Crittenden County Marriage Record Offices
Marriage and divorce records in Crittenden County are not kept by one clerk. Marriage licenses are county clerk records. The Crittenden County Clerk is Daryl K. Tabor, and the office is in Suite B of the County Office Complex at 200 Industrial Dr., Marion, KY 42064. The phone number is 270-965-3403, the fax is 270-965-3447, and the researched email is daryl.tabor@ky.gov. The county clerk site says the office moved to a one-level space with no-step access, better parking, more room, and a deed room with several research workstations. That matters for marriage records because the county clerk is the local office for licenses and older local license questions.
Divorce records use a court path. Divorce case files and divorce decrees are handled through Circuit or Family Court, with copies requested through Crittenden County Circuit Court Clerk Melissa Guill. The temporary court clerk location is 208 S. Main St., Marion, KY 42064, and the researched court phones are 270-965-4200 and 270-965-4046. The Kentucky Court of Justice court-record request process starts with the clerk of the court that heard the case. That is why a license search goes to the County Clerk, while a divorce decree search goes to the Circuit Court Clerk.
| Record need | Primary office | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Current marriage license | Crittenden County Clerk | License application, local issue process, required ID, and local fee confirmation |
| Older marriage license | Crittenden County Clerk | License issued in Crittenden County, plus archive direction if not held on site |
| Divorce decree or case file | Circuit Court Clerk | Certified decree, case number, docket entries, filings, and copy options |
| State certificate since June 1958 | Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics | Certified marriage or divorce certificate, not a full court file |
Apply for Crittenden County Marriage Records
Kentucky law requires a marriage license issued by a county clerk. The researched statute is KRS 402.080, which places license issuance with county clerks. For Crittenden County, that means the County Clerk, not the Circuit Court Clerk. The research did not locate a Crittenden-specific downloadable application or local appointment rule, so applicants should confirm the current walk-in or appointment process directly with the clerk before going to the office.
The research file also notes statewide county clerk sources saying a Kentucky marriage license must be used in Kentucky and is valid for 30 days, but those details were flagged for local verification before being published as a Crittenden-only rule. Treat the local clerk as the source for current ID needs, local fee, and whether both parties must appear together. The county clerk page's one-level deed room and improved parking are useful for people combining a license request with a land-record or name-history search, but the deed room does not make the County Clerk the keeper of divorce decrees.
- Contact the Crittenden County Clerk to confirm the current marriage license application method and local fee.
- Bring identity documents requested by the clerk and be ready for both parties' identifying information.
- Ask whether any local scheduling, ceremony, or return-of-license step applies before leaving the office.
- After the license is issued and the marriage is completed, ask how the recorded license can be searched or copied later.
Note: The research did not verify a current Crittenden County marriage license fee, so the page does not publish a dollar amount.
Crittenden County Marriage Form Fields
The research inventory found partial state-level application and certificate fields, but not a Crittenden-specific marriage license form. That limits what can be stated as a local requirement. The safe approach is to separate local license application needs from state certificate order needs. The County Clerk can confirm the license fields. The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics asks for requester and mailing details when a person orders a certified statewide certificate.
| Field or requirement | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parties' identities | In-person ID | Yes | Crittenden-specific form not located; verify accepted ID with the County Clerk. |
| County Clerk office | Office visit | Yes | Marriage licenses are a County Clerk function, not a court clerk function. |
| Ceremony in Kentucky | Rule | Yes | Statewide county clerk sources note Kentucky use and a 30-day license period; verify locally. |
| State certificate requester name and address | Text | Yes for state certificate | Used by Vital Statistics for certificate mailing. |
| Daytime phone | Text | Yes for state certificate | OVS asks for a number reachable during Eastern business hours. |
| Number of copies | Number | Yes for state certificate | Payment must match the number of certificates ordered. |
| Payment | Check or money order | Yes for state certificate | Payable to Kentucky State Treasurer for OVS requests. |
The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics marriage and divorce certificate page is the state source for certificate requests from June 1958 forward. The screenshot assigned to this page comes from that state certificate source.
Use that source for a certified certificate, but use the Crittenden County Clerk or Circuit Court Clerk when the goal is a local license file, decree, or full court case record.
