Columbia County Marriage Records

Marriage is not only a ceremony that binds two people together; it is actually a proceeding in which the entire community and not only the parties to the ceremony and their family are interested in. The reason for this is simple, marriage is something that creates a status, and status is something that every person in the world, no matter how remote they are from the ceremony, must respect. Thus, there is an attempt to control marriage through the use of marriage licenses, as well as an attempt to know exactly who is entitled to the rights and who is obligated to perform the obligations that come with marriage. Hence, the reason for the importance of marriage records such as Columbia County Marriage Records.

At the center of every marriage record would be a marriage license, and Marriage Records Columbia County is not different in that regard. Of course, the existence of a marriage license does not conclusively prove that a marriage was celebrated, hence, the reason why marriage records contain more than just the marriage license. Marriage records could be used in a number of proceedings, and these proceedings are not limited only to public proceedings, as marriage records may also be used in purely private proceedings and functions.

There are two sources where copies of Columbia County Marriage License Records may be obtained, and the first source would be the local or county level. At this level, the office that is the most interested in would be the office of the clerk of courts. The clerk of courts is the official custodian of all public records within the borders of the county and as such, if a record is public, the clerk of court would have a copy of the same. A person who wishes to obtain a copy of a marriage record at this level would have to go to the office of the clerk of courts to make the request there, but, in attempting to expedite the search, the searcher should also have a copy of the document identification number. Although not really required, having the exact document identification number would greatly expedite the search. The document identification number may be obtained online through the use of an online database maintained by the office. The same database has copies of the marriage records, so if the records are just going to be used for private purposes and there is truly no need for a certified copy, this should be enough. If certified copies are required, then actual physical copies could only be obtained at the office of the clerk of courts.

Another source of FL Marriage Records would be the national or state level through the Office of Vital Records of the Florida Department of Health. The procedure here is requesting for the records through mail and would require the searcher to first download the relevant order form from the website of the department. Note that the application form should be accompanied by the required fee in the form of a money order or check when it is sent to the office after being filled up.

Over the past few years, the development of the internet had allowed for the rise of online databases. Faster and more efficient than actually going to the physical location of the records, these online databases use the internet in order to overcome distances, which means that they could be use used from just about anywhere where there is an adequate internet connection. In terms of information contained, most of these databases do provide substantially the same information as the various government offices, and often, they only charge minimal fees, if at all.

Marriage Records Columbia County
When requesting for marriage records at the local level, follow the procedure given below

• – Determine the document identification number
• – At the search page of the online database of the office of the clerk of courts, input the information requested for.
  • Note that you do not have to fill up every blank, but the less blanks means a more accurate search.
  • Click ‘search’ at the bottom of the page.
  • The database should display all records that match your search criteria, locate the record that you are interested in from the results.
  • Note the book number and the page number of the record. This is the identification number of the document.
  • You may click on the title of the document to display the document itself. If you are only after the information in the document, this may be the end of your search.
  • Head over to the office of the clerk of courts
• – At their records division, inform the clerk of your intention to ask for copies of marriage records.
  • You would be given a form which you must fill up. Note that you must accomplish the form including the document identification number.
  • Submit the form to the clerk for processing.
  • Once the record had been located, you may request for copies of the same.
  • Pay the required copying fee before claiming your copy of the record

Columbia County Marriage License Records

The following links should provide further assistance in case of other questions

• – Columbia County
• – Clerk of Courts
• – Library
• – Florida Department of Health
• – Florida Office of Vital Records
• – Center for Disease Control Where to Write