Two documents, not one
The marriage certificate is the record that the marriage took place. The apostille is a separate page from the state that confirms the signature of the official on that record is genuine. You need the first before you can get the second.
Need it done for you? Apostilles for New Jersey birth and marriage certificates.
The souvenir certificate handed out at a ceremony is usually decorative and carries no registrar signature. It will not work for an apostille.
Ordering a certified copy
In New Jersey, marriage records are kept by the local registrar where the license was issued and by the state vital records office. Ask for a certified copy that carries the registrar's signature and seal. Fees and wait times are set by the office, so check the current figures on its website.
Say what it is for when you order. Some offices offer a version meant for use abroad or a copy with extra detail, and a receiving office may prefer one over the other.
Who adds the apostille
The state apostille office in the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services checks the registrar's signature and attaches a numbered certificate to the copy. It does not review the marriage details and it does not decide whether another country will accept the record.
Keep the certificate and the apostille together. Removing the page, even to scan it, can make the receiving office doubt it.
When a notary is involved
A certified copy from the registrar does not need a notary. A notary matters for the extras that often travel with it, such as a sworn statement that you are still married, a name-change affidavit or an affidavit of single status for a future marriage abroad.
Those documents are signed in front of a notary with your ID, and then they may need their own apostille. A notary can confirm identity and witness the signature, but cannot tell you what the document should say.
Name differences and corrections
If the names on the certificate do not match your passport, for example because of a hyphen, a middle name or an old spelling, sort that out before the apostille. A correction is made with the issuing office, not by the apostille office, and a corrected record takes longer to issue.
Check dates and spellings on the certified copy the day it arrives. An apostille cannot be undone once attached.
Questions to ask the receiving office
Ask whether the certificate must be recent, whether a translation is needed and in what order, and whether the apostille is enough or the country needs a further legalization step. Countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention use a different chain.
MCC Solutions can prepare the New Jersey apostille request once you have the certified copy, and can tell you if your destination needs more than an apostille.
Common questions
Do I need my spouse's signature to get a certified copy?
Rules vary by office. Many allow either spouse to request it with proof of identity, so check what the issuing office requires.
Is an apostille the same as a legalization?
No. An apostille is the single certificate used between Hague Convention countries. Other countries often want a longer chain that ends at their consulate.
Can I scan the apostilled certificate and send the scan?
Many offices want the original pages. Ask before you send a scan, and keep the original together with its apostille.
More notary guides
- NJ Birth Certificate Apostille: Steps and Pitfalls
- Power of Attorney Apostille for Use Overseas
- Why an Apostille Request Gets Rejected or Delayed
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change; check with the office involved or an attorney for your situation.