Northumberland County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Northumberland County are handled by the Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court. The office is located at 201 Market Street, 1st Floor, Sunbury, PA 17801, and the marriage-license phone line is 570.988.4143. The county directs applicants to begin with an online LANDEX application, then schedule an appointment. The county also states that marriage-license appointments are scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays by phone, and that only the two applicants should appear for the appointment.
Office hours for this counter are Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with a daily closure from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The license process is not just a record search. It is an application, review, payment, and issuance process. Applicants should treat the online form as the start of the county process, not as a substitute for the appointment.
Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court
Official: Christina A. "Tina" Mertz
201 Market Street, 1st Floor
Sunbury, PA 17801
570.988.4143
Monday 9:00 a.m.-4:45 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m.; closed 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Apply for Northumberland County Marriage Records
The county requirements page says online applications for marriage licenses must be completed before an appointment can be scheduled. Both applicants must appear together and must bring acceptable photo identification. If either applicant was married before, proof of how that marriage ended is required. The county lists a death certificate or divorce decree as the needed proof, depending on the prior marriage.
- Start the marriage license application through the county's LANDEX link from the marriage license requirements page.
- Call 570-988-4143 after the online application is complete to schedule the county appointment.
- Bring photo ID, such as a driver's license or valid passport, for both applicants.
- Bring a death certificate or divorce decree if either applicant was previously married.
- Pay the $60 cash-only license fee and complete the in-person review with the office.
The county notes a military three-day waiver process. A judge requires a copy of military orders at the time of application. That waiver is a narrow rule and should not be assumed for ordinary scheduling.
Northumberland County Marriage Application Fields
The application record is built from identity, eligibility, prior-marriage, and appointment information. The county still uses bride and groom wording in its requirements, but the practical data points are the two applicants' names, proof of identity, age eligibility, and any prior-marriage documents. The office can reject or delay an application if the online start is incomplete or if the appointment lacks the required documents.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant 1 name | Text | Yes | County wording refers to bride/groom, but both applicants must be identified. |
| Applicant 2 name | Text | Yes | Both applicants appear together at the appointment. |
| Photo ID | Document | Yes | Driver's license or valid passport are listed examples. |
| Prior marriage proof | Document | Conditional | Death certificate or divorce decree if previously married. |
| Age confirmation | Eligibility | Yes | Both parties must be over 18. |
| Military waiver request | Document | Conditional | Copy of military orders for the three-day waiver request. |
| Appointment phone action | Phone | Yes after online application | Call 570-988-4143 after LANDEX completion. |
Northumberland County Marriage and Divorce Fees
The research confirms the marriage license fee, the office payment rules for Register and Recorder functions, and the existence of the Prothonotary fee schedule for civil and family filings. It did not capture the exact 2026 divorce filing or certified-copy line items from the fee PDF. Those figures should be checked with the office before filing, ordering a decree, or mailing payment.
| Item | Amount / Rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $60 cash only |
| Register and Recorder payment policy | No personal checks; cash, money order, or certified bank check accepted, with professional exceptions listed by the office. |
| Divorce filing | Use the current Prothonotary fee schedule; exact line item not captured in the research file. |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Request from the Prothonotary and confirm copy and certification fees before ordering. |
Search Northumberland County Marriage Records
Marriage record access is local. The Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court handles marriage licenses at the courthouse, while the county online services material points applicants to LANDEX for the online start. For an existing marriage record, use the parties' names and approximate license date when contacting the office. A certified copy request should go through the local office because certification must come from the official custodian.
The Register and Recorder page is also the source for current payment policy and related office notices. It is not the same office as the Prothonotary. That distinction matters because the marriage file is not a divorce case file, and a marriage license search will not produce the pleadings, decree, or confidential forms in a divorce action.
The county Register and Recorder page shows the local office that handles marriage-license and Orphans' Court counter work.
That office connection is why marriage-license copies and probate appointment rules appear together in county material.
Find Northumberland County Divorce Records
Divorce records are Court of Common Pleas civil and family records. In Northumberland County, the Prothonotary handles civil and family filings for the Court of Common Pleas, including divorce case records and certified decree requests. The county court forms index includes a Divorce Packet, Entry of Appearance, Confidential Information Form, and Court Cover Sheet. A person filing or reviewing a divorce case should expect both public docket information and protected details within the underlying file.
Public divorce docket information may appear through UJS Case Search if the case is public and indexed. The docket is not always the full record. Financial identifiers, minor children information, abuse-related details, confidential information forms, and sealed materials can be withheld under Pennsylvania court access rules. For a certified decree, contact the Prothonotary rather than relying on a web docket printout.
Note: Online docket sheets can lag recent filings and do not replace certified copies issued by the court file custodian.
Certified Northumberland County Divorce Copies
Certified copies matter when the record must prove legal status for a court, agency, name change, benefits issue, or later marriage application. Marriage certifications come from the Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court. Divorce decree certifications come from the Prothonotary because the decree is part of a Court of Common Pleas civil or family file. Requesters should provide party names, case number if known, approximate filing year, document type, return contact information, and payment in a form accepted by the correct office.
County administrative open-records requests are different from court case copy requests. The county Open Records List routes Register and Recorder administrative requests to Tina Mertz and Prothonotary administrative requests to Jamie Saleski, but court case records follow the Unified Judicial System's case-record policy. If the question is about a marriage certificate or divorce decree, start with the record custodian rather than a broad Right-to-Know request.