Craven County Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses are issued by the Craven County Register of Deeds, not the Clerk of Superior Court. The office is at 226 Pollock Street in New Bern. The phone number is 252-636-6617, and the office hours in the research are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Recording time ends at 4:30 PM. The current Register of Deeds is Joshua D. Kohr, and the Assistant Register is Tiffany Tillman.
The Register of Deeds page is the local source for marriage, vital, deed, military discharge, notary, assumed-name, map, and real-estate recording functions.
That office split is the key local point: marriage certificates are Register of Deeds records, while divorce judgments are court records.
The county marriage-license process is walk-in only, and no appointment is necessary. The optional online application can save time, but it does not finish the legal process. Both applicants must still appear in person at the same time to receive the license. Questions may be sent to marriage@cravencountync.gov or directed to the Register of Deeds by phone.
Apply for a Craven County Marriage License
The county's marriage license page gives the local steps, fee, acceptable documents, and payment methods. The online pre-application is optional and is stored for 30 days. It is not a remote license issuance process.
The Craven County marriage license instructions show the local walk-in process and required documentation.
The source is useful because it warns that both parties must appear together even after submitting the optional pre-application.
- Complete the optional online marriage license application if desired, knowing it is stored for 30 days.
- Go to the Register of Deeds as a walk-in during office hours. No appointment is required.
- Both applicants must appear together and present unexpired government-issued photo ID.
- Applicants must know their Social Security numbers and provide required prior-marriage documents if applicable.
- Pay the marriage license fee using an accepted payment method.
- After the ceremony, the completed license must return to the county of issuance for recording.
Craven County Marriage Application Fields
The local application requirements focus on identity, Social Security number knowledge, prior-marriage status, age, and in-person appearance. The county gives special instructions for applicants who were previously divorced, applicants whose prior spouse died, and applicants younger than 18.
| Field / Step | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online pre-application | Web form | Optional | Stored for 30 days and does not replace in-person appearance. |
| Applicant appearance | In person | Required | Both parties must appear together. |
| Government photo ID | Document | Required | Driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID. |
| Social Security Number knowledge | Personal data | Required | Applicants must know their SSN. |
| Divorce decree | Document | Conditional | Required for previously divorced applicants and must show date and dissolution language. |
| Death certificate or obituary | Document | Conditional | Required when a prior marriage ended by death. |
| Certified birth certificate | Document | Conditional | Required for applicants younger than 18. |
| Parent, guardian, or legal custodian appearance | In person | Conditional | Required for an under-18 applicant as described by county rules. |
Craven County Marriage Fees
Craven County publishes Register of Deeds fees for marriage licenses and certified copies. The county says the $60 marriage license fee is set by the North Carolina General Assembly under G.S. 161-10(a)(2). The local page also explains the distribution of that fee: $5 to the Children's Trust Fund, $30 to the Domestic Violence Center Fund, and $25 to Craven County.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $60 |
| Certified copy | $10 each |
| Optional One Stop mailing fee | Additional $5 to have certified copies mailed after the completed license returns |
| Credit/debit vendor fee | 5% with $1 minimum |
| Uncertified copies from Register of Deeds fee schedule | $0.25 |
| Certified non-vital record first page | $5.00 |
| Certified non-vital record additional pages | $2.00 each |
Accepted payment methods include cash, debit or credit, checks, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Divorce filing and court-copy amounts were not provided as a Craven-specific table in the marriage research, so those should be verified with the Clerk of Superior Court before filing or ordering a court copy.
The Register of Deeds fee schedule is the source for the published marriage license and copy amounts.
The fee schedule should not be mixed with court-copy fees for divorce judgments because those are clerk records, not Register of Deeds records.
Look Up Craven County Marriage Records
The Register of Deeds has Craven County marriage records as far back as 1908. Before 1908, marriages were recorded as bonds. Original marriage bonds are at the State Archives of North Carolina, and Craven keeps bond indexes at the Register of Deeds office. This matters for genealogy searches because an older marriage may not be found in the same certificate system as a modern license.
The Craven County marriage records page explains the 1908 record start, bond history, county indexes, and certified-copy path.
The historical note is important because pre-1908 marriage bond research may require both the local index and the State Archives.
After 2005, North Carolina allowed a couple to get a license from any county and marry in another county, as long as the license returns to the county of issuance. Before 2005, the county of issuance was generally also the county where the marriage occurred. That rule can affect which county has the recorded marriage.
For a modern certified copy, start with the county that issued the license rather than the place where the ceremony occurred. For older family-history research, ask the Register of Deeds about the local bond index and then use the State Archives for original bond material when the record predates the county's 1908 marriage records.
Craven County Online Marriage Records
Craven County uses online tools for some Register of Deeds record access and vital-record requests. The official Register of Deeds online services portal is CAPTCHA-gated and informational. The research notes that official records are kept in the office. Certified vital-record requests can also be routed through the Permitium portal linked by the county.
The Craven County Permitium vital-record request portal is the county-linked online request path for certified and uncertified vital records.
Online ordering can help with copies, but the legal status of a certified copy still depends on the issuing office and record type.
The online marriage license application is a separate pre-application tool, not a copy-ordering service.
Applicants still need the in-person Register of Deeds visit after using the online application.
Find Craven County Divorce Records
Divorce judgments are court records. A Craven County divorce judgment is obtained from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted, not from the Register of Deeds. NC Vital Records may provide divorce certificates, but the judgment itself comes from the clerk. For Craven County, court files are handled through the Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse.
Divorce records may include the case caption, parties, filing date, orders, judgment of absolute divorce, and related family-court entries when public. Some family details can be restricted or redacted. Minor information, domestic violence information, financial identifiers, and sealed filings may not be open in the same way as a basic judgment entry. For broader court case access, use Craven County court records and the clerk's office.
A divorce certificate and a divorce judgment often serve different purposes. A certificate can confirm that a divorce occurred, while a court judgment is the legal order ending the marriage. When the purpose is remarriage documentation, benefits, name change, or enforcement of a court order, confirm which version the requesting agency requires before ordering.
Note: A separation agreement, settlement agreement, or petition is not the divorce decree required for remarriage documentation.
Craven County Certified Copies
Certified marriage copies come from the Register of Deeds when the record is held there. Certified divorce judgment copies come from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. A marriage certificate, divorce certificate, and divorce judgment are not the same record. Use the record purpose to choose the office.
When a name has changed after marriage or divorce, bring enough identifying detail to help staff locate the original record.
- Marriage license or certificate: Register of Deeds, Permitium, or office copy process.
- Marriage bond index: Craven Register of Deeds, with original pre-1908 bonds at the State Archives.
- Divorce judgment: Clerk of Superior Court where the divorce was granted.
- Divorce certificate: NC Vital Records may provide certificate access, separate from the court judgment.
- Recorded public records: Register of Deeds online services can help search some indexed records, but official records remain in the office.