Lackawanna County Marriage Records
Lackawanna County marriage records date back to October 1885, when the county began issuing marriage licenses through the Clerk of Orphans' Court. The Marriage License Bureau is at the Lackawanna County Government Center in Scranton. This page covers how to search for Lackawanna County marriage records, apply for a license, request certified copies, and find historical records. Scranton is the county seat and the largest city in the county. Whether you need a record for legal purposes or genealogy research, you will find the details here for Lackawanna County.
Lackawanna County Quick Facts
Lackawanna County Marriage License Bureau
The Marriage License Bureau is the main office for marriage records in Lackawanna County. Frances Roland Kovaleski serves as Register of Wills and oversees the bureau. The office is at 123 Wyoming Avenue, Suite 521, in Scranton.
Normal hours for marriage license applications are Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Extended hours are available on the fourth Thursday of each month through October 2026, from 4:00 PM to 6:45 PM. This gives working couples a chance to apply after normal business hours.
Here is a screenshot of the Lackawanna County Marriage License page with more details on the application process.
The Lackawanna County website lists hours, fees, and requirements for all marriage license services in the county.
Under 23 Pa.C.S. Section 1301, all Pennsylvania marriages require a license. Lackawanna County has issued marriage licenses since the county was formed in 1878.
| Office |
Marriage License Bureau Lackawanna County Government Center 123 Wyoming Avenue, Suite 521 Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: (570) 963-6708 Email: marriagelicense@lackawannacounty.org |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM Extended: 4th Thursday of month, 4:00 PM to 6:45 PM |
| Website | lackawannacounty.org |
Applying for a Lackawanna County License
To apply for a marriage license in Lackawanna County, follow these steps. First, complete the online application before visiting the office. Then call (570) 963-6702 to schedule an appointment. Both applicants must appear in person.
Bring these items to your appointment:
- Valid photo ID such as a driver's license or current passport
- Social Security number
- Certified copy of divorce decree if previously married
- Death certificate if a prior spouse is deceased
- $70.00 payment in cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card
Make checks and money orders payable to "Marriage License Bureau." The $70 fee covers the license, records management, automation, and one certified copy. Self-uniting marriage applications cost $100.
Pennsylvania law requires a three-day waiting period per 23 Pa.C.S. Section 1303. Both parties must appear before the clerk at least three days before the wedding date. The license is then valid for 60 days in any of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania.
Lackawanna County Marriage Record Fees
The Lackawanna County fee schedule lays out all costs for marriage-related services at the Orphans' Court. The standard marriage license costs $70.00 and includes one certified copy.
Additional services cost the following amounts. Parental consent for applicants aged 16 to 18 is $50.00. A court order waiver for the waiting period is $50.00. A correction to an existing license is $50.00, which includes the petition and court order. Short certificates cost $10.00. A search fee is $25.00.
Copies made by the clerk cost $1.00 per page. Self-copied pages are $0.50. Exemplification of a Lackawanna County filing is $120.00, and exemplification prepared for another county is $80.00. Under 23 Pa.C.S. Section 1307, the license is issued once all requirements are met and there is no legal bar to the marriage.
Note: Fees listed are from the most recent official schedule. Call (570) 963-6708 to confirm current rates before visiting the Lackawanna County office.
Historical Marriage Records in Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County was formed from Luzerne County in 1878. Marriage license records begin in October 1885, when Pennsylvania mandated county-level license issuance. The Marriage Bureau at the courthouse in Scranton has held these records ever since.
FamilySearch has digitized several sets of Lackawanna County marriage records. The collections include marriage license dockets from 1926 to 1951 and indexes from 1915 to 1958. Earlier records from 1885 are also in the collection, though some gaps exist in online coverage.
The Lackawanna County Library System genealogy page provides a guide to where different types of records are held. For marriages from October 1885 to the present, the Marriage Bureau at the Lackawanna County Courthouse, Courthouse Square, Scranton, PA 18503 is the source. The phone number for the Marriage Bureau is (570) 963-6708.
The Scranton Public Library holds early birth and death records specific to the city of Scranton from 1878 to 1905. These records can help fill in family details when marriage records are not enough. For births and deaths outside Scranton but within Lackawanna County from 1893 to 1905, the Register of Wills has those records.
A screenshot of the Lackawanna County official website is shown here.
The county website provides links to all departments and services, including the Register of Wills and Marriage License Bureau in Scranton.
How to Search Lackawanna County Records
To find a marriage record in Lackawanna County, contact the Marriage Bureau at (570) 963-6708. You need the names of both spouses and the approximate year of the marriage. The bureau can search their records and provide certified copies.
For older records, FamilySearch is the best online resource. Certified record copies cost $5.00 each. A divorce decree copy costs $10.00 for comparison.
Under 23 Pa.C.S. Section 1309, marriage license applications are public records. Anyone can request to view or copy them at the Lackawanna County courthouse. The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court office also provides search capabilities.
Related Records in Lackawanna County
Several offices in Lackawanna County hold records that connect to marriage records. The Clerk of Judicial Records at (570) 963-6723 handles divorce records from October 1885 to the present. The Register of Wills at (570) 963-6702 handles wills from 1878 onward. The Recorder of Deeds at (570) 963-6775 has deeds from 1878 forward.
For birth and death records after 1906, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. A branch office was at 100 Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton. Marriage records, however, stay at the county level in Lackawanna County.
The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us offers court docket searches for Lackawanna County. While the portal focuses on court cases, it can help locate divorce proceedings and other legal matters tied to marriage records.
The Scranton Public Library has local history and genealogy resources that are useful when searching for older family records in the Scranton area of Lackawanna County.
Cities in Lackawanna County
Scranton is the largest city in Lackawanna County and the county seat. All marriage license applications for the county are processed at the government center in Scranton. For more on marriage records specific to the city, see our Scranton page.
Other communities in Lackawanna County include Carbondale, Dunmore, Old Forge, and Moosic. All marriage license records for these areas are filed at the Lackawanna County Marriage Bureau in Scranton.
Nearby Counties
Lackawanna County is in northeastern Pennsylvania. If a marriage license was not filed here, the couple may have applied in a neighboring county. Check the county where the application was made, not where the ceremony took place.