Carteret County Marriage License Office
Carteret County marriage license work is handled by the Carteret County Register of Deeds, not by the Clerk of Superior Court. The Register of Deeds office is at 302 Courthouse Square, Beaufort, NC 28516, and the office phone is 252-728-8474. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the county marriage page says marriage-license requests have a 4:30 p.m. cutoff because of demand. Karen S. Hardesty is listed as the Register of Deeds.
The distinction matters because the Carteret County Clerk of Superior Court keeps court files, including divorce judgments, estates, civil cases, and criminal cases. The Register of Deeds keeps marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, deeds, military discharges, notary records, assumed names, and other recorded instruments. The North Carolina Judicial Branch Carteret page also routes birth, death, marriage, and other non-court public records to the Register of Deeds.
The official Carteret marriage license page gives the most useful local instructions for a license request.
Those county instructions control the local timing, identification, fee, and ceremony rules for Carteret County marriage records.
Carteret County Marriage Record Requirements
Both applicants must be present to apply. Each person must bring valid photo identification and a Social Security card. If an applicant has never been issued a Social Security number, the county says an affidavit must be completed in the Register of Deeds office. Acceptable photo ID listed by the county includes a state ID card, driver's license, passport, or military ID.
Age and prior-marriage rules are more specific. Applicants under 18 must contact the Register of Deeds office before applying. Applicants who are 18, 19, or 20 must provide a certified birth certificate. Divorced applicants must provide the month and year of the last divorce. If the divorce was final within one year of the marriage-license request, the applicant must provide an original or certified divorce decree or death certificate. The county also states there is no waiting period between divorce and applying for a new license.
| Requirement | Who It Applies To | Carteret County Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Both parties appear | All applicants | Both must apply with the Register of Deeds. |
| Photo ID | All applicants | State ID, driver's license, passport, or military ID. |
| Social Security card | All applicants with SSN | Office affidavit is used if no SSN was ever issued. |
| Certified birth certificate | Applicants age 18 to 20 | Required by county instructions. |
| Recent divorce proof | Divorce within one year | Original or certified divorce decree or death certificate. |
Apply for a Carteret County Marriage License
Applicants may complete the online application before the office visit, but the license is not finished online. The county still requires the parties to appear at the Register of Deeds. The ceremony may occur anywhere in North Carolina after issuance, and the Carteret license is valid for 60 days. The license expires on the 61st day.
- Review the county requirements and start the online application through the Register of Deeds link if using the web form.
- Bring both applicants to 302 Courthouse Square with photo ID, Social Security cards, and any required birth certificate or recent divorce proof.
- Arrive before the posted 4:30 p.m. marriage-license cutoff so staff have time to review the application.
- Pay the marriage license fee by an accepted method. The county marriage page lists cash and credit card.
- Use the license for a ceremony in North Carolina within 60 days, then make sure the completed license is returned for recording.
The Register of Deeds online database and application portal is the county-linked starting point for online marriage application activity and record index access.
The online tool helps with application and index access, but in-person appearance remains part of the Carteret County marriage license process.
Carteret County Marriage Form Fields
The county's public instructions do not display every direct web-field label from the online application. The official county page does identify the evidence and data points applicants must be ready to provide. Treat the online form as preparation for the office visit, not a substitute for proof of identity, age, Social Security status, or prior divorce status.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online marriage application | web form | required before or at visit if used | County page links the application and says applicants may complete it before visiting. |
| Applicant identity | in-person evidence | yes | Valid government photo ID plus Social Security card; ages 18 to 20 also need certified birth certificate. |
| Prior divorce data | in-person evidence | conditional | Month and year of last divorce; if within one year, bring original or certified decree or death certificate. |
| SSN affidavit | office affidavit | conditional | Required if applicant has never been issued an SSN; completed in the Register of Deeds office. |
Carteret County Marriage Fees
The Register of Deeds fee schedule supplies the official Carteret County marriage and vital-copy amounts. These are Register of Deeds fees, not court filing fees for a divorce case. Carteret's public court pages do not publish a divorce filing or certified divorce judgment copy schedule here, so the divorce side should be confirmed with the Clerk of Superior Court before mailing a payment.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $60 |
| Delayed marriage certificate with one certified copy | $70 |
| Application/license correction with one certified copy | $10 |
| Marriage license certified copy | $10 |
| Birth certificate certified copy | $10 |
| Death certificate certified copy | $10 |
The Register of Deeds fee page is a separate source from the marriage instructions.
Use that fee schedule for Carteret County marriage records, vital copies, and recorded-document services handled by the Register of Deeds.
Carteret County Marriage Ceremonies
After issuance, the marriage may be performed anywhere in North Carolina. Carteret County says ceremonies may be performed by an ordained minister of any religious denomination, a minister authorized by a church, a magistrate, a federally or state recognized Indian nation or tribe, or another person authorized by North Carolina law.
Carteret magistrates perform marriages by appointment only. The listed magistrate fee is $50, cash only. Two witnesses age 18 or older are required. The magistrate marriage location is 308 Craven Street, Beaufort, NC 28516, and appointments are handled by phone at 252-504-4543. This ceremony fee is separate from the Register of Deeds marriage license fee.
The Register of Deeds recording and real estate page shows the broader office context for recorded public documents.
That office context helps separate recorded marriage and deed records from court records such as Carteret County divorce judgments.
Carteret County Certified Marriage Copies
Certified marriage copies are available only for marriage licenses issued in Carteret County. The Register of Deeds gives three request channels: visit the office, mail a request to 302 Courthouse Square, Beaufort, NC 28516, or use the online vital-record request service linked by the county. Certified copies cost $10 according to the fee schedule, and the county says cash or credit card is accepted. Online requests may add processing fees.
Certified copies are the copy type most often needed for a name change, benefits, passport work, or legal filing. A plain index search may help confirm that a license exists, but it is not the same as a certified marriage certificate. For a license issued in another North Carolina county, contact that county's Register of Deeds rather than Carteret County.
The county links to the Carteret online vital-record order portal for remote certified-copy requests.
That order channel is for vital records handled through the Register of Deeds, not for court-issued divorce judgments.
Carteret County Divorce Judgment Records
Divorce case files and divorce judgments are court records. They are held by the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. For Carteret County divorce records, search case information through the North Carolina eCourts Portal, use Smart Search for case information, use Search Hearings for hearing dates when needed, and contact the Carteret Clerk of Superior Court for copies of the judgment.
The Register of Deeds does not issue divorce judgments. North Carolina Judicial Branch guidance says divorce judgments may be copied from the clerk of court's office for a fee, while divorce certificates may also be obtained through North Carolina Vital Records. That creates a practical split: a judgment is the court order ending the marriage, and a certificate is a vital-record proof of the divorce event. Some uses require the judgment, not the certificate.
Divorce files may include the complaint, summons, proof of service, motions, hearing notices, judgment of absolute divorce, and related orders. Related claims such as equitable distribution, alimony, custody, child support, domestic violence, or family financial settlement mediation can add sensitive records. Child-related, juvenile, domestic violence, and financial material may be restricted or redacted. The contextual court-file route is covered more broadly through the Carteret County Clerk of Superior Court.
Carteret County Register Source
The Register of Deeds main page is the central Carteret County source for marriage records, vital certificates, public recording, forms, and fee links.
Use that source when the record is a marriage license or certified marriage copy, then switch to the clerk for a divorce judgment.
Note: Carteret County marriage records and Carteret County divorce records use different custodians, so request routing affects speed and copy type.