Columbus County Marriage Records

Columbus County marriage records are maintained at the Register of Deeds in Whiteville, North Carolina. Columbus County was formed from Bladen and Brunswick counties in 1808 and named for Christopher Columbus. Marriage records date from 1808. Two courthouse fires, in 1874 and 1888, destroyed some of the early records. Surviving materials and all post-fire filings are available at the Register of Deeds office in Whiteville.

Columbus County Register of Deeds

The Register of Deeds is at 1251 Maple Street in Whiteville. The phone number is (910) 640-6625. Office hours run Monday through Friday during standard business hours. The office is the official keeper of marriage licenses and certificates for Columbus County.

Staff can search the available index and provide copies of records that survived the courthouse fires and all records filed after them. Certified copies are needed for legal purposes and carry the Register's official seal. Uncertified copies are available for personal use or genealogical research. Call the office ahead of a visit to confirm fees and what years are fully accessible in the current index.

Courthouse Fires and Columbus County Marriage Records

Columbus County suffered two courthouse fires in the 19th century. The first struck in 1874, destroying records accumulated over the county's first 66 years of existence. The second fire came in 1888, just 14 years after the first, which further reduced the early documentary record. These two fires mean that pre-1888 records in Columbus County are patchy and incomplete.

Despite these losses, some records from before 1888 may have survived. Materials stored outside the courthouse, or records that were copied before the fires, sometimes escaped destruction. The North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh holds transcripts and microfilm collections for Columbus County that include some pre-fire materials. Researchers working on marriages before 1888 should check the State Archives in addition to the local office in Whiteville.

Records from after 1888 are intact and available at the Register of Deeds in Whiteville. For any marriage in Columbus County after that date, the Whiteville office is the complete and authoritative source. Do not assume a record is lost based on the fires alone. Contact both the local office and the State Archives before concluding that no record exists.

Getting Columbus County Marriage Record Copies

Visit the Register of Deeds at 1251 Maple Street in Whiteville to request copies in person. Bring both parties' names and the approximate year of the marriage. Staff will search the index and pull the available record. Payment is collected at the time of pickup.

Mail requests are accepted at the Whiteville address. Include both parties' names, the year, your return mailing address, and a check or money order for the fee. Call (910) 640-6625 before mailing to confirm the current fee schedule and any special requirements for historical records requests.

The NC Vital Records office in Raleigh holds statewide records from 1962 onward. For Columbus County marriages before 1962, the local office is the primary source. The State Archives is the resource of choice for pre-1888 materials. All three agencies work independently of each other, so a check with all three gives the most complete picture for historical research.

Marriage Licenses in Columbus County

Both people must appear together at the Register of Deeds in Whiteville to apply for a marriage license. Columbus County residency is not required. Under NCGS 51-6, a license from any North Carolina county is valid for a ceremony anywhere in the state.

Both applicants must present valid government-issued photo identification. Under NCGS 51-8, both must be at least 18 years old without a court order. The license is valid for 60 days. After the ceremony, the officiant signs the certificate and returns it to the Register of Deeds within the time required by NCGS 130A-93. The filed certificate is then indexed as the official Columbus County marriage record.

Columbus County and Southeastern NC Marriage Records

Columbus County sits in the coastal plain of southeastern North Carolina, bounded by Bladen, Brunswick, and Robeson counties and the South Carolina state line. The county's agricultural character and its location near the South Carolina border mean many families in the old marriage records had connections to both states.

Whiteville is a small city, and the county as a whole is rural. The Register of Deeds office serves the entire county from this one location. Researchers tracing families in the Columbus County area should also check adjacent counties because family ties and county border changes over time mean records may be split between multiple counties. Bladen County, from which Columbus County was formed, may hold records for the region's pre-1808 families.

The Lumber River corridor runs through parts of Columbus County and connects communities that have been home to the Lumbee people for centuries. Research on Lumbee and Tuscarora families may benefit from looking at both Columbus County marriage records and those of neighboring Robeson County, which is the center of the Lumbee community in North Carolina.

Nearby Counties

Columbus County borders several southeastern North Carolina counties. Each has its own Register of Deeds and marriage records.