Luzerne County Marriage Records
Marriage licenses in Luzerne County are handled by the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court. The office issues marriage licenses, answers certified marriage-certificate questions, and maintains marriage access paths through office service, public terminals, Landex, and IQS Infodex/E-Film Reader. It is not the divorce-decree office. The same Register FAQ states that divorce decrees must be requested from the office of civil records in the county where the divorce was filed and finalized.
The Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court physical office is at 153 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. The mailing address is 200 N River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. The phone number for estate, marriage-license, and certified marriage-certificate questions is 570-825-1668. Hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with a 4:20 p.m. filing deadline. Marriage-license applicants must be in the office by 4 p.m.
The Luzerne County marriage licenses page is the main assigned source for marriage license and certified-copy details.
Its certified-copy rules are the safest source for current marriage-copy fees and required search information.
Apply for Luzerne County Marriage License
The research did not verify the active web application form fields, so the application instructions should stay with confirmed county requirements. The county confirms the issuing office, office deadline, contact number, and the historical rule that marriage licenses are valid for 60 days after application. For current ID or eligibility requirements, call the Register of Wills before visiting, especially if either applicant has a prior marriage or needs timing advice.
- Contact the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court at 570-825-1668 to confirm current application requirements.
- Go to the office at 153 North River Street during posted business hours.
- Arrive by the stated marriage-license applicant deadline.
- Provide the information and identification the office requires for both applicants.
- Follow the office instructions for license validity, pickup, and certified copies.
| Application or Request Item | Verified Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant names | Likely required, current form not verified | Confirm directly with the Register before visiting. |
| Identification | Office confirmation needed | The research file did not capture current ID fields. |
| Application timing | Verified office deadline | Applicants must be in the office by 4 p.m. |
| License validity | Verified in historical search notes | County instructions state licenses are valid for 60 days after application. |
| Certified copy request fields | Verified | Groom name, bride's maiden or applied name, and marriage date or approximate date. |
Luzerne County Certified Marriage Copies
Certified marriage license copies are available in person or by mail. The requester must provide the groom's name, the bride's maiden name or name applied under, and the marriage date or approximate date. The current marriage page and FAQ identify a $25 fee. Payment may be cash, cashier's check, or money order, with checks and money orders payable to Register of Wills. Mail requests need a self-addressed stamped envelope.
If no marriage date or approximate date is known, the office charges a $30 search fee per marriage. The FAQ says the $25 fee applies as a search fee even if a marriage license is not found. That distinction matters for older or uncertain marriage records because the search cost may be due even when the office cannot locate the record.
| Item | Amount / Rule |
|---|---|
| Certified marriage license copy | $25 |
| Marriage search with no date or approximate date | $30 per marriage |
| Payment methods for certified copy | Cash, cashier's check, or money order |
| Payee | Register of Wills |
| Mail requirement | Self-addressed stamped envelope |
| In-office customer copy by older fee schedule | $0.50 per page |
The Register of Wills FAQ is a successful image source for the marriage search and divorce routing details.
The FAQ is especially useful because it confirms that divorce decrees are outside the Register's records.
Search Luzerne County Marriage Records
Historical marriage searching has a local workflow. IQS Infodex/E-Film Reader includes marriage licenses from October 1885 through August 2004, with applications viewable for free. The county workflow is to click Infodex, scroll to the application date, remember that licenses are valid for 60 days after application, find the license number, click "Go to Document," put the volume number in the book-number field, and put the license number in the page field.
Records from 2004 to present are available through office public terminals and the Landex/IQS access paths described by the Register. Public terminals in the Register of Wills office are available Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Older estate and marriage workflows overlap with Orphans' Court access, but divorce decrees remain with the Prothonotary.
| Marriage Record Channel | Best Use |
|---|---|
| Register of Wills office | Current license questions, certified copies, and direct staff help. |
| Office public terminals | Most records filed from 2004 to present. |
| IQS Infodex/E-Film Reader | Marriage licenses from October 1885 through August 2004. |
| Landex Remote | Account-based complete access and copies for Register/Orphans' records. |
| Landex Webstore | Free index search, fee to download, view, or print documents. |
Find Luzerne County Divorce Records
Divorce records in Luzerne County route to the Prothonotary, not the Register of Wills. The Prothonotary is the civil filing office for the Court of Common Pleas. The Register FAQ states that divorce decrees come from the office of civil records in the county where the divorce was filed and finalized. In Luzerne County, that is the Prothonotary's Office.
The Prothonotary page adds a local access limit: divorce, custody, and PFA cases are no longer viewable on the online Prothonotary viewer. They can only be viewed on public viewers in the office, and printing is $0.50 per page. Certified copies of divorce decrees that require the original signature of the Division Head are excluded from some department and Hazleton Annex services, so certified divorce-decree requests should go to the main Prothonotary office.
Office split: Marriage licenses go to Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court; divorce decrees go to the Prothonotary.
Luzerne County Family Record Limits
Marriage license records are not the same as sealed family court files. Public access to marriage records is broader, while divorce files may include sensitive family filings. The county's Prothonotary notice removes divorce, custody, and PFA cases from the online viewer and limits them to office public viewers. Adoption records are handled by Orphans' Court and are confidential or restricted.
For docket checks, UJS Case Search may show public civil docket information where available. Copies and certified decrees still require the correct clerk office. For Orphans' Court matters connected to marriage records or adoption limits, use Luzerne County Orphans' Court records guidance.
Note: A public docket result does not mean every pleading, decree, custody filing, or PFA document is available online.
Luzerne County Related Record Images
Two successful manifest images assigned to Luzerne County marriage and divorce records point to correctional facility pages rather than marriage or divorce sources. They are included here only as source-manifest items, and they should not be used as marriage-license or divorce-record channels. The Prisoner Communication page concerns visitor ID, child visitor, book, and property rules.
That source is unrelated to marriage or divorce filing, so it should not alter the office routing described above.
The Prisoner Commissary Accounts page is another successful image assigned by the manifest.
For marriage and divorce users, the useful sources remain the Register of Wills, Orphans' Court access tools, Prothonotary, and UJS docket search.