Handwritten marriage certificates were issued in the 1980s, but in China, marriage certificates began to be archived in 2004, so handwritten marriage certificates are not archived.
1、 Handwritten marriage certificate has legal effect
1. Handwritten marriage certificate belongs to factual marriage and was recognized as a type of marriage by the state at that time. Therefore, it has legal effect.
2. The handwritten marriage certificate has the seal of the Civil Affairs Bureau, and divorce still needs to be processed at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
2、 Ways to apply for a handwritten marriage certificate
If the handwritten marriage certificate is lost, one needs to bring their ID card, permanent household registration book, proof of lost marriage certificate, and file search certificate to the marriage management agency of the district (county) civil affairs bureau where the original registration authority is located to apply for a replacement of the "Certificate of Marital Relationship" and fill out the application form. After the staff verifies that there are no errors, the marriage certificate will be reissued.