Death Record

You must email or call for a marriage application appointment: 201-794-5333 or HHS@fairlawn.org. 

The Registrar of Vital Statistics in Fair Lawn is located in the Health Department of Borough Hall. Vital Statistics consists of records for births, deaths, marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships that have occurred in Fair Lawn from 1924 to present.

You must call the Registrar to make an appointment for a marriage/remarriage license, or domestic partnership no walk-ins can be processed. 

On this page you will find information about the following:

  1. ORDERING A COPY OF A VITAL RECORD
  2. MARRIAGE LICENSING
  3. DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP REGISTRATION

For information on Adoption, Divorce Decrees and Frequently Asked Questions about Vital Records, please visit the NJ State Vital Statistics Website.

ORDERING A VITAL RECORD

A birth, marriage, civil union, domestic partnership or death had to physically take place in Fair Lawn. If the event took place in another town, you can locate contact information for the Registrar on the NJ State Vital Statistics website.

Death certificates may have been initially processed in Fair Lawn if the funeral home that handled the arrangements or the cemetery is located in Fair Lawn. However, after the funeral the death certificate will be permanently filed in the town that the descendent physically passed away in.

You may either come in person or request via mail a certified copy of a record. To get a copy of a vital record, you must submit:

For all orders, the following must be sent with your application:

  • all required copies of ID for proof of identity (see below)
  • the correct fees ($10 per copy)
  • copies of documents proving your relationship to the person named on the record if it is not yourself.

**You must be able to fully identify the record by providing all of the information listed on the application form. Your request cannot be accepted unless the information matches. 

  • Full name(s) on the record
  • City where the event occurred
  • Exact date of the event (month, day and year)
  • Parents names at birth (maiden name) if listed on the record.
  • For Marriage, Civil Union or Domestic Partnership - Instead of parents’ names, you must provide the name of the spouse/partner.

You must provide acceptable ID in order to get a copy of any vital record. Copies of vital records must be mailed to the address listed on your identification unless you provide a notorized letter of your new address. 

The following are acceptable forms of ID:

  • A current, valid photo driver's license or photo non-driver's license with current address 

OR

  • A current, valid driver’s license without photo and one alternate form of ID with current address 

OR

  • Two alternate forms of ID, one of which must have current address.

***IMPORTANT: The address on your drivers license is your legal address and the one that must be written on the application or your license must be accompanied by a change of address letter or email from the Motor Vehicle Division. No exceptions. NJ DMV Online Change of Address.

Alternate forms of ID are:

  • Vehicle registration
  • Vehicle insurance card
  • Voter registration
  • US/Foreign Passport
  • Immigrant Visa
  • Permanent Resident Card (Green card)
  • Federal/State ID
  • School ID
  • Bank Statement (within previous 90 days)
  • Utility bill(within the previous 90 days)
  • W-2 for current/previous tax year 

Please do not mail original documents. Legible copies are acceptable.

To get a certified copy of a person’s vital record, you must provide proof of your relationship to the person listed on the record and the proof must establish you are one of the following:

  • The subject of the record
  • The subject’s parent, legal guardian or legal representative
  • The subject’s spouse/civil union partner; child, grandchild or sibling
  • A state or federal agency for official purposes
  • Pursuant to court order

**Failure to provide proof of relationship is the number one reason certified copy applications must be rejected. 

How to prove relationship for non-genealogical records:

If you are looking for a certified copy of…

  • your own birth certificate and you have assumed your spouse’s/civil union partner’s surname you must provide a copy of the certified copy of your marriage/civil union certificate to link the name on your current ID to the name on your birth certificate. 

your child’s birth certificate

  • you don’t need any additional documents (if your current last name is different than the maiden name or other parents last name then you must provide a copy of the certified copy of your marriage/civil union certificate to link the name on your current ID to the name on your birth certificate.)

your spouse’s/civil union partner’s birth certificate

  • you must provide a copy of your marriage/civil union certificate.

your parent’s or sibling’s vital record

  • you must provide a copy of your birth certificate showing parents’ names. If you have assumed your spouse's/civil union partner's last name you must also provide a copy of your marriage/civil union certificate to link the name on your current ID to the name on your birth certificate.

your grandparent’s vital record

  • you must provide a copy of your birth certificate showing parents’ names along with the same for your parent that is the child of your grandparent.  If you have assumed your spouse's/civil union partner's last name you must also provide a copy of your marriage/civil union certificate to link the name on your current ID to the name on your birth certificate.

Legal Representatives

  • If you are the executor of an estate you must supply proof of appointment as the executor.
  • If you are an attorney who is the legal representative of the executor of an estate you must supply proof of legal retainer by the executor and proof of the appointment of the individual as the executor.
  • If you are an attorney who is the legal representative of an individual that is eligible to receive a certified copy of a vital record you must supply proof of legal retainer by the eligible individual and their proof of relationship.
  • If you are an attorney who needs a certified copy of a vital record and you are not the legal representative of an eligible person you must obtain a court order directing the Registrar to issue a certified copy of the record. A subpoena is not sufficient to issue a copy of a vital record.

