How to Find Maryland Marriage Records

United States

U.S. Vital Records

How to Find U.S. Marriage Records

Maryland Vital Records

How to Find Maryland Marriage Records

Finding Maryland Marriage Records

• Colonial marriages were recorded by the Church of England and other religious bodies
• Marriages are kept by the circuit court for each county and begin in 1777