Verifying someone’s marital status in the Philippines typically revolves around records maintained by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Local Civil Registrars (LCRs). This article explains every practical and legal angle: the documents to request, how to obtain them, who may ask, how the results are interpreted, common pitfalls, and special situations (annulments, foreign marriages, Muslim/indigenous customary marriages, apostille for use abroad, and more).

1) The Core Documents (What to Ask For and Why)

A. CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage Record)

What it says: That, as of the date of search, PSA has no record of a marriage for the named person (based on the details you provided).
What it does not say: It is not an absolute guarantee the person has never been married. If a marriage was never reported/registered, or was registered abroad and never reported to the Philippines, a CENOMAR can still come back “no record.”
Typical uses: Pre-marriage requirements, employment, immigration, due diligence.

B. PSA Marriage Certificate (if the person is or was married)

What it says: The basic facts of the marriage (names of spouses, date/place, etc.).
Annotated copies: If there’s a court decree of nullity, annulment, or foreign divorce recognized by a Philippine court, the marriage certificate should be annotated to reflect the court decision and its finality.

C. Advisory on Marriages (AOM)

What it says: A consolidated list of all marriages (if any) found under the person’s record, with dates and places.
Why it matters: An AOM provides a quick overview—useful where multiple marriages may exist or to confirm that no marriage appears on file (functionally similar to CENOMAR for some institutions, but many still specifically require a CENOMAR).

D. Related Records That Affect Marital Status

Death Certificate of a Spouse: Proves widow/er status.
Court Decisions:
- Declaration of Nullity/Annulment (plus Certificate of Finality).
- Recognition of Foreign Divorce (final Philippine court judgment). These must be registered so that the PSA record becomes annotated—until then, the PSA may still show the person as married.
Report of Marriage (ROM): For marriages celebrated abroad, this must be filed with a Philippine Embassy/Consulate and transmitted to PSA. Without a ROM, PSA may show “no marriage on record” even if the person married overseas.

2) Who Is Allowed to Request These Records

As a rule, the owner of the record may request their own CENOMAR/AOM/marriage certificate. For third-party requests, the PSA generally requires:

A signed authorization letter from the owner, identifying the representative.
A valid ID of the owner (copy) and the valid ID of the representative (original).
For minors: a parent/guardian requests on their behalf (with proof of relationship/guardianship).
For sensitive records, PSA may limit release to the owner, spouse, parent, direct descendant, or someone with a Special Power of Attorney (SPA).

Data privacy note: Personal data in civil registry documents is protected by Philippine privacy laws. Expect identity checks.

3) How to Request (Walk-In, Online Delivery, Representatives)

A. Information You’ll Need

Complete name (and known name variants), date of birth, place of birth (for better matching), and parents’ full names (especially for CENOMAR/AOM searches).
For marriage records: full names of both spouses, date/place of marriage if known.

B. Where/How to Request

PSA Civil Registry System (CRS) outlets: Apply in person, present valid ID, fill out request form, pay the fee, and claim the document when released.
Authorized partner centers/counters: Some third-party counters are authorized to accept requests and deliver PSA-issued copies. Always verify that you are dealing with an official channel.
Online request platforms: PSA-authorized portals can accept requests and arrange courier delivery. You’ll enter ID details and upload any authorization if you’re a representative.

C. Processing & Fees

Processing times and fees change. Budget for standard fees per copy and possible courier charges for delivery. In-person processing is often same day or within a few working days; delivery services take longer depending on location.

D. Receiving the Document

PSA issues on security paper (SECPA) with control features. Do not laminate. Many institutions will only accept recently issued copies.

4) Reading and Interpreting the Results

A. “No Marriage on File” (CENOMAR/AOM shows none)

Treat this as “no marriage record found as of the search date.”
It does not rule out:
1. A marriage that was never registered;
2. A marriage abroad that was never reported to the PSA;
3. Clerical errors or mismatched identity (name spellings, missing middle name, wrong birthdate).

B. “Marriage Found” (AOM lists one or more marriages; PSA marriage certificate exists)

Verify the identity matches the person (name, birth details, parents’ names).
If the person claims they are single due to annulment, nullity, or divorce, check for an annotation on the marriage certificate reflecting:
- Court case title/number
- Date of decision
- Entry of judgment/Certificate of Finality
No annotation? In practice, many institutions will still treat the individual as married until the annotation appears.

C. Multiple/Conflicting Entries

Multiple marriages could be: legitimate, duplicate registrations, or clerical errors.
Ask for an AOM to see the complete picture, then resolve discrepancies through the LCR/PSA correction processes.

5) Correcting or Updating the Records

A. Clerical Errors & Minor Corrections (Administrative)

Certain clerical errors (misspellings, transposed letters) and some day/month or sex corrections are administratively correctible via the Local Civil Registrar under special laws (often filed where the event was recorded).
Outcomes are then endorsed to the PSA for updating.

B. Substantive Status Changes (Judicial)

Annulment/Declaration of Nullity: Must be obtained through a court. After finality, have the decision registered/annotated so PSA reflects the change.
Foreign Divorce Recognition: If the divorce was obtained abroad by the foreign spouse, the Filipino may petition a Philippine court to recognize the foreign divorce. After finality and registration, PSA will annotate the marriage record.
Legal Separation: Does not permit remarriage; marital status remains “married.”

Practice tip: Until the annotation appears on the PSA marriage certificate, assume institutions will rely on the existing (unannotated) PSA record.

6) Special Contexts

A. Marriages Celebrated Abroad (Filipino Spouse)

A Report of Marriage (ROM) should be filed with the Philippine Foreign Service Post and transmitted to PSA.
If no ROM was filed, PSA may still show a CENOMAR even if the person married abroad. This is a classic due-diligence trap.

B. Muslim Marriages and Shari’a Court Decrees

Muslim marriages and divorces fall under special laws and the Shari’a courts. They should still be registered and endorsed to PSA for central recording.
Confirm that the decree/decision has been properly entered and endorsed so PSA records reflect the status.

C. Indigenous Customary Marriages

Customary marriages must be registered to have civil effects reflected in the PSA system. Work with the LCR for compliance and endorsements.

7) Use Abroad: Apostille / Consular Legalization

If your CENOMAR, AOM, or PSA certificate will be used overseas, many authorities require apostille:

Obtain the PSA document (on security paper).
Apostille at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the Philippines.
If the destination country does not accept apostilles, use consular legalization as instructed by that country’s embassy/consulate.

Tip: Many institutions abroad also require that the PSA document be recent (e.g., issued within 3 or 6 months). Check the receiving authority’s rule.

8) Validity, “Freshness,” and Common Institutional Requirements

Validity period: No statute sets a fixed validity for CENOMAR/AOM, but many offices insist on documents issued within 6 months (sometimes 3 months).
Originals vs. photocopies: Originals on PSA security paper are typically required.
Name consistency: Make sure spelling, middle names, and suffixes (Jr./III) match your IDs and application forms.

9) Due Diligence Checklist (Quick Reference)

If the person claims to be single:

Request CENOMAR and an AOM.
Cross-check birth details and parents’ names used in the search.
Ask about marriage abroad; if yes, request ROM proof or foreign certificate plus translation/apostille.

If the person is/was married:

Get PSA Marriage Certificate (prefer annotated if there was a case).
If annulled/void/divorced-abroad: request annotated PSA marriage certificate or the final court decision + finality and proof it has been registered/endorsed.
If widowed: request PSA Death Certificate of spouse.

If records conflict or are missing:

Secure an AOM to see the full list of marriages.
Work with the LCR for corrections/late registration endorsements.
Consider name variants (e.g., with/without middle name, hyphenated surnames, maiden vs. married name).

10) Practical “How-To” (Step-by-Step)

For a CENOMAR/AOM:

Prepare valid government ID (and authorization letter/SPA if you’re a representative).
Gather details: full name, DOB, parents’ names, place of birth (to increase match accuracy).
File the request at a PSA CRS outlet or through an authorized online/partner channel.
Pay the official fee (plus delivery, if any).
Receive the PSA-issued copy on security paper. Keep it unlaminated and clean.

For a PSA Marriage Certificate:

Use both spouses’ full names and date/place of marriage if known.
If annulled/void/divorce-recognized: request the annotated copy; if unannotated, bring the final court docs and consult the LCR/PSA on endorsement status.

For apostille (use abroad):

Get the PSA copy first.
Proceed to DFA apostille (appointment, submission, claim).
Confirm the destination country’s acceptance of apostille and any freshness requirement.

11) Limitations You Should Always Disclose

A CENOMAR reflects what PSA has on file at the time of search. It is not a universal negative proof of “never married.”
Unreported marriages (especially abroad) and registration gaps can lead to false negatives.
Institutions may refuse to rely on court decisions until the PSA record is annotated.
Legal separation does not allow remarriage; marital status remains married unless a nullity/annulment/divorce-recognition is finalized and recorded.

12) Sample Authorization Letter (for Representatives)

Date: ___________

To: Philippine Statistics Authority
Re: Authorization to Request and Receive Civil Registry Document

I, [FULL NAME OF OWNER], of legal age, with ID No. [ID NUMBER], hereby authorize
[FULL NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE], with ID No. [ID NUMBER], to request and receive on my behalf
my [CENOMAR / Advisory on Marriages / Marriage Certificate].

Attached are copies of our valid IDs. Thank you.

Signature over Printed Name of Owner
[Contact Number / Email]

If the receiving office requires it, upgrade this to a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) and have it properly notarized.

13) Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Is a CENOMAR enough to prove I’m single? A: It’s persuasive but not absolute. It proves no marriage was found in PSA records as of the search date. For absolute clearance, institutions may also ask for an AOM and statements about foreign marriages (plus ROM, if any).

Q2: My foreign divorce is final. Why does PSA still show me as married? A: The divorce must be recognized by a Philippine court (if applicable), and the final judgment must be registered and annotated on your PSA marriage record. Until then, PSA will still show “married.”

Q3: How long is a CENOMAR valid? A: No fixed legal validity period, but many offices accept only those issued within the last 3–6 months. Always check the recipient’s rule.

Q4: I changed my name’s spelling in my IDs. PSA still has the old spelling. A: File the appropriate administrative correction (for clerical errors) with the LCR or a court petition if the change is substantive. Endorsements then update the PSA.

Q5: Can I verify someone else’s status without their consent? A: PSA usually requires authorization (or a qualifying relationship). Expect identity and relationship checks under privacy rules.

14) Ethical and Legal Reminders

Use civil registry information only for legitimate purposes.
Do not falsify or alter PSA documents; penalties apply under criminal and special laws.
Beware of fixers; file and pay only through official channels and keep your receipts.

15) Bottom Line (What “Full Verification” Looks Like)

For reliable verification, combine:

CENOMAR and Advisory on Marriages (to catch any recorded unions),
PSA Marriage Certificate (if any) and ensure annotations reflect court-final changes,
Foreign angle check (ROM for marriages abroad; court recognition for divorces), and
Supporting records (spouse’s death certificate, correction orders, etc.).

Handled this way, you’ll meet the expectations of most Philippine institutions and foreign authorities while understanding the limitations inherent in the system.