Please see the NJ State Vital Records office FAQ’S Section for more information on ordering Vital Records.

Correcting a Vital Record

If there is an error on your record please visit the State website for information about getting it corrected and fill out this Reg15 Application. 

MARRIAGE LICENSE

You must call the Registrar to make an appointment for a marriage license, no walk-ins can be processed. 201-794-5327 or 201-794-5333 or via email HHS@fairlawn.org 

You are asked to fill out Page 1 of the Marriage Application and email it to HHS@fairlawn.org prior to your appointment. 

Are you being married in the State of New Jersey?

  • Yes- Continue
  • No- You must contact the state you are being married in.

Are you or your fiancé a Fair Lawn resident?

  • Yes- Continue (Does your id reflect your Fair Lawn address? If not please update prior to coming in.)
  • No- (We both live out of State but we are being married in Fair Lawn)- Continue.
  • No- (Resident(s) of another NJ town)- Please contact the town in which you live.

When will you be getting married and who will be performing the ceremony?

  • *If you do not have an officiant, a ceremony can be arranged with the Bergen County Clerks Office, 201-336-7006 or a private officiant. You must contact the County Clerk or an alternate officiant to arrange this. I do not schedule ceremonies. 

IF ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION APPLIES:

In order to do the marriage application, I will need to see:

  • The couple
  • One Witness. The witness must be over the age of 18, have valid ID of their own and speak and understand English.

You will need to bring/provide:

1. The completed, legible Page 1 of the Marriage Application: www.fairlawn.org/marriageapplication and mail to HHS@fairlawn.org in advance of your wedding. Please do not send a photo or scan of a handwritten copy. Please only send an electronic copy as this is the information used to fill in your marriage license. 

2. VALID photo ID (Non-expired: drivers license, passport or state/federal photo ID) *An International Driver’s License, an ID in a foreign language, a Matricula Consular ID card, expired id or an id showing an address different from your current address is not acceptable.

3.       Proof of Address. (Vehicle registration, Vehicle insurance card, Bank Statement (within previous 90 days), Utility bill (within the previous 90 days)).

  • a.       **IMPORTANT: The address on your driver’s license is your legal address and the one that must be written on the application or your license must be accompanied by a change of address letter or email from Motor Vehicles. No exceptions. This can easily be changed online at: NJ DMV Address Change Link

4.       Your social security number (you do not need to bring your card if you know your number. For non-US residents a TIN number is acceptable)

5.       If the couple has been previously married they will need to provide the date and location of divorce or date of death if widowed. The physical paperwork is not required. The couple will need to provide most recent spouses names/maiden names

6.       You will need to provide your names as they fully appeared on your birth certificate, legal name change or naturalization. Please do not use married names, nicknames or initials. This also applies to your parents’ names.

7.       Please provide the name, address & phone number of the person performing the ceremony.

8.       The application fee is $28 which is $25 and a separate $3. This can be paid by cash, check or a combination of both. Exact change is appreciated. NO credit or debit cards. P.L. 2022, c. 23, signed by Governor Murphy on June 30th, waives license fees for marriages and civil unions from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.  

After the application is completed, there will be a 72 hour waiting period before the license is issued. *Licenses can only be issued during business hours. The application itself is valid for 6 months.

Appointments are scheduled during regular business hours, depending upon availability. 

Call or email for an appointment: 201-794-5333 or HHS@fairlawn.org

Any documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a certified English translation. If either of the applicants do not speak English you must bring a translator.

You are asked to fill out Page 1 of the Marriage Application and email it to HHS@fairlawn.org prior to your appointment. Please only send an electronic copy as this is the information used to fill in your marriage license. 

**A blood test is no longer required for marriage.

LGBTQ+ Friendly

It is recommended to make the appointment no less than 2-4 weeks prior to the ceremony. You can apply up to 6 months in advance of your wedding. 

Only one marriage license may be granted from a marriage application. If the license expires before being used, a new application must be made and another $28 fee remitted.

REMARRIAGE 

For individuals who are currently in a marriage in New Jersey, in another state or country there exists the option to reaffirm your relationship/vows by registering a Remarriage.

In order to apply for a Remarriage the couple must provide proof of their existing marriage, meet the requirements for entering into a marriage in New Jersey and follow the guidelines above to completing the license application. Any documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

The process for a Remarriage License are the same as for the Marriage License, except that the Remarriage License must be accompanied by the proof of existing marriage and once the application is filed there is no 72 hour waiting period before the license is issued.

You are asked to fill out Page 1 of the Marriage Application prior to your appointment.  

Spanish “Entrar en un Casamiento o Union Civil en Nueva Jersey”
Russian “ЗАКЛЮЧЕНИЕ БРАКА ИЛИ ГРАЖДАНСКОГО СОЮЗА В НЬЮ-ДЖЕРСИ”
Korean “뉴저지에서의 결혼 혹은 시민결합”

DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP

You must call the Registrar to make an appointment for a domestic partnership, no walk-ins can be processed. 

Couples wishing to register a Domestic Partnership must be 62 years of age or older. Please view the requirements on the State Vital Statistics website.