Wilson County Marriage and Divorce Records

Wilson County Marriage License Office

Marriage licenses and Wilson County marriage records are handled by the Wilson County Register of Deeds, not by the court clerk. The official Register of Deeds office is led by Lisa J. Stith and is located at 101 N. Goldsboro St., Wilson, NC 27893. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1728, Wilson, NC 27894. The main phone is (252) 399-2935, fax is (252) 399-2942, and office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.

Wilson County requires couples to print and complete the marriage application before calling for an appointment. The office says not to call until the application is complete. Only the couple is needed for the license appointment, and no witnesses are required. The license may be used anywhere in North Carolina, but if Wilson County issued it, the completed license must be returned to the Wilson Register of Deeds within 10 days after the ceremony.

The North Carolina Judicial Branch marriage help topic gives the statewide marriage framework used with Wilson County license rules.

That state guidance helps explain why Wilson County asks for proof of identity, Social Security information, age proof, and prior-marriage documents before issuing a license.

Apply for Wilson County Marriage Records

Applicants should treat the license appointment as a document check. Wilson County lists the license fee, appointment rule, ID requirements, prior-marriage proof, age rules, and return rule as part of the local license process. Divorced or widowed applicants must provide a certified death certificate or divorce decree for each prior marriage. If the prior-marriage document is more than one year old, photocopies are acceptable, but the Register may still require certified documents.

1. Print and complete the Wilson County marriage license application before calling the Register of Deeds.
2. Call (252) 399-2935 for an appointment after the application is complete.
3. Bring valid picture ID and a Social Security card or prior-year W-2 showing the full Social Security number.
4. Bring a certified birth certificate if either applicant is 18 to 20, and bring required consent or court orders for younger applicants when allowed by law.
5. Bring certified death certificates or divorce decrees for each prior marriage when either applicant was widowed or divorced.
6. Pay the $60 license fee in cash and use the license within 60 days from issuance.

Note: Applicants ages 14 to 15 need a District Court judge order, and marriage under age 14 is unlawful in North Carolina.

Wilson County Marriage Application Fields

The Wilson County marriage license record is built from identity, age, Social Security, and prior-marriage information. The research file did not capture a complete live application form, so the fields below reflect the Wilson County requirements and the state requirements documented by official sources. Bring proof rather than relying on memory when age, legal name, or prior-marriage status may be questioned.

Wilson County Marriage and Divorce Fees

Marriage record costs differ from divorce record costs because different offices hold the records. Wilson County Register of Deeds fees apply to marriage certificates and license issuance. Court-copy fees apply when a person needs a divorce judgment from the Clerk of Superior Court. State vital-record fees apply when the requester orders a state marriage certificate or state divorce certificate instead of a local office copy.

Search Wilson County Marriage Records

Wilson County marriage records date to 1855 to present through the Register of Deeds. Birth and death records begin in 1913, and delayed birth records are also noted by the county. Certified marriage copy requests require a valid driver license or government ID. Mail requests require a photocopy of ID. Birth, death, and marriage amendments are by appointment through the Register of Deeds.

The Register of Deeds eSearch system is available for guest use, though exact online marriage index coverage was not fully confirmed in the research because the county page emphasizes real estate index coverage and scanning. Use eSearch for a first check, then confirm certificate access with the Register of Deeds when the search result must support a legal use.

The Wilson County Register of Deeds eSearch offers the public guest-search route for records maintained by that office.

Because Wilson County separates marriage and deed records from court files, the eSearch route is distinct from the state court Portal used for divorce cases.

Order Wilson County Marriage Copies

Wilson County also uses the Permitium portal for online vital-record requests. The visible options include certified Birth Certificate, certified Marriage Certificate, certified Death Certificate, and Order Tracker. Permitium notices say to wait 10 days after the marriage date if recently married. Requests are processed first come, first served, no refunds are given, and delivery addresses must be inside the United States unless the office is contacted.

Permitium requests are processed Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Requests after 4:00 PM are processed or sent the next business day. A valid state or federal photo ID upload is required, identity-verification questions appear at the end, and communication is by email. The online path is useful when a certified marriage certificate is needed and an in-person appointment is not the best route.

The Wilson Register of Deeds Permitium portal is the official online order channel captured in the project manifest.

Permitium is for Register of Deeds vital records, so it does not replace the Clerk of Superior Court for divorce judgment copies.

Find Wilson County Divorce Records

Divorce judgments are court records. The Judicial Branch says copies of divorce judgments are obtained from the clerk's office in the county where the divorce was granted. In Wilson County, that means the Wilson County Clerk of Superior Court if the divorce case was filed and granted there. Divorce case information may be searched in the state Portal, while full paper files are viewed through the Wilson clerk when the file is local.

A state divorce certificate is different from the case file or judgment. NC Vital Records can provide divorce certificates from 1958 to present. A divorce certificate shows names, plaintiff and defendant, dates of marriage and separation, and certificate information. The decree, court filings, custody filings, support issues, and other case documents remain court records. For complete divorce case access, use the Wilson County Clerk of Superior Court route rather than a vital-record certificate alone.

Wilson County Record Limits

Most marriage certificates are vital records rather than court records. NC Vital Records states that vital records are not free public records. Wilson County certified copies require ID, and mail requests require an ID photocopy. Divorce judgments are generally court records, but family files can include protected information. Adoption records are confidential under North Carolina law, and sensitive custody or domestic violence details may be restricted or redacted.

For a name search, use the correct office first. Marriage licenses, marriage certificates, birth records, death records, deeds, plats, assumed names, notary records, and military discharges route to the Register of Deeds. Divorce judgments, custody cases, support cases, domestic violence protective orders, and related family filings route through the state court system and the Clerk of Superior Court.

North Carolina Vital Records

NC Vital Records is the state copy channel for qualifying marriage and divorce certificates. It has marriage certificates from 1962 to present, while Wilson County Register of Deeds has local marriage records from 1855 to present. State copies are useful when the event falls within the state range or when the requester needs a state-issued certificate rather than a county copy.