Find Marriage Records in Yonkers

Marriage records for the City of Yonkers are managed by the Yonkers City Clerk in Westchester County. Yonkers is the fourth-largest city in New York and sits just north of the Bronx, making it part of the greater New York City metro area. The City Clerk issues marriage licenses, files completed certificates, and provides certified copies. An important note for researchers: Yonkers marriage records from before 1914 are not in the NYS Department of Health collections. You must contact the Yonkers City Clerk directly for those older records.

Yonkers City Clerk's Office

The Yonkers City Clerk is John D. Spencer. The office is at 40 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701. Call (914) 377-6400 for questions and to check hours. The office is in Yonkers City Hall, a short walk from the Yonkers Metro-North train station.

Both people must appear together to apply for a license. No proxies or remote applications. Bring a valid photo ID for each person. If either applicant was married before, bring a certified divorce decree or death certificate. The clerk will not issue a license without proof that prior marriages have been legally ended.

The fee is $40. The application asks for full names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and addresses. This is standard under Domestic Relations Law Section 15. Plan on about 20 minutes in the office. The staff can answer your questions about next steps and the ceremony process while they handle the paperwork.

How to Search Yonkers Marriage Records

The City Clerk keeps marriage certificates for ceremonies that took place in Yonkers. To get a certified copy, visit the office with a photo ID. Provide the names of both spouses and the date of the marriage. Certified copies cost $10. Same-day service is typical for in-person visits when the record is in the system.

The Yonkers City Clerk's services page is shown below.

You can also send a mail request to the Yonkers City Clerk, 40 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701. Include the names, the marriage date, your return address, and a check or money order for $10 payable to the City of Yonkers. Allow two to four weeks for mail processing.

For records from 1914 onward, the NYS Department of Health also has copies. A mail request to the state costs $30, and online orders are about $45. But for Yonkers marriages before 1914, the state does not have them. The City Clerk is the only official source for those older records. This gap in the state system catches researchers off guard, so keep it in mind. The Westchester County Clerk may also have some county-level marriage records on file.

Getting a Marriage License in Yonkers

After the license is issued, wait 24 hours. That is the state-mandated waiting period. A judge can waive it but this is rare. Once the wait passes, the license is valid for 60 days. If you do not use it within that time, it expires. A new application and another $40 fee would be needed.

No residency requirement exists. Anyone from anywhere can apply in Yonkers. The license works for ceremonies performed anywhere in New York State. The NY.gov marriage services page covers the full set of statewide requirements.

The person who performs the ceremony must be authorized under state law. After the wedding, the officiant has five days to sign the license and return it to the City Clerk. The clerk files the certificate and sends a copy to the state Department of Health. That filing creates the official record. The couple can then order certified copies. Processing takes a few weeks, so plan ahead if you need documentation quickly for a name change or travel.

Yonkers Marriage Records Access and Privacy

Marriage records less than 50 years old are restricted. Only the spouses, their legal representatives, or someone with a stated legal purpose can get copies. The clerk will ask for ID and verify your right to the record. This is state policy. It applies everywhere.

Records 50 years and older are public. Anyone can request them without restriction. The New York State Archives holds indexes to older marriage records that are useful for genealogists. Westchester County also has local history collections at area libraries that may include marriage-related documents and indexes.

The minimum age to marry is 18. New York eliminated all underage exceptions in 2021. Both people must be 18 on the day they apply. There is no parental consent workaround. This rule is the same at every clerk office in the state.

Pre-1914 Yonkers Marriage Records

Researchers looking for Yonkers marriage records from before 1914 need to contact the City Clerk directly. The state Department of Health does not hold these records. They were never transferred to the state system. Call (914) 377-6400 or write to the City Clerk at 40 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701. The staff knows about this gap and can help search their older files. Church records and local newspaper archives from that era can also be helpful supplemental sources.

Make sure you have the right documents before going to the clerk. Both people need a photo ID. A driver's license, passport, or state-issued ID card works. If either person had a prior marriage, bring a certified divorce decree or death certificate. Domestic Relations Law Section 20-B details what the clerk must verify. Missing documents means a wasted trip. Call ahead if you are not sure what to bring.

Westchester County Marriage Records

Yonkers is in Westchester County. The county clerk handles marriage records at the county level and can assist with broader searches.

Nearby Cities

These nearby communities in Westchester County also handle marriage records through their clerk offices.