Amending Marriage Certificates

Processing Time

It currently takes 4 to 6 weeks to process an amendment. We process requests in the order they are received.

Processing times are estimates and can change based on staff availability. If your request takes longer than 6 weeks, call 360-236-4300 to talk with an amendment specialist.

You can ask us to amend (officially update or fix) a marriage record for marriages that happened in Washington State from January 1, 1968, to today. For marriages before 1968, please contact the county auditor’s office where marriage license was issued.

Effective January 1, 2023, the Center for Health Statistics (CHS) adopted Policy Statement CHS-M6-2023 (PDF) that describes the requirements for a complete application to change or correct a marriage certificate using the Affidavit for Correction form. The policy follows the state law in Chapter 70.58A RCW.

Who Can Ask for an Amendment

Only certain people can ask to amend a marriage certificate:

Person A on the certificate. For older certificates, this could be Husband.
Person B on the certificate. For older certificates this could be Wife.
Officiant on the certificate.

Applications

To apply for a marriage certificate amendment, fill out an application and mail it to us. Please follow all directions on this webpage to prevent delays or having your application denied.

Note: There are different applications for amendments to birth, death, marriage, divorce, and stillbirth, also known as fetal death, certificates. This is an update to our process as of November 4, 2026, when we replaced the Affidavit for Correction (form DOH 422-034) with individual amendment application forms based on the certificate type.

Application Contents

Every application must include:

A completed Application to Amend a Marriage Certificate (PDF).
A clear copy of your government-issued photo ID to prove who you are.
Supporting proof documents for the amendment you want made.
Proof of that you qualify to request the amendment, if required.

Tip: You can use 1 document for more than 1 reason. For example, your passport can prove who you are and give the information needed to update the record.

Proof of Identity

Everyone who signs the application must send a clear copy of a government issued photo ID. The ID is used to confirm 2 things:

That you are who you say you are.
Support your proof that you qualify to amend the certificate you are trying to fix.

You can use a standard driver’s license or ID card to prove your identity only.

Prove You Qualify

You must prove you qualify to request the amendment by showing us that you are a listed person on the marriage certificate.

How to Prove I Qualify

You can prove you qualify to request an amendment using legal documents that show how you are linked to the person whose vital record you want to update. Birth and marriage certificates, along with court orders, are the most commonly used documents to show you qualify.

We also match your ID with documents that show you qualify to make sure you are who you say you are. If your name on your photo ID does not match your documents that prove you qualify, please also include a proof of your legal name change, such as a marriage certificate or certified court order for a legal name change.

Review the list below for examples of how you can prove you qualify.

Person A, Person B, or Officiant Listed on the Certificate

You are a named person on the marriage record and can prove you qualify by providing your photo ID. Your name on the certificate should match your ID, if not additional proof may be required.

What do I do when my name on my ID doesn’t match the certificate?

You must show us how your name changed. Examples of items to include are a certified copy of the court order for a legal name change or a marriage certificate.

Notes:

If your last name on your photo ID matches the last name of the other person on the marriage certificate, or you added the other person’s last name to yours on the certificate, we can use the names on the certificate and your ID to confirm you qualify.
To avoid delays, please consider providing your proof of name change documents, such as a marriage certificate or court order for a legal name change, with your application.

What if my name doesn’t match because that is what I’m trying to fix?

If you are trying to fix your name, we will use the documents you submit and your ID to link you to the record.

Supporting Proof Documents

What a Supporting Proof Document Does

A supporting proof document proves the amendment you want made. Because we need to link the amendment to the person, proof documents must show the full name and date of birth for the person whose information you want to amend.

We commonly use “proof documents” to mean the same as “supporting proof documents.”

Rules for Proof Documents

Your proof documents must meet these rules:

Show the true facts you want to update.
Match your application request exactly. For example, if you want a name to say “Mary Ann Doe,” your document must say “Mary Ann Doe.” It cannot say “Mary A. Doe” or “M. Ann Doe.”
Come from different sources if you need more than 1 proof document. For example, if you need 2 documents, one can be a vital record certificate and the other can be a medical record.
Cannot be altered. We will not accept any document that looks like it was changed or edited, such as scratched-out text, different fonts, or use of white out.

The State Registrar may ask for more proof documents if they have questions about your documents.

How Old the Proof Document Must Be

The document must be at least 5 years old or created in the first 5 years of the person’s life.

Note: It is okay if a document was printed recently, as long as it shows the record itself was created at least 5 years ago.

Exceptions to the 5-year Rule

We can accept these documents no matter when they were created:

Passport
Permanent resident card (I-551)
Certificate of Naturalization
REAL ID compliant driver’s license or ID card

Acceptable Proof Documents

Some examples of what we can accept include:

Passport
Enhanced driver’s license or ID card (REAL ID compliant)
Birth, marriage, or divorce certificate
Certificate of Naturalization
Permanent resident card (I-551)
Military record (DD-214)
Hospital/medical record
Health or life insurance policy
Official school transcripts
Government benefit record (such as Medicaid or social services)
Social Security Abstract
Full Numident Report (from the Social Security Administration via FOIA request)

We do NOT accept:

Driver’s license or ID card that is not REAL ID compliant
Social Security Card
Hospital decorative birth certificate
Family Bible

Documents in a Foreign Language

For proof documents in a language other than English or Spanish, we recommend you include an English translation, from a translation service, attached to the original document. Ask the translation service to include a signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate.

Rules to Amend Marriage Certificate Information

The list below tells you what can be amended and by whom, the number of proof documents, and additional rules that may apply.

Notes:

We cannot amend original signatures social security numbers because we do not store these details in our vital record system.
We cannot make stylistic changes to certificates.

Personal Facts

Personal facts are items on the certificate that identify the people who were married. Personal facts include:

Name
Date or place of birth
Residence
Gender
Parent’s information

Person A or Person B

Proof documents needed: 1

Rules:

Only Person A may ask for updates to their own personal information.
Only Person B may ask for updates to their own personal information.
Updates to a name can only be to fix the spelling. Changing the name requires a court order for a legal name change.

Updating Personal Information for the Other Person on the Certificate

If another spouse asks for updates to the other spouse’s personal facts, that spouse must also sign the application and provide their ID. For example: Person A is asking to update Person B’s date of birth. Person A and Person B must sign the application and provide their IDs.

Tip: Both spouses may ask to have their own personal facts updated on the same application. Both spouses must sign the application and provide their proof document and ID.

Date or Place of Marriage

Only the officiant may ask to have the date or place of marriage amended.

Officiant

Proof documents needed: None

Rules: You must be the officiant named on the certificate.

Marriages Registered Using a Court Order

You cannot use the amendment application to update a marriage certificate that was registered through a court order. You must obtain a court order and provide it to us to have the updates made.

Submit the Amendment Application

You can submit your completed application to the Department of Health by mail or in-person.

By Mail

Center for Health Statistics
Attn: Amendments
PO Box 47814
Olympia, WA 98504-7814

In Person by Appointment

Schedule An Appointment for Vital Records - You must schedule the appointment and come to our office in Tumwater for these in-person appointments.

Getting the New Certificate After Finishing the Amendment

We do not automatically send out new certificates after an amendment. We will mail you a confirmation letter that the amendment was made with next steps for ordering a certificate.

You can exchange or order a certificate at the same time as you ask for an amendment by sending both in the same envelope. Your ID and proof you qualify used for the amendment can also be used to exchange or order certificates. We will mail new certificates after the amendment is made.

Note: If you do not send the amendment and certificate requests in the same envelope, we cannot guarantee the amendment will happen first.

Free Exchange - Certificate Issued Less Than 1 Year Ago

If the certificate was issued by the Washington State Department of Health within the last year, we will exchange it for free. You can find the issue date on the back of the certificate in the lower right corner.

Send us the certificates to exchange with the amendment application.

Order and Pay - Certificate Issued Over 1 Year Ago

If the certificate was issued more than a year ago, you must buy a new one.

Send us a completed Marriage Certificate Order Form (PDF) and payment with this application. Make sure to use the updated information on the order form and follow the instructions to avoid delays.