-2700
Sussex County Town & City Halls
Blades Town Hall20 West 4th StreetSeafordDE19973302-629-7366
Bridgeville Town Hall101 North Main StreetBridgevilleDE19933302-337-7135
Dagsboro Town Hall33134 Main StreetDagsboroDE19939302-732-3777
Dewey Beach Town Hall105 Rodney AvenueDewey BeachDE19971302-227-6363
Ellendale Town Hall300 McCaulley AveEllendaleDE19941302-422-6727
Fenwick Island Town Hall800 Coastal HwyFenwick IslandDE19944302-539-3011
Frankford Town Hall5 Main StreetFrankfordDE19945302-732-9424
Georgetown Town Hall39 The CircleGeorgetownDE19947302-856-7391
Greenwood Town Hall100 West Market StreetGreenwoodDE19950302-349-4534
Henlopen Acres Town Hall104 Tidewater RoadRehoboth BeachDE19971302-227-6411
Ocean View Town Hall201 Central AveOcean ViewDE19970302-539-9797
Selbyville Town Hall68 W Church StSelbyvilleDE19975302-436-8314
South Bethany Town Hall402 Evergreen RoadSouth BethanyDE19930302-539-3653
Sussex County Marriage License Office
Sussex County Marriage LicenseMarriage Bureau, 2 The Circle, 2Nd Fl., Rm 226, P.O. Box 29GeorgetownDE19947302-853-1717
Sussex County Marriage & Divorce Records Databases
Sussex County Divorce Certificates
Sussex County Marriage Bureau Marriage Applications
Sussex County Marriage Certificates & Records

Statistics

Married Couples46,413 (53.8%)
Unmarried Couples5,363 (2.5%)
Never Married Men24,806 (28.5%)
Never Married Women20,846 (22.2%)
Separated Men1,144 (1.3%)
Separated Women1,755 (1.9%)
Widowed Men2,848 (3.3%)
Widowed Women10,253 (10.9%)
Divorced Men8,425 (9.7%)
Divorced Women11,820 (12.6%)

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.