Marriage certificate

[fabulous02 1]

Hi all... I have a basic question. We just got married and I was about to order a certified copy of my marriage from the county clerk's office. I just wanted to confirm that I just need to order one certified marriage certificate that I will take with me to the interview and for the AOS forms I just send in a photocopy of the certified marriage certificate? Do people send in the actual certified marriage certificate for the AOS forms?

[Nik+Heather 122]

Rule of thumb, don't send originals of anything. Send a copy and be able to produce the original if requested (bring it to the interview as well).

We sent a photocopy of our marriage certificate

[Tina&Roland 4]

Hi all... I have a basic question. We just got married and I was about to order a certified copy of my marriage from the county clerk's office. I just wanted to confirm that I just need to order one certified marriage certificate that I will take with me to the interview and for the AOS forms I just send in a photocopy of the certified marriage certificate? Do people send in the actual certified marriage certificate for the AOS forms?

"Certified" copy is up to interpretation. We just took it as "original". Send an original to be on the safe side. We ended up ordering 5 originals and sent one off with the AOS.

[TBoneTX 47,240]

We ended up ordering 5 originals and sent one off with the AOS.

VERY smart move to order multiple copies. We ordered 7 (the most that the clerk had ever heard requested, but she constructed them in good humor) and, for numerous reasons, have 2 left.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

VERY smart move to order multiple copies. We ordered 7 (the most that the clerk had ever heard requested, but she constructed them in good humor) and, for numerous reasons, have 2 left.

I'd order multiple copies.. but it's $15 for ONE copy so ####### that. I'll be sending a photocopy as that's what the instructions say and then taking the original to the interview.

[baron555 934]

Hi all... I have a basic question. We just got married and I was about to order a certified copy of my marriage from the county clerk's office. I just wanted to confirm that I just need to order one certified marriage certificate that I will take with me to the interview and for the AOS forms I just send in a photocopy of the certified marriage certificate? Do people send in the actual certified marriage certificate for the AOS forms?

The instructions say copy is OK but we sent in on of the many certified copies we ordered following the marriage. Never hurts to do a little more just to alleviate any concerns on their part.

As we say in the dog show business, Never make the judges have to think.

[payxibka 10,048]

"Certified" copy is up to interpretation. We just took it as "original". Send an original to be on the safe side. We ended up ordering 5 originals and sent one off with the AOS.

Here is what the I-485 instructions ACTUALLY say:

.....a copy you marriage certificate, and your I-94.

The above read in conjunction with:

Unless specifically required that an original document be filed with an application or petition, an ordinary legible photocopy may be submitted. Original documents submitted when not required will remain a part of the record, even if submission was not required.

I do not see the use of the word "certified copy" so I fail to see where any "interpretation" is needed. Of course you can send in such a "certified copy" but it is certainly NOT required.

[Nik+Heather 122]

I'd order multiple copies.. but it's $15 for ONE copy so ####### that. I'll be sending a photocopy as that's what the instructions say and then taking the original to the interview.

It's 26$ in our county, and it's for a bleeping poor quality photo copy and a hastily placed embossed stamp with some initials. $26.00!!!! I'd like her job...

[TheCockyLockies 2]

It's 26$ in our county, and it's for a bleeping poor quality photo copy and a hastily placed embossed stamp with some initials. $26.00!!!! I'd like her job...

Damn! You paid too much!... only $4 in our county.

[Tina&Roland 4]

Damn! You paid too much!... only $4 in our county.

Ours was $2/copy.

[Spoom 8]

$5 a copy here. Geez, $26 for a photocopy? They must try to get revenue out of absolutely everything in that county.

We got four certified copies and I'm planning on sending one in with my AOS package.

[bamspeedy 0]

For the county where ours was done it was $20 for the first one and $3 for each additional one requested at the same time. So then it makes sense to request additional copies.

Our certificate also says it is illegal to copy it, so I'm also sending in an original rather than a copy just to be safe because of that, though I am not sure if that law is just making color copies of it or if black/white would be ok (like passport/ID's it seems like black/white copies are ok since you aren't in any way trying to make it look original).

Edited February 9, 2010 by bamspeedy

[Tina&Roland 4]

Interesting how much counties from different states charge for copies of marriage certificates.

On top of that, some make you wait for them. We got ours the same day as our civil wedding, which was pretty nice.

[Lorenzoid 12]

We requested two (2) "certified copies" from the county clerk when we sent our executed marriage license in to be recorded. In my state (GA), "certified copy" apparently means the same thing as "original," at least in the context of a recent marriage. (It may be different if one is requesting a certified copy of a marriage certificate that was recorded in the county years ago.) A few days after our wedding, the probate judge apparently simultaneously signed two separate, identical marriage certificates for us, each of which the judge's clerk then stamped with the embossed seal, and mailed off to us. In other words, the two certificates are identical and carry the same original signature of the judge and same embossed seal. The cost of one certificate was apparently included in the cost of the marriage license. The second certificate cost an extra $5. We sent one in with the AOS package and are holding onto the other for future use. We also have a copy of the executed marriage license that the clerk returned to us along with the two certificates. The executed marriage license also has an embossed seal.

In hindsight, the official instructions for the I-485 only say to send "a copy of your marriage certificate." Unlike in other sections of the instructions, such as those relating to criminal records, it does not say "certified copy" or "original." I suspect that we had "certified copy" on our brains and ended up sending the certified copy because of chatter on VJ about certified copies. But in hindsight it doesn't appear that the official instructions requested that the copy be certified.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Lorenzoid

[VanessaTony 3,567]

It says "certified copy" in the guide, i assume that's why people think it's supposed to be certified.