Is a marriage certificate and marriage licence the same thing?

Answer 1

A marriage license is issued to allow you to get married. Once the marriage has occurred, and the license is returned to the county clerk with the appropriate signatures, they will issue a marriage certificate.

Answer 2

No they are two separate documents. The license indicates that you have provided the appropriate information to the government and been given permission to marry. The certificate means that the ceremony was solemized and witnessed. It is then registered in the court and the certificate issued.

Answer 3

Yes. A marriage license (usually issued by a county or state in the US) allows you to get married. You still need to go before a justice of the peace or minister to have the marriage performed.

Answer 4

In modern times, yes, however, marriage records in the past may have also been church records, community records, and Jewish marriage contracts (ketubbot).