(Philippine legal context; practical and procedural guide)

1. Why “legally married” matters

In Philippine law, a person is legally married when a valid marriage exists and has not been legally dissolved or declared void. This status affects property relations, inheritance, legitimacy of children, ability to remarry, and even criminal liability (e.g., bigamy).

Because there is no single public “marriage database” open for casual searching, confirming someone’s marital status requires using specific documents and offices.

2. The main official proof: PSA marriage records

2.1 PSA Marriage Certificate

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is the national repository of civil registry records. If a marriage was registered, PSA can issue a Marriage Certificate.

How to check through PSA:

Request a PSA Marriage Certificate under the person’s name.
If PSA issues a certificate, you have evidence that the person has a registered marriage.

Who can request? Access is not unlimited. PSA releases civil registry documents to:

the person named in the record,
their spouse,
parents, children, grandparents, legal guardian,
or an authorized representative with proper ID and authorization.

If you are not within these relationships, you may be refused due to privacy and registry rules.

2.2 PSA CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage Record)

The most common way to verify if someone has a record of marriage is the CENOMAR.

What it shows:

A statement that the PSA has no marriage record for the person, or
If there is a marriage record, the CENOMAR will typically reflect that fact (sometimes with annotations).

Important limitations:

A “no record” result does not automatically mean the person is unmarried. It may also mean:
- the marriage was never registered,
- registration is delayed or pending transmission to PSA,
- the record is under a different name spelling,
- the person married abroad and it was not reported,
- the person is married under Muslim/tribal rites recorded elsewhere, or
- registry errors exist.

2.3 PSA “Advisory on Marriages”

For some cases, PSA issues an Advisory on Marriages, which lists all marriage records in PSA for that person.

This is often required in official transactions where multiple marriages or identity issues are suspected.

3. Local Civil Registry (LCR) verification

Before records reach PSA, they start in the Local Civil Registry of the city/municipality where the marriage was celebrated.

What to do:

Identify the place of marriage (city/municipality).
Request a certified true copy of the Marriage Certificate from that LCR.

This is useful if:

the marriage is recent and not yet at PSA,
PSA has no record but you suspect a local registration exists, or
there are spelling / clerical issues at PSA.

Limits: LCRs also follow privacy rules. You generally need to be a qualified requester or have authorization.

4. Court-based checks (for annulment, nullity, divorce recognition)

Even if a person was married, they might now be legally free to remarry only if a court has:

Declared the marriage void (nullity), or
Annulled the marriage, or
Recognized a foreign divorce (for applicable cases).

4.1 Looking for PSA annotations

When a marriage is voided/annulled/foreign divorce recognized, the court decision is sent to the LCR and PSA for annotation. So, the PSA Marriage Certificate may carry notes such as:

“Marriage declared void ab initio…”
“Annulment decree…”
“Foreign divorce recognized…”

If the PSA Marriage Certificate is annotated, that is the easiest official signal.

4.2 Checking court records directly

If you are a party or have a legitimate interest:

You may verify case existence in the Family Court / Regional Trial Court (RTC) where the case was filed.
You can request certified copies of decisions if allowed.

Reality check: Courts do not provide open public searches for marriage status. You need case details, relationship, or authority.

5. Special situations you must consider

5.1 Unregistered marriages

A marriage is required to be registered, but failure to register does not automatically make it void. It may remain valid if the legal requisites were met. So a person can be “legally married” even if PSA has no record if the marriage was celebrated validly but never registered.

5.2 Marriages abroad

Filipinos who marry abroad must report the marriage to the Philippine Embassy/Consulate, then to PSA.

If not reported, PSA will show no record even though the marriage is valid abroad — and often recognized in PH once properly reported and registered.

5.3 Muslim marriages (PD 1083 / Code of Muslim Personal Laws)

Marriages under Muslim law are registered with:

the Shari’a Circuit Court, and
local registrars, then eventually transmitted to PSA.

Transmission gaps can happen. When dealing with a Muslim marriage, verify with:

the local Shari’a court,
the LCR where it was registered,
PSA afterward.

5.4 Indigenous cultural community marriages

Some marriages under customary law have distinct registration histories. Verification may require:

LCR inquiry, and
community/cultural authority confirmation, then cross-check against PSA.

5.5 Use of different names / identity issues

Records might appear under:

maiden name,
prior married name,
different spelling,
alias, or
incorrect birth details.

When checking, you often need to try all reasonable name variants.

6. Practical step-by-step approach

Here’s a realistic PH workflow depending on your situation:

If you have a legitimate right to request documents:

Get PSA CENOMAR (or Advisory on Marriages).
If it shows a marriage record → request PSA Marriage Certificate.
Check for annotations on the PSA Marriage Certificate.
If PSA shows no record but suspicion remains → verify with the LCR of possible marriage venue(s).
If there’s reason to believe an annulment/nullity/divorce recognition exists → check for annotated PSA record or verify through court if you are a proper party.

If you are not an authorized requester:

Your options are narrower. You may need:
- the person’s consent and SPA (Special Power of Attorney), or
- a court order (rare unless litigation requires it).

7. What doesn’t reliably prove someone is unmarried

Be careful with these common but weak indicators:

Social media status
Barangay “certificate of singleness”
Employer HR records
Church statements alone
Verbal claims
No ring / living separately
PSA CENOMAR alone (because of unregistered or unreported marriages)

Only civil registry and court records provide legal certainty.

8. Privacy and legality of checking

Philippine civil registry documents are not open-access public data. Attempting to obtain someone’s marriage record through deceit, fixers, or unauthorized channels can expose you to:

document fraud issues,
privacy violations,
evidentiary problems if used in court.

Always use official channels.

9. Red flags and common scams

“Online marriage status check” websites claiming instant searches.
Fixers offering “verified PSA results” without IDs/authorization.
Fake CENOMAR / Marriage Certificates circulating online.

PSA documents have security paper, QR/serial features, and official release processes. If needed, confirm authenticity with PSA/LCR.

10. When you should consult a lawyer

You’ll want legal help if:

the person may be married abroad or under different rites,
there’s a suspected void marriage / bigamy risk,
records are inconsistent or missing,
you need a court order to access documents, or
your purpose is to support litigation (inheritance, custody, property, criminal complaint).

A lawyer can also guide you on proper evidence and lawful access.

11. Bottom line

To confirm if someone is legally married in the Philippines, rely on civil registry and court records, not informal proof. The gold-standard checks are:

PSA CENOMAR / Advisory on Marriages
PSA Marriage Certificate (if a record exists)
Local Civil Registry verification
Annotations indicating annulment/nullity/foreign divorce recognition
Court confirmation when legally necessary and permissible

Each step has limits, especially around privacy and unregistered marriages, so conclusions should be made carefully and, when stakes are high, with professional legal support.