New Hanover County Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses in New Hanover County are issued by the New Hanover County Register of Deeds, not by the Clerk of Superior Court. The Register of Deeds is Morghan Getty Collins, and the office handles vital records, recorded marriage certificates, real estate-related documents, DD-214 filings, and marriage license service. The main Register of Deeds office is at 320 Chestnut Street in Wilmington, with Vital Records in Suite 120 and Real Estate Recording/Land Records in Suite 102. Marriage license service is by appointment, so applicants should not treat the office as a walk-in counter for that specific service.
The county's marriage page says an online application link is sent with the appointment confirmation email. Both applicants should appear in person unless an extreme hardship applies. Examples listed by the county include military service, hospitalization, nursing home confinement, or prison. In those cases, the absent person must provide a sworn and notarized Affidavit in Lieu of Personal Appearance, and the present applicant must bring that affidavit with a copy of the absent person's valid ID and Social Security card.
North Carolina's historical marker program notes the older Wilmington courthouse role in early state government, a reminder that New Hanover County record systems span older local records and modern electronic court tools.
For current marriage records, though, the active path is the Register of Deeds, while divorce judgments stay with the court clerk.
Apply for New Hanover Marriage Records
A New Hanover County marriage license can be used for a ceremony anywhere in North Carolina. It is valid for 60 days and can be used as soon as it is issued. The officiant must return the completed license to the Register of Deeds within 10 days after the ceremony. The county accepts a driver's license not expired more than six months, a state-issued ID card, a passport that is not expired, or a military ID that is not expired. Applicants must know or provide a Social Security number, unless they are not eligible for one and sign the office affidavit during the appointment.
- Schedule a marriage license appointment through the Register of Deeds marriage appointment process.
- Use the application link in the appointment confirmation email and complete the online application before arrival if possible.
- Bring valid photo ID and Social Security number information for both applicants.
- Bring divorce information if either applicant was divorced. If the divorce was final within 60 days before the appointment, bring the divorce decree.
- Pay the marriage license fee and confirm the license return rules with the Register of Deeds.
The legal age for marriage in North Carolina is 18. People over 16 and under 18 may marry only with signed parental consent or a filed court order. Marriage under age 16 is illegal. No premarital medical exam is required, and the applicants do not have to live in New Hanover County or North Carolina.
New Hanover Marriage Application Fields
The county research identifies requirements rather than a full public copy of the live application. A practical application packet should be prepared around identity, Social Security, age, prior marriage status, and ceremony rules. The Register of Deeds can reject or delay an appointment if the applicants lack valid ID or cannot supply required divorce details.
| Field or item | Required | New Hanover County notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal names | Yes | Names should match the applicants' valid photo IDs. |
| Photo identification | Yes | Accepted IDs include qualifying driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID. |
| Social Security number | Yes, if eligible | If not eligible for an SSN, the office provides an affidavit at the appointment. |
| Prior divorce month and year | Conditional | Divorced applicants must provide the month and year of the last divorce. |
| Recent divorce decree | Conditional | Required when the last divorce was finalized within 60 days before the appointment. |
| Absent applicant affidavit | Conditional | Used only for listed extreme hardships, with notarization and supporting ID copy. |
New Hanover Marriage Record Fees
Marriage license and marriage copy fees come from the Register of Deeds fee schedule. Divorce copy costs are not listed as a flat local amount by the local sources reviewed, so the safer route is to contact the Clerk of Superior Court for the current copy and certification total before mailing a request. The state current court costs page publishes updated court cost PDFs, but a divorce judgment copy request can depend on copy type and certification.
| Copy or service | Fee | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license | $60 | Register of Deeds appointment. |
| Certified marriage copy | $10 | In person, online through the county-linked certificate service, or by mail. |
| Uncertified marriage copy | $0.25 | Register of Deeds copy request. |
| Mail certified marriage copy request | $10 per certified copy plus $1 postage | Mail to Register of Deeds, 320 Chestnut Street, Suite 120, Wilmington, NC 28401. |
| Divorce judgment copy | Contact clerk for current fee | Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. |
Note: A certified copy is the copy normally needed for legal, benefits, name-change, passport, or agency use.
Search New Hanover County Marriage Records
The Register of Deeds records search page points users to the online public index and includes an official public-records disclaimer. The live Register of Deeds name search supports name, date, category, book/page, instrument number, and grantor/grantee searching. The online index should not be treated as a substitute for an in-office document search, and searchers should try spelling variations when a name does not appear as expected.
The NC Judicial Branch announced eCourts go-live for New Hanover County on February 3, 2025, but that change did not move marriage licensing to the courts.
The eCourts Portal can help with divorce cases, hearings, and court judgments, while the Register of Deeds remains the marriage-record custodian.
| Search field | Type | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Search Type | Radio or dropdown | Standard, Full Text, Sounds Like, or Starts With. |
| Sort Type | Radio or dropdown | Sort by date or name. |
| Category | Checkbox list | Includes marriage-adjacent recorded categories such as PRE DIVORCE, PRE MARITAL AGREEMENT, and SEPARATION AGREEMENT. |
| Grantor or Grantee | Name fields | Search by last or company name and first name for human names. |
| Start Date / End Date | Date | Use MM/DD/YYYY date ranges. |
| Instrument # / File # | Text | Direct lookup when the document identifier is known. |
Find New Hanover Divorce Records
Divorce records in New Hanover County are court records. The county information request page routes divorce records to the Clerk of Court, Hon. January G. Kennedy, at 316 Princess Street in Wilmington, phone 910-772-6600. The NC eCourts Portal may help locate case information by name or case number, but a certified divorce judgment copy comes from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. Related custody, support, equitable distribution, and domestic filings may be part of the court file, but some family or protected information can be restricted or redacted.
North Carolina absolute divorce eligibility requires separation for at least one year and one day, plus at least one spouse living in North Carolina for six months before filing. That rule explains why a marriage record search and divorce record search often require different dates, names, and offices. Divorce certificates may also be available from NC Vital Records, but a judgment copy for court or legal use should be requested from the clerk's office that entered the judgment.
Certified New Hanover Marriage Copies
The Register of Deeds certified copy page explains channels for certified birth, death, and marriage copies. Certified marriage copies require valid ID and proof of relationship when applicable. Requests can be made in person, online through the linked certificate service, or by mail to the Vital Records address. Mail requests should include the copy fee and postage described by the county.
The NC Judicial Branch kiosk announcement lists New Hanover among counties receiving public courthouse kiosks for eCourts services such as case search, eFiling, payments, scanning, and printing.
Those kiosks serve court-record access, so they may help with divorce case lookups but do not replace Register of Deeds certified marriage copy procedures.
North Carolina Vital Records
New Hanover County research points to NC Vital Records as an additional source for divorce certificates, while divorce judgments remain with the Clerk of Superior Court. For marriage records, start local with the Register of Deeds when the license was issued or recorded in New Hanover County. For court-file copies, use the Clerk of Superior Court and include the parties' names, case number if known, and the document needed.
New Hanover County's 2026 Treatment Court Month proclamation is not a marriage or divorce source, but it reflects the same local court ecosystem that handles domestic case calendars, specialty courts, and courthouse services.
When records overlap, such as a separation agreement recorded with the Register of Deeds and a divorce judgment filed in court, search both offices.