Marblehead Town Clerk

I called the town clerk to get some information. They picked up on the first ring and helped me out.

Used this clerk to get married when we traveled to Salem. By far the worst experience getting my marriage certificate. Apparently, if your parents aren't married when you're born, it's called a RESTRICTED license. Which they told me was no big deal. It basically means no one can pick up the record unless it's one of us. We thought, hey, no problem. We talked to them about how to get it, and they said it would be an easy online application. Sweet, that sounds great! We needed to make sure we got it within 30 days so I could get my wife put on my insurance. Once again, oh, it's so easy, no problem.

We got the minister to drop off the paperwork after he filled out his section. They said it was messed up and had to send it back. Then he dropped it off, and they told me the paperwork was good and I could do an online request because they can't do it over the phone. So I went online and applied to get my license. They email me a couple of days later saying that they couldn't process it because it's a restricted license and I would have to send in a NOTARIZED request and a copy of my license for them to release it. I overnighted the request to them, but they close at noon on Fridays, so it didn't get processed until Monday. At this point, I had talked to them about how urgent it was for me to receive this as fast as possible for my insurance. They sent it out the next day instead of the day they received it. They didn't expedite the certificate or give us any kind of letter saying we were married, which is all i needed to start the insurance. I called and emailed numerous times, even just requesting an email saying we were married. I was ignored and got no response. Now here I am 30 days later and still haven't received it and now i can't get my insurance through because of their laws and disregard of informing me that to order online, I would need a notarized request WHICH I COULD HAVE DONE WHILE I WAS STILL IN MA so they could have it on record.

They seem kind and knowledgeable, but you don't find out the details until you're trying to go through the process. Now I am stuck waiting A FULL YEAR to start her insurance.

Thanks a lot guys! Maybe your staff should be more knowledgeable and let people know the truth of the matter instead of giving half the information and watching people who trusted you fail.