Please note that access to marriage and domestic partnership records are restricted for 50 years after the date of the event. See the State of Oregon's Center for Health Statistics FAQ for details on who is permitted to order certified copies. If you want to obtain a marriage license or register as domestic partners, contact the Multnomah County Division of Assessment, Recording, and Taxation directly using the contact information at the bottom of this page.
Marriage Records
Where to locate marriage records depends on what kind of record is needed. If a certified copy of a marriage record is required, contact either Multnomah County's Marriage License Section (1855 to the present) or the Oregon Vital Records and Certificates (1906 to the present). The Multnomah County Marriage License Section also maintain an index of persons authorized to perform marriages since 1980.
Basic statistical information from marriage records for some years, such as the name of the bride and groom and the county in which the marriage was recorded, are available in the Oregon Vital Records Marriage Index, available at Multnomah County Central Library. Contact a Librarian for assistance or for more information.
The Oregon State Archives maintains statewide marriage returns from 1946-1959. They contain potentially useful information not found in marriage records maintained by county clerks. The returns include occupations of the parties, number of times previously married and information on parents.
Some early marriage records may not have been recorded by the county. You may be able to locate them by looking in church registers, local newspapers, family bibles, diaries and memory books of relatives, or other non-governmental sources.
Domestic Partnership Records
Certified copies of same-sex domestic partnerships registered through the Oregon State Domestic Partnership Registry are available through the State Vital Records Department.
Certified copies domestic partnerships registered through the Multnomah County Domestic Partnership Registry (including different-sex partnerships and same-sex partnerships registered prior to 2008) are available through the Customer Service Office.