In the Philippines, questions about whether a person is legally married are not just romantic issues—they can have serious legal consequences. Bigamy is a crime, contracts can be void, property rights are affected, and immigration or employment applications can be denied if marital status is misrepresented.

Two of the most commonly used tools to check if someone is married are:

A PSA-issued marriage certificate, and
A CENOMAR – Certificate of No Marriage Record (sometimes called “Certificate of Singleness”).

This article explains, in a Philippine context, how to use these documents to check if someone is legally married, what they can and cannot prove, and the legal pitfalls you need to know.

1. Legal Framework: Why Marital Status Matters

1.1. The Family Code

The Family Code of the Philippines (Executive Order No. 209, as amended) governs:

Who can marry (age, capacity, absence of impediments)
The formal and essential requisites of marriage
The registration of marriages

Key points:

A marriage is generally valid if all legal requisites exist—even if it is not registered yet—though lack of registration makes proof in court much harder.
Bigamy (contracting a second marriage while the first is still valid) is a crime under the Revised Penal Code.
Marital status affects:
- Property relations (conjugal, absolute community)
- Succession/inheritance
- Legal capacity to marry again
- Certain employment/immigration/benefit requirements

1.2. Civil Registration and the PSA

Civil registration in the Philippines is governed mainly by:

Act No. 3753 (Civil Registry Law)
The law creating the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and related implementing rules

The PSA:

Maintains the national civil registry (births, marriages, deaths, etc.), consolidating reports from local civil registrars.
Issues certified copies of civil registry documents:
- Birth Certificates
- Marriage Certificates
- Death Certificates
- CENOMAR / Advisory on Marriages

These PSA-issued documents are routinely used as official proof of marital status in government and private transactions.

2. Understanding the Key Documents

2.1. PSA Marriage Certificate

A PSA marriage certificate is a certified copy of the marriage entry as transmitted from the Local Civil Registry (LCR) to the PSA.

Typical contents include:

Names of the spouses
Their ages and civil status at the time of marriage (e.g., single, widowed, annulled)
Date and place of marriage
Name of the officiating officer (judge, priest, pastor, imam, etc.)
Type of marriage (civil, church, Muslim, etc.)
Signatures of parties and witnesses
Registry entry details

The PSA marriage certificate generally proves:

That a marriage was reported and recorded in the civil registry
The date and place of that marriage
That the state recognizes that record as part of official public documents

However, note:

A marriage certificate is evidence of a recorded marriage, not an automatic guarantee that the marriage is legally valid in all respects (for example, there might be hidden legal defects).

2.2. CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage Record)

A CENOMAR is a PSA-issued certification that, based on its records, a person has no recorded marriage.

Key points:

It is issued per name, usually with:
- Full Name
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Parents’ full names
It certifies that the PSA has no record of any marriage for that person within the PSA database, or it lists the marriages found (in which case the document is sometimes referred to as an Advisory on Marriages).

Important nuances:

CENOMAR may show “no record” even if:
- A marriage was not properly reported to the civil registrar.
- A marriage was celebrated abroad and not reported to the Philippine embassy/consulate or to the PSA.
- There are encoding errors, name discrepancies, or delayed transmissions.
For people who have been previously married:
- The PSA often issues an Advisory on Marriages listing all recorded marriages and any annotations (e.g., annulled, nullified, deceased spouse, foreign divorce recognized by a Philippine court).
After an annulment or nullity decree, PSA documents are usually annotated, but they do not always restore a person’s status to “single” in practical documentation. Instead, the record shows that the marriage exists but has been annulled or declared void by court.

3. When Would You Need to Check if Someone Is Married?

Common scenarios:

Before entering into marriage (to avoid bigamy and void marriages)
For immigration or visa processing
For employment abroad (some employers require proof of marital status)
For bank loans or property transactions involving spouses
For annulment/nullity/bigamy proceedings
For inheritance and estate settlement
For due diligence in personal relationships (though this raises privacy/ethical issues)

4. How to Obtain a CENOMAR from PSA

(Processes and fees can change, so always verify current procedures with official PSA channels before applying in real life.)

4.1. Information You Need

To request a CENOMAR effectively, you should have:

Full Name (including middle name)
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Sex
Parents’ full names
Civil status claimed (e.g., single, widowed, divorced, annulled)
A valid government-issued ID

If you are requesting for another person, many PSA channels require:

Your own valid ID
An authorization letter signed by the owner of the record
A photocopy of the owner’s valid ID

(Practice on the ground can be looser, but strictly speaking, third-party requests without authorization may raise data privacy concerns.)

4.2. Where to Request

Generally, CENOMARs may be obtained through:

PSA Civil Registry Service outlets (Serbilis Centers)
Certain SM Business Centers or partner outlets (walk-in assistance)
Online platforms authorized by PSA (e.g., PSA online ordering services)
Through a representative with proper authorization

4.3. Steps (General Flow)

Prepare Requirements
- Gather all required personal data and valid IDs.
- If requesting for someone else, secure authorization and copies of IDs.
Fill Out the Request Form
- Use the PSA CENOMAR request form.
- Double-check spellings of names and dates; errors can lead to “no record” or wrong results.
Pay the Official Fee
- Fees vary depending on where and how you apply (walk-in vs. online, local vs. abroad, etc.).
- Keep official receipts.
Wait for Processing and Release
- Walk-in: release may be same day or in a few days.
- Online: documents are delivered to the provided address.
Receive the CENOMAR / Advisory on Marriages
- Inspect the document carefully (name, birth details, remarks, listed marriages).

5. How to Interpret a CENOMAR or Advisory on Marriages

5.1. If the CENOMAR Says “No Record of Marriage”

This usually means:

The PSA has no recorded marriage for the person under that name and details.

You might cautiously infer that:

The person likely has never been married in the Philippines, or
Any marriage that did occur was never recorded, improperly recorded, or recorded under different details.

You should NOT treat this as 100% absolute proof of singleness, especially in sensitive legal contexts.

Red flags/limitations:

The person may have:
- Married under an alias or different spelling/arrangement of names
- Married abroad without reporting it to the PSA
- Married in a jurisdiction or under circumstances that were never registered (e.g., informal or unreported religious marriage)

5.2. If the PSA Issues an Advisory on Marriages

Instead of a pure “no record” CENOMAR, you may receive a document listing recorded marriages:

Names of spouses
Date and place of marriage
Civil registry number or entry details
Any annotations (for example: “Annulled by virtue of decision of RTC…”, “With foreign divorce recognized by court…”)

From this, you can see:

How many marriages the PSA has on record for that person
Whether there have been multiple marriages
Whether some marriages have been legally dissolved or declared void, as would be reflected in the annotation

But again:

The Advisory on Marriages shows what is recorded, not necessarily the ultimate legal validity or invalidity of each marriage (that is a matter for courts).

6. How to Check a Specific Marriage Using a PSA Marriage Certificate

If you already know or suspect that a specific marriage took place—for example, a rumored civil wedding in Quezon City on a certain date—you can try to obtain a PSA marriage certificate for that event.

6.1. Information You Need

Full names of both parties
Approximate date of marriage
Place of marriage (city/municipality and, if known, the church or court)
Valid ID of requester
If requesting for someone else: authorization, relationship, IDs

6.2. Steps (General Flow)

File the Request
- Indicate that you are requesting a marriage certificate.
- Provide the details as accurately as possible.
Pay the Fees
- As with CENOMAR, fees vary by channel.
Processing & Release
- The PSA will search its database and either:
  - Issue the marriage certificate, or
  - Issue a Negative Certification if no record is found.

6.3. If a Marriage Certificate Is Issued

This strongly suggests:

A marriage was recorded between the named persons at the stated time and place.

If you are checking whether someone is legally free to marry you, a PSA marriage certificate showing an existing, non-annotated marriage is a serious red flag. They are presumed still married, unless:

There is an annulment/nullity judgment,
A recognized foreign divorce (for a marriage to a foreign spouse, with court recognition), or
The spouse has died (and the death is provable, ideally by a PSA death certificate).

6.4. If PSA Issues a Negative Certification

This means that:

PSA has no record of that marriage.

Possible interpretations:

There was no marriage at all, or
The marriage:
- Was registered only at the Local Civil Registry and not forwarded to PSA,
- Has a different set of details than you provided (wrong name spelling, wrong date), or
- Was not registered at all.

To dig deeper:

You might need to check directly with the Local Civil Registrar of the city/municipality where the marriage supposedly took place.
In some cases, late transmission or errors can cause mismatches.

7. Special Situations That Can Mislead You

7.1. Marriages Celebrated Abroad

If a Filipino contracts marriage abroad:

The marriage is generally valid according to the law of the place where it was celebrated, as long as it is not contrary to Philippine public policy.
For it to appear in the PSA records, the parties usually need to file a Report of Marriage at a Philippine embassy/consulate, which is later transmitted to the PSA.

Consequences:

If there was no report filed, PSA may have no record of the foreign marriage.
A CENOMAR from PSA might say “no marriage,” even though the person is actually married under foreign law.

7.2. Muslim and Customary Marriages

For Muslim Filipinos and certain indigenous peoples, marriages may be celebrated under personal laws or customs (e.g., under the Code of Muslim Personal Laws).

These marriages are valid if they meet the requirements of the special laws.
They should still be registered with the proper civil registry or Shari’a court.

If these marriages are not properly reported:

PSA might not have any record, leading to a false sense of singleness if you rely purely on CENOMAR.

7.3. Annulments, Nullity of Marriage, Legal Separation, and Divorce

Annulment or Declaration of Nullity: requires a Philippine court decision.
Legal separation: does not dissolve the marriage; the spouses remain married.
Foreign divorce: generally for mixed marriages (Filipino + foreigner), and still usually needs Philippine court recognition to produce full effect on Philippine records.

Once a judgment is final:

The civil registrar and PSA should be notified.
PSA will typically annotate the marriage record (and sometimes related birth certificates).

In practice:

PSA often continues to show the marriage record (not wiped out) but with annotations like “Marriage declared null and void…”
This means you must read the annotation carefully rather than just look at whether a marriage record exists.

7.4. Death of a Spouse

If someone’s spouse has died:

The marriage is dissolved by death.
Proof of this is usually via a PSA death certificate.

However:

Their PSA records will still show that a marriage existed.
CENOMAR may not suddenly re-classify them as “single”; they are considered widowed.

So, if you see:

A marriage record + death certificate of the spouse = the person may now legally remarry, provided no other impediments exist.

8. Legal and Ethical Use of CENOMAR and Marriage Records

8.1. Data Privacy Concerns

The Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173) protects personal information.

While PSA documents are public records, how they are requested and used can raise privacy concerns, especially if:

You request CENOMAR for someone without their knowledge or consent, for purely personal or malicious purposes.
You share copies publicly or online.

Best practices:

Obtain consent whenever possible.
Use documents only for legitimate purpose (legal, contractual, compliance, or genuinely protective reasons).
Safeguard physical and digital copies; avoid unnecessary copying or posting.

8.2. Criminal Liability and Good Faith

In certain criminal cases (like bigamy), parties may argue:

They relied in good faith on a CENOMAR or PSA certificates.

However:

Courts will look at overall circumstances, not just the presence of a CENOMAR.
Blind reliance on a single PSA document may not always shield someone from liability if there were other indications of an existing marriage.

8.3. Limitations of PSA Documents as Evidence

In litigation:

PSA documents are official records and have strong evidentiary weight.
Still, they can be:
- Rebutted by other evidence,
- Attacked if there are proven errors, or
- Insufficient if there is clear proof of unregistered but otherwise valid marriages.

Always remember:

PSA documents are evidence of what is recorded in the civil registry. They are not a substitute for a full legal determination by a court.

9. Practical Checklists

9.1. If You’re Considering Marriage and Want to Check Your Partner’s Status

Ask directly and watch for consistency in answers.
Request that they personally secure and show:
- A PSA CENOMAR / Advisory on Marriages in their name
- A PSA birth certificate (to confirm identity details)
If there are suspicious hints of previous marriage:
- Ask for:
  - PSA marriage certificate, if they admit previous marriage,
  - Court decision of annulment/nullity (if applicable),
  - PSA-annotated marriage certificate,
  - PSA death certificate of the prior spouse (if widowed), or
  - Court recognition of foreign divorce.
Be cautious if:
- There are inconsistent spellings of their name,
- They refuse to show original PSA documents,
- Their claimed status (e.g., “annulled”) is not reflected in any official annotations or documents.

9.2. If You Are Checking for Legal or Business Purposes

Determine the exact purpose (e.g., inheritance, contract, court pleading).
Get:
- CENOMAR / Advisory on Marriages
- All relevant marriage certificates
- Any court orders (annulment, nullity, foreign divorce recognition, legal separation)
- Death certificates (if a spouse has died)
Consider consulting a Philippine lawyer, especially if:
- There are multiple marriages,
- Possible foreign marriages,
- Prior court cases, or
- Disputes over property and inheritance.

10. Common Misconceptions

Myth 1: “If CENOMAR says ‘no record,’ the person is definitely single.” Reality: It means no recorded marriage in PSA; it does not cover unregistered marriages or unreported foreign marriages.

Myth 2: “After annulment, PSA will erase the marriage.” Reality: PSA usually annotates the record; the marriage remains recorded but marked as annulled or void.

Myth 3: “Legal separation lets you remarry.” Reality: Legal separation does not dissolve the marriage; you cannot remarry.

Myth 4: “You can’t be charged with bigamy if you have a CENOMAR.” Reality: Bigamy involves actual existence of a prior valid marriage. A mistaken or incomplete PSA record may not automatically save someone if there is strong proof of a prior marriage.

11. Key Takeaways

PSA Marriage Certificate
- Proves that a marriage is recorded in the civil registry.
- Useful for confirming specific suspected marriages.
CENOMAR / Advisory on Marriages
- States whether the PSA has a record of any marriage under a person’s details.
- May list marriages and annotations (advisory).
- Powerful but not infallible; limited to recorded data.
Use both documents together, and supplement with:
- Court decisions,
- Death certificates,
- Local civil registry checks,
- Legal advice, when necessary.
Always balance:
- The legal need to know someone’s true marital status, and
- The person’s privacy rights and dignity.

Final Note (Non-Legal Advice Disclaimer)

This article is for general information only and does not create a lawyer–client relationship or substitute for personalized legal advice. For complicated or high-stakes situations—especially involving bigamy, annulment, foreign marriages, or large property interests—consult a Philippine lawyer who can assess specific facts and review actual documents.