Sullivan County Marriage Records Search

Sullivan County marriage records are managed by the county clerk for the 1908 to 1935 period and by individual town clerks for everything after that date. The county sits in the Catskill region of southeastern New York and has 14 towns, each with a clerk who handles local marriage licenses and certificates. Whether you need a recent marriage certificate or an older record for genealogy research, knowing where to look in Sullivan County makes the process much faster.

Sullivan County Clerk Office

The Sullivan County Clerk is Russell Reeves. The office is located at 100 North Street in Monticello, NY 12701. You can reach them by phone at (845) 807-0500. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. The clerk's office handles a range of county records, including deeds, mortgages, pistol permits, and court filings in addition to older marriage records.

Marriage records at this office cover the period from 1908 through April 1935. This is consistent with how most New York counties operate. After April 1935, the state moved marriage record keeping to the local town clerk level. So the Sullivan County Clerk cannot help you with any marriage that took place after that date.

For records within the 1908 to 1935 range, the clerk can search by name. A certified copy costs $10. Provide the full names of both spouses and any dates you have. The more detail you give, the quicker the search goes. Walk-in requests are fine during business hours, and you can also send a written request by mail.

How to Request Sullivan County Marriage Records

Figuring out the time frame is your first move. Records from 1908 to April 1935 are at the county clerk in Monticello. Call (845) 807-0500 and ask for a search. For anything after 1935, you need to reach the town clerk where the license was purchased.

Sullivan County has 14 towns: Bethel, Callicoon, Cochecton, Delaware, Fallsburg, Forestburgh, Fremont, Highland, Liberty, Lumberland, Mamakating, Neversink, Rockland, and Thompson. Liberty and Thompson (which includes Monticello) tend to handle more marriage licenses than the smaller rural towns. If you are not sure which town issued a particular license, try calling the larger ones first.

The New York State Department of Health is another option. They hold marriage records for the entire state outside of New York City. A mail-in request costs $30, and online orders are $45 plus fees. Send mail requests to the Vital Records Certification Unit at P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Processing can take 8 to 10 weeks.

Historical records are available through the New York State Archives. Their marriage indexes date back to 1881 and cover all of New York outside NYC. Indexes older than 50 years are publicly accessible. This resource is particularly useful when you know a marriage happened in Sullivan County but have no idea which town was involved.

Getting a Marriage License in Sullivan County

Any town clerk in Sullivan County can issue a marriage license. The statewide fee is $40. Both applicants must appear together in person with valid photo ID and proof of age. A 24-hour waiting period applies under Domestic Relations Law Section 15. After that wait, the license is valid for 60 days.

You do not have to get married in Sullivan County even if you get the license here. The license works anywhere in New York State. After the ceremony, the person who performed the wedding must return the signed certificate to the issuing town clerk within five days. That clerk then files the marriage record and forwards a copy to the state.

If either applicant was married before, bring documentation showing the prior marriage ended. That means a certified copy of a divorce decree or a death certificate. Both people must be 18 or older. There is no blood test requirement in New York.

Sullivan County has been a popular wedding destination for decades because of its Catskill resorts and scenic countryside. Town clerks in Bethel and Liberty see seasonal spikes in license applications during the summer and fall months. Plan ahead if you want to get your license during peak wedding season.

Towns and Communities in Sullivan County

Sullivan County is made up of 14 towns, most of them rural. Thompson is the most populated and includes the village of Monticello, which serves as the county seat. Fallsburg, Liberty, and Mamakating also have notable population centers. The remaining towns are smaller and more spread out across the Catskill foothills.

Each town clerk operates independently. Some have websites with contact information and office hours. Others you may need to call or visit. The Sullivan County government website usually has a directory of town clerks, though it may not always be fully up to date. Calling the county clerk at (845) 807-0500 is a good way to get a referral to the right town office if you are not sure where to start.

Sullivan County Marriage Records and Genealogy

Researchers tracing Sullivan County families will find the county clerk's 1908 to 1935 records helpful as a starting point. The NY.gov marriage page has general information about the marriage process statewide. For older records, the State Archives and State Library in Albany hold indexes and some original documents. FamilySearch.org has digitized portions of New York marriage records, though Sullivan County coverage may be incomplete.

Local resources include the Sullivan County Historical Society and various town-level historical groups. Church records from older congregations in towns like Callicoon, Cochecton, and Bethel sometimes predate civil registration. Newspaper archives from the area may also contain marriage announcements that supplement official records.

Nearby Counties

Sullivan County borders these neighboring counties. Each maintains its own marriage records.