Lackawanna County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses are issued through the Lackawanna County Marriage License Bureau, which is part of the Register of Wills office led by Frances Roland Kovaleski. The bureau's stated role is taking applications and issuing Pennsylvania marriage licenses for couples who plan to marry. Local instructions route applicants through an online e-file step first, then an appointment with the clerk before the license can issue.
The Marriage License Bureau is in the Lackawanna County Government Center, 123 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton. Normal application hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The county also posted extended 2026 fourth-Thursday hours from 4:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on May 28, June 25, July 23, August 27, September 24, and October 22, 2026. Those extended dates matter for Lackawanna County marriage records users who cannot appear during the standard day schedule.
The county's Marriage License Bureau page is the source for local application hours, fees, and appointment instructions.
The bureau page is the practical starting point because it links the e-file process and states the local payment rules for regular and self-uniting licenses.
Apply for Lackawanna County Marriage Records
Couples must time the Lackawanna County marriage license process around both the online application window and Pennsylvania's waiting period. The county says applicants who are marrying within the next 60 days must e-file, then call the office for an appointment. Both applicants must appear before the clerk at least three days before the marriage date, bring photo identification, and know their Social Security numbers.
- Use the county's online e-file link if the marriage will occur within the next 60 days.
- After e-filing, call 570-963-6702 to schedule the Marriage License Bureau appointment.
- Both applicants appear together with photo ID, such as a valid driver's license or current passport.
- Pay the required license fee by cash, check, money order, credit card, or debit card.
- Wait the required three days after the in-office appearance before using the license.
The issued license is valid for 60 days and may be used in any Pennsylvania county. Checks and money orders should be payable to the Marriage License Bureau. A self-uniting marriage application costs more than a regular license, so couples should choose the correct license type before paying.
The county's marriage license application instructions spell out the e-file timing and waiting-period rules.
The application instructions are useful when checking the 60-day license window and the three-day waiting period before a planned ceremony.
Lackawanna County Marriage Application Fields
The research did not capture every screen field inside the e-file system, but the county instructions identify the core items applicants must be ready to provide. Treat the online application as the first part of the process, not as a finished license. The in-person appointment is still required before issuance.
| Field or Item | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant identity | Yes | Both applicants must appear before the clerk. |
| Photo identification | Yes | County examples include a valid driver's license or current passport. |
| Social Security number | Yes | Applicants must know the number for the application process. |
| Marriage date timing | Yes | The e-file rule applies when marrying within the next 60 days. |
| License type | Yes | Select regular or self-uniting before payment. |
Note: The online filing starts the Lackawanna County marriage records process, but the license is not complete until the bureau appointment occurs.
Lackawanna County Marriage Record Fees
Only the researched local fees should be treated as fixed amounts. The Marriage License Bureau lists the license costs, and the genealogy page lists the office-conducted search fee for older records. Divorce copy and filing amounts can change by schedule, so certified divorce decree requests should be priced through the Family Court Division or the current official fee schedule.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Regular marriage license | $70 |
| Self-uniting marriage application | $100 |
| Register, Orphans' Court, or Marriage office genealogy search | $25 per search |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Fee charged by Family Court Division, amount not captured in research |
| Payment methods for marriage license | Cash, check, money order, credit card, or debit card |
Search Lackawanna County Marriage Records
Public searches for Lackawanna County marriage records route through Lackawanna Public Access Inquiries, the INFOCON launch page also used for Register of Wills and Orphans' Court records. County pages warn that the public inquiry application opens in a pop-up, so browser pop-up settings may affect access. If the system does not load, Infocon support is listed at 814-472-6146.
Certified copies use the forms linked from the Clerk of Orphans' Court page, including request forms for a certified copy of an original marriage record and third-party requests for a certified copy. For genealogy, the county says the Register of Wills Office, Clerk of Orphans' Court, and Marriage License Bureau hold records dating as far back as 1878, with marriage licenses from October 1885. Adoption records are the major exception listed as confidential.
A searcher should distinguish the public index from the certified record. An online Lackawanna County marriage records result may help confirm that a record exists, but legal, passport, insurance, name-change, or benefits uses often require a certified copy from the office. Third-party requests may need the dedicated form because the office must decide whether the requester is entitled to the original marriage record copy.
Find Lackawanna County Divorce Records
Lackawanna County divorce records are maintained by the Family Court Division of the Clerk of Judicial Records, not by the Marriage License Bureau. The Family Court Division began in 2008 and keeps divorce actions, custody actions, family court documents, protection-from-abuse filings, filing fees, certified court seals, divorce-decree copies, and document copies for a fee. Its office is at 123 Wyoming Avenue, First Floor, Scranton, PA 18503, and the phone number is 570-963-5695.
Divorce dockets may be available through local civil or family searches when the record is public, but sensitive family material can be restricted. Custody, juvenile, PFA, adoption, sealed, and minor-related information should not be expected to appear as open public content. For a legal proof of divorce, ask for a certified divorce decree from the Family Court Division.
The research located the custodian and copy path, but did not locate a county-specific divorce packet with filing steps or current filing amounts. That means a request for an old decree should stay focused on the existing case record, while a new divorce filing should be checked against current Court of Common Pleas and Family Court Division forms before papers are filed.
Lackawanna County Marriage Records Hours
The county announced extended fourth-Thursday marriage-license hours for several 2026 dates, which gives applicants a narrow evening window beyond regular daytime application hours. Anyone relying on extended hours should still e-file first and call the bureau, because the appointment requirement remains part of the local process.
The county extended-hours notice lists the special 2026 dates for marriage-license appointments.
The extended-hours notice is most useful for couples who need an appointment outside the standard Monday through Friday application window.
Note: Check the bureau directly before relying on evening hours, because the posted special schedule is limited to the listed 2026 dates.