Getting a Marriage License in Johnston County
Marriage licenses in Johnston County come from the Register of Deeds, not the courts. The office is led by Register of Deeds Craig Olive and sits on the first floor of the courthouse at 207 E. Johnston Street, Suite 209, in Smithfield. You cannot just walk in for a license. Marriage licenses are handled by appointment, so the first step is a phone call to 919-989-5161. Both people who plan to marry must take part. There is no way to get a license through the mail or fully online.
Both parties complete the online marriage application first, then appear together in the office with ID. The state needs a government photo ID from each person. A driver's license, a state ID card, a passport, or a military ID all work. You also need to know your Social Security Number. If you do not have an SSN, call 919-989-5161 first and ask what documents the office will accept instead. The license fee is $60.00. North Carolina sets no general waiting period to pick up the license once you apply.
Some applicants have extra steps. Anyone under 18 must bring a certified birth certificate, and both parents have to be present with their own ID. People who were married before need to give the month, day, and year of their last divorce. If that divorce was final within the past 30 days, bring the original or a certified copy of the decree. A recent divorce does not block a new license. There is no waiting period between a finalized divorce and applying again.
How to Apply for a Johnston County Marriage License
The process is short once you know the order. Plan for both people to be in the office at the same time, and bring clean, valid ID. Doing the online application before the visit makes the appointment faster. Use these steps to apply for a Johnston County marriage license:
- Call the Register of Deeds at 919-989-5161 to schedule your appointment. Licenses are issued by appointment only.
- Complete the online marriage application before you arrive so your details are already in the system.
- Both parties appear together at 207 E. Johnston Street, Suite 209, Smithfield, during the marriage-license window.
- Show a government photo ID and give your Social Security Number, or the accepted documents if you have no SSN.
- If either party is under 18 or recently divorced, bring the extra paperwork (birth certificate and parents, or divorce decree).
- Pay the $60.00 fee using an accepted method, then receive your license.
Note: marriage licenses are issued by appointment Monday through Friday, with the marriage window running 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, so call ahead before you plan a visit.
Marriage License Application Fields
The marriage application asks each person for the same core facts. Most of it is simple identity and history. Knowing what to bring keeps the appointment quick. The table below lists the main fields and what each one needs.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full Legal Name | Yes | For both parties; entered on the online application. |
| Government Photo ID | Yes | Driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID. |
| Social Security Number | Yes | Must know it. No SSN? Call 919-989-5161 for accepted documents. |
| Prior Divorce Date | If applicable | Give month, day, and year of the last divorce. |
| Certified Divorce Decree | If applicable | Required only if the divorce was final within the last 30 days. |
| Certified Birth Certificate | If under 18 | Plus both parents present with their own ID. |
Johnston County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Fees split between two offices. The Register of Deeds charges for the marriage license. The Clerk of Superior Court charges for certified divorce records and other court copies. The marriage license fee is set, but some copy fees are not published in one place, so call the office that holds the record to confirm a current amount. The table below shows what is known.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license (Register of Deeds) | $60.00 |
| Certified marriage record copy (Register of Deeds) | Contact the office |
| Certified divorce judgment copy (Clerk of Superior Court) | Contact the office |
| Divorce certificate (NC Vital Records) | Contact the office |
The Register of Deeds takes cash, debit or credit, Apple Pay, and Google Pay for the license. The office does not accept checks. For divorce judgment copies, contact the Clerk of Superior Court at (919) 209-5400 to confirm the copy charge before you go.
How to Look Up Johnston County Marriage Records
The Register of Deeds runs a free online record search called EagleWeb. You can use it to find a marriage record without a trip to Smithfield. The tool sits on the office's online record search page. Marriages are indexed back to January 1, 1942. For anything older, the office points users to a separate Historical Index. You do not need to pay to view the index, but a certified copy still costs a fee.
To find a marriage record, you mostly need a name and a rough date range. The name field has a specific format. Enter the bride or groom name as Last First, with no punctuation, like Smith Sally. You can set a start date and an end date for the marriage, and you can switch the search type between Starts With and Advanced. The search-field table below shows each field on the EagleWeb marriage search.
You can reach the search on the Register of Deeds online record search page.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bride or Groom Name | Text | Optional | Enter Last First with no punctuation, e.g., Smith Sally. |
| Search Type | Dropdown | Optional | Starts With or Advanced search. |
| Marriage Date Start | Date | Optional | Calendar picker. |
| Marriage Date End | Date | Optional | Calendar picker. |
| Search All Document Types | Checkbox | Checked by default | The document list includes a MARRIAGE option. |
| Search / Clear | Buttons | n/a | Search runs the query; Clear resets the fields. |
For records before 1942, ask the office about the Historical Index instead of the standard search.
How to Find Johnston County Divorce Records
Divorce records are court records, not Register of Deeds records. This trips up a lot of people. The marriage index will never show a divorce. North Carolina divorce cases are filed in District Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. For a Johnston County divorce, that office is the local clerk at (919) 209-5400. The clerk is the source for an official, certified copy of a divorce judgment, and a fee applies.
To look up case information first, use the North Carolina eCourts Portal at portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. The portal shows public case data like party names, the case number, filing dates, and hearings. It is not the official record, though. When you need the actual signed judgment for a name change, a remarriage, or an immigration matter, go to the clerk. The broader Johnston County court records page walks through the portal step by step, and the District Court page covers the division that handles family cases.
A divorce file can hold the complaint, the judgment of absolute divorce, and related filings. Some family matters carry privacy rules. Custody, support, and protective-order details may be limited or sealed depending on the case. If part of a file is held back, the clerk can tell you what is open and what needs a court order to view.
Filing for Divorce in Johnston County
North Carolina calls a no-fault divorce an Absolute Divorce, and these cases are filed in District Court. The state offers a free online tool, Guide & File, that helps you prepare the documents for certain case types. Absolute Divorce is one of the supported types. The tool builds your forms; it does not file your case for you or tell you what to do. You can reach it at northcarolina.tylertech.cloud/OfsWeb.
Court staff cannot give legal advice. Clerks can hand you forms and explain procedure, but they cannot tell you whether to file or how your case should turn out. People who cannot afford the filing fee may ask to proceed as an indigent, using the fee-waiver petition that runs through the Judicial Branch forms and Guide & File where eligible. For free civil legal help, Legal Aid of North Carolina runs clinics on family matters where you qualify. For a referral to a private attorney, the North Carolina Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service.
Getting Certified Copies of Johnston County Records
A certified copy carries the office seal and is the version courts and agencies accept. A printout from a free online search is not certified. For a certified marriage record, order from the Register of Deeds. For a certified divorce judgment, order from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted.
Plan to confirm the copy fee and accepted payment before you go, since the two offices handle payment differently. The Register of Deeds takes cash, cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, but no checks. The clerk's office has its own payment rules for court copies. Call ahead with the names and a date or case number so the staff can pull the right record fast.
NC Vital Records and County Records
Some divorce and marriage certificates may also be available through North Carolina Vital Records, the state-level office for birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates. Which office holds a given record depends on the record type and the year. Marriage records and most recorded documents stay with the county Register of Deeds, while a divorce certificate may come from the state. Court case files, including the divorce judgment itself, stay with the local clerk. When in doubt, the local Register of Deeds can point you to the right office.
The Johnston County Register of Deeds keeps the local marriage index and answers vital-records questions for the county. Use the contact card below to reach the office.
Johnston County Register of Deeds
Craig Olive, Register of Deeds
207 E. Johnston Street, Suite 209
Smithfield, NC 27577
919-989-5161 (vital records)
Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM; vital records 8:00 AM-4:45 PM
Related Data and External Resources
A few outside resources can help when a marriage or divorce matter overlaps with other public data. These are not marriage records themselves, so read each label before you click. They cover county budget context, national and state justice data, and a service for families with an incarcerated relative.
For county government context, including how Johnston County funds its offices, see the Johnston County government budget resource.
That page is a general county-government resource, not a marriage or divorce file, but it shows how the offices that keep these records are funded.
For national data on courts, marriage, divorce, and the justice system, the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics publishes statistical reports.
BJS data is national in scope and gives broad context, not a Johnston County marriage or divorce record.
For state-level incarceration context, which can matter when one spouse is in custody, the Prison Policy Initiative compiles state data.
This is a national and state policy resource, useful for background, but it does not hold local divorce or marriage files.
If a spouse is in the county jail and you need to send money during a divorce or family matter, the jail uses JailATM for inmate money deposits.
JailATM is the jail's deposit service, not a records database, so use the offices above for any actual marriage or divorce record.