Clinton County Marriage Records Office
Clinton County marriage licenses are handled by the Clinton County Register & Recorder. Jennifer L. Hoy is the Register & Recorder and Clerk of the Orphans' Court. The office is in the Piper Building, not the courthouse, and the county asks applicants to call ahead for an appointment. That local detail matters because divorce files use the Prothonotary path, while marriage licenses and historical marriage searches use the Register & Recorder path.
The same row office also supports public terminals for scanned documents and certain public records. The county's online public records access page says Register & Recorder categories include marriage licenses, along with deed and property-related records. Infocon access is fee-based, so a user who only needs a certified marriage record should still contact the Register & Recorder before paying for any broad online access.
Clinton County Register & Recorder
2 Piper Way, Suite 239
Lock Haven, PA 17745
570-893-4010
regrec@clintoncountypa.gov
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Apply for Clinton County Marriage License
Both parties must appear in person for a Clinton County marriage license. The county requires a driver's license or state photo ID, and the fee is paid on the application day. If either party was previously married, the prior-marriage document depends on how that marriage ended. The county requires a certified copy of the most recent divorce decree after divorce, but it only asks for the exact date of death when a prior spouse died.
- Call the Register & Recorder ahead of time to request an appointment.
- Have both parties appear in person with a driver's license or state photo ID.
- Provide the personal, parent, education, occupation, and prior-marriage information requested by the application.
- Pay the license fee by cash or check payable to Recorder of Deeds.
- Wait the Pennsylvania three-day period before issuance, unless a Clinton County judge grants a rare waiver.
- Pick up the license after the waiting period; both parties are not required for pickup.
Clinton County Marriage Application Fields
The application asks for more than names and birth dates. Clinton County records parent information, education, occupation, address, and prior-marriage data for both parties. Social Security numbers are part of the application information identified in the research, so applicants should be ready to provide them through the official office process rather than by ordinary email.
| Field / Info Requested | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Text or verbal | Yes | Both parties. |
| Address | Text or verbal | Yes | Both parties. |
| Social Security number | Text or verbal | Yes | Both parties. |
| Date and place of birth | Text/date | Yes | Both parties. |
| Highest level of education | Text/dropdown likely | Yes | Both parties. |
| Occupation | Text | Yes | Both parties. |
| Birth parent's names, addresses, birthplaces, and occupations | Text | Yes | Both parties provide parent details. |
| Prior divorce decree | Document | Conditional | Certified copy of most recent divorce decree if previously married. |
| Date of death | Verbal or text | Conditional | If a prior spouse died; county page says death certificate is not required. |
Clinton County Marriage Record Fees
The official research located the Clinton County marriage license fee and several fee gaps. It did not capture certified marriage-copy amounts, divorce filing fees, or certified divorce decree copy fees from accessible official text. Those amounts should not be guessed. Ask the office that holds the record before mailing a payment or visiting for a copy.
| Item | Amount / Status |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $40.00, paid the day of application by cash or check payable to Recorder of Deeds. |
| Certified marriage record copy | Fee not located in the official sources reviewed. |
| Infocon county web access | Fee-based access; exact subscription or copy amount not captured. |
| Divorce filing | Fee not located in the official sources reviewed. |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Fee not located in the official sources reviewed. |
Note: Licenses are not sent through the U.S. Postal Service, so plan pickup with the Register & Recorder.
Clinton County Marriage License Rules
Pennsylvania permits a marriage application to be filed in any Pennsylvania county, and the couple may be married in any Pennsylvania county. A Clinton County license is therefore not limited to a ceremony inside Clinton County. The county still controls its own appointment process, required identification, fee collection, and license pickup rules for licenses issued through its Register & Recorder.
The three-day waiting period is a key timing rule. After three days, one party may pick up the license, and both parties do not need to return for pickup. The county describes waiting-period waivers as rare and tied to a Clinton County judge's order, such as when out-of-state parties arrive shortly before a ceremony. Treat that as an exception, not a normal planning tool.
Clinton County Historical Marriage Search
The county genealogy page says Clinton County marriage records begin in October 1885 and continue to the present. It also says there is no general marriage index. That means an approximate date is not just helpful. It may be necessary for a successful Clinton County marriage record search, especially for older family history work.
Some old marriage records may be incomplete because the person who performed the ceremony did not return the duplicate marriage record. That does not prove the ceremony did not occur. For older Clinton County marriage records, pair the Register & Recorder search with known names, date range, local place names, and any church, newspaper, cemetery, or family papers available outside the court record system.
- Marriage records start in October 1885.
- No general marriage index was found in the county source.
- An approximate marriage date helps the office search.
- Some records were never completed because the duplicate was not returned.
- The office does not perform extensive searches, but it may furnish available information and fee details.
Find Clinton County Divorce Records
Clinton County divorce records are not held by the state vital records office as the main file custodian. Divorce cases are civil and family matters filed with the Clinton County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts. Start with UJS public docket access for public case information, then contact the Prothonotary for certified copies, pleadings, decrees, or file documents not available online.
The Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office is on the first floor of the Clinton County Courthouse. Cynthia A. Love is identified in the research as the elected Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts for the 2020-2024 term. The office maintains civil and criminal records dating back to Clinton County's origin in 1839. Divorce file access may still be limited by sealing rules, personal identifiers, custody-related filings, or other court access policies.
Clinton County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts
230 East Water Street
Lock Haven, PA 17745
570-893-4007
Prothonotary@ClintonCountyPA.Gov
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Clinton County Record Access Limits
Marriage licenses are local Register & Recorder records, while divorce dockets and divorce case files follow Pennsylvania court access rules. The UJS Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy controls electronic case-record access, and the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law is not a substitute for normal court-file access when the record is a judicial case record.
Personal identifiers, sealed material, minor information, and limited-access records may be restricted. If a divorce record search returns only a docket, that does not mean the entire case file is online. Certified copies and full-file review should be requested from the Prothonotary, while marriage-license questions should go to the Register & Recorder.