Acquire Free Belmont County Marriage Records (Resource)

Look up free Belmont County marriage records seamlessly without stress or long hours of searching.

Marriage documents are considered public records and are available to anyone wanting to view them. However, it’s key to know where to turn to find marital details efficiently and effectively. This resource details several methods for finding marriage records in Belmont County, Ohio.

How To Find Belmont County Marriage Records

In Belmont County, marriage licenses are issued and maintained by the county’s probate court.

Because Belmont County is a relatively small Ohio county in terms of population, there are no municipal or local courts or agencies that are responsible for keeping marriage documents. Instead, you’ll have to rely on county sources.

There are two main options for looking up Belmont County marital records. You can conduct a free online search of records maintained by the Belmont County Clerk of Courts.¹ Or you can request a certified copy of a marriage license from the Belmont County Probate Court.²

Both search methods are available to all members of the public — unlike in some other counties, you don’t need to be related to the bride or groom to look for these records.

This section of the article about tracking down marriage records in Belmont County will explain both options in depth.

Locate Marriage Records for Free Online via the Clerk of Courts

The Belmont County Clerk of Courts allows users to run a free name search for marriage records online. This can be accomplished using the CourtView search tool.³ This tool searches a database of county court records dating back from 1995 to the present.

To successfully use the tool to track down information on Belmont County weddings, you can choose “Probate Court” in the “Site” drop-down menu and then “Marriage License” in the menu for “Case Type.”

Researchers will also need to enter both the first and last names of one of the parties listed on the marriage document. They can choose to narrow down the search by entering a range of dates on which the marriage could have taken place.

After you’ve entered your search criteria, CourtView will display a list of potential matches. You can click on a hot-linked case number to find out more details about the marriage, including both wedding parties’ names, their addresses, the officiant’s name, and the date of the event.

With many documents, you can select the “Image” icon to view, download, and print a free copy of the marriage license.

For more information about using the services of the Belmont County Clerk of Courts, you can contact the office at this address:⁴

Belmont County Clerk of Courts
101 W. Main St.
St. Clairsville, OH 43950

Phone: 740-699-2169

Order Certified Copies of Marriage Records from the Belmont County Probate Court

If you wish to order a certified paper copy of a marriage license, you may do so through the Belmont County Probate Court.⁵ The court maintains Belmont County marital records dating back to 1822.

You can order a certified copy by mailing in a written request — including the full names of both applicants as they appear on the license and the marriage date, along with your current mailing address and phone number.

You can mail the written request to the Belmont County Probate Court at the address below — or visit in person to request a certified copy of a marriage document:

Belmont County Probate Court
101 W. Main St.
St. Clairsville, OH 43950

When mailing your request, be sure to include your payment. Copies cost $3 apiece, payable with a personal check (if you’re an Ohio resident), a cashier’s check, or cash.

You can also pay for a certified copy of a marriage record with a credit or debit card if you place your order in person or over the phone by calling 740.699.2144. However, note that card payments are subject to an additional $3 service fee per transaction.

For more information on ordering records from the probate court, you can contact the office at the address or phone number above or by sending an email to [email protected].

If you’re studying family history or genealogy, it’s also possible to locate older marriage records through the state archives. This will be covered in the next section of this article.

How To Access Archived & Historical Marriage Records in Belmont County Ohio

As mentioned in the section above, it’s possible to order copies of marriage records dating back as far as 1822 from the Belmont County Probate Court.

Other resources you can use to track down historical marriage records include:

• Local newspapers, including The Times Leader, which has been in circulation since 1943
• The Belmont County Heritage Museum
• The Belmont County Historical Society, which also maintains a museum
• The Belmont County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
• Local Churches
• The Belmont County District Library, which maintains a local history and genealogy research collection

It’s also possible to track down historical marriage records through Ohio History Connection, which maintains the state’s archives and library.⁶ Ohio History Connection has a collection of microfilm reels containing marriage records for Belmont County from 1803 to 1951.⁷

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to view these records online. However, you can visit Ohio History Connection in person to examine the microfilm for free. Here’s the contact information:

Ohio History Connection Repository
800 East 17th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43211

Phone: 614.297.2300 or 800.686.6124
Email: [email protected]

It may be important for researchers to note that since October 1991, Ohio has prohibited common-law marriages. In addition, the state does not recognize civil unions or any other marriage alternatives.

How Do I Search for Ohio Marriage Records Beyond Belmont County?

If you’re unable to find the marriage records you’re looking for through Belmont County agencies, you may want to widen your scope beyond the county’s borders.

Unfortunately, whereas many other states will allow you to search for marriage records through a central vital records repository, that’s not the case in Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Health features a Bureau of Vital Statistics.⁸ However, this agency handles only birth and death certificates. It does not maintain any marriage records.

This means there is no way to search all Ohio marriage records in one centralized location. Researchers will need to separately contact the probate courts of counties in which they believe the marriage may have taken place.

However, it may be possible to use a third-party service to look up Belmont County marital records — or records from other Ohio counties – for a fee.

How To Request a Belmont County Ohio Marriage License

The Belmont County Probate Court offers marriage licenses to county residents who wish to be married anywhere in Ohio. In addition, non-Ohio residents can apply for a marriage license from the court if they intend to be married in Belmont County.

In order to successfully apply for a license, both parties must visit the Probate Court in person at this address:

Belmont County Probate Court
101 West Main Street
St. Clairsville, OH 43950

Phone: 740.699.2144
Email: [email protected]

In order to apply for a license, each applicant must be able to supply the following information:

• Their current address
• Their age
• Their birth date
• The name of the place where they were born
• Their father’s full name
• Their mother’s full mother name

Each applicant must also be prepared to show a government-issued photo identification card such as a driver’s license, military ID card, or passport.

Anyone whose previous marriage ended in divorce, annulment, or dissolution must also bring along a certified copy of their final decree or judgment. Anyone whose previous marriage ended with the death of a spouse must be able to supply the date of that spouse’s death.

The cost for a marriage license is $43, payable only with cash or credit or debit card. Credit and debit card payments incur an additional processing fee of $3. When applying for your marriage license, you can also order a certified copy of the document for $3.

Once your application has been accepted by the probate court, there is no waiting period before you can be married. However, it’s important to note that the license is valid for 60 days after being issued.

If you don’t get married within that time frame, you’ll need to apply for another license. License application fees are nonrefundable.

By using the instructions and contact information in this resource, researchers should be able to track down any Belmont County marriage records they’re searching for.