Crittenden County Divorce Certificates
Kentucky Vital Statistics has statewide marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 to the present. OVS cannot give record information, do genealogy searches, or verify whether a certificate is on file without a completed application and the required fee. The fee is a search fee, which means it is not refunded if the record is not found. OVS also does not issue photocopies, faxed copies, non-certified copies, or electronic copies.
Mail certificate requests to Office of Vital Statistics, 275 East Main Street, 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621. The researched instructions say payment should be by check or money order payable to Kentucky State Treasurer. For records before June 1958, OVS directs people back to the county clerk where the marriage license was issued or the circuit court clerk where the divorce decree was granted. For Crittenden County, that means the County Clerk for marriage licenses and the Circuit Court Clerk for divorce decrees.
| Item | Published amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Crittenden County marriage license | Local fee not verified in official Crittenden research; confirm with County Clerk. |
| Kentucky marriage certificate | Completed application and required search fee; no refund if not found. |
| Kentucky divorce certificate | Completed application and required search fee; certificate only, not full decree. |
| Divorce decree copy | Request through Circuit Court Clerk; local court-copy amount not found in research. |
Search Crittenden County Divorce Records
Divorce case records are court records. Kentucky Family Court handles dissolution of marriage, spousal support, equitable distribution, child custody, support, visitation, paternity, adoption, domestic violence, dependency, neglect, abuse, termination of parental rights, and related family matters. Crittenden County is listed with a Family Court judge in the 5th Judicial Circuit, and divorce records route through the Circuit Court Clerk. The researched dissolution statute, KRS 403.140, places the decree of dissolution or legal separation in Circuit Court authority when statutory requirements are met.
For online access, KYeCourts/CourtNet may help where registration or guest access applies, while the docket portal can help locate court dates. Full copies of divorce decrees and court filings are not guaranteed online. The Circuit Court Clerk should be used for certified copies, older files, and cases that have moved to storage. If a record is off site, KCOJ says the clerk should identify the record facility and provide case and file locator numbers so the requester can use the State Records Center or Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives when needed.
The Kentucky Court of Justice Family Court overview explains the family-case model that applies to dissolution and related family matters in counties with Family Court coverage.
That court source helps distinguish a divorce decree and family case file from a statewide vital certificate.
Older Crittenden County Marriage Records
Older Crittenden County marriage and divorce records may require more than one search path. For pre-June 1958 marriage records, OVS directs requesters to the county clerk in the county where the license was issued. For pre-June 1958 divorce decrees, it points to the circuit court clerk in the county where the decree was granted. Historical court files may also appear in the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives judicial indexes, but those indexes are not complete and do not replace the local clerk search.
The practical path is simple. Start with the known event type. If the event was a marriage license, contact the Crittenden County Clerk. If the event was a divorce case, contact the Crittenden County Circuit Court Clerk. If the local office says the file is archived, ask for the storage site, case number, file locator, accession number, or any other identifier needed for KDLA or State Records Center follow-up. For estate-linked name changes or land transfers after a marriage or divorce, the County Clerk deed room may hold related recorded land documents, but those are not divorce case files.
- Certificate
- A certified state vital record from OVS that proves the event but may not include all case details.
- License
- The marriage authority issued and recorded by a county clerk.
- Decree
- The court order ending a marriage or granting legal separation.
- Case file
- The full court record, which may include pleadings, orders, docket entries, and restricted material.
Crittenden County Divorce Record Limits
Public access does not mean every family record is open in full. Divorce dockets and decrees may be available, but financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, minor child details, victim-sensitive information, sealed filings, and protected family material can be redacted or withheld. Adoption records and some juvenile or mental-health-related records are not ordinary public records. When a divorce case includes custody, support, domestic violence, or dependency issues, the public copy may differ from the complete case file available to parties or authorized persons.
Kentucky public-record law favors access, but exceptions still apply. The research identifies KRS 61.871 and KRS 61.872 as the broad public-records framework. Court records also follow court rules and the clerk-of-court process. For Crittenden County marriage and divorce records, the most reliable request names the parties, record type, approximate event date, and whether the request is for a plain copy, certified copy, certificate, decree, or full court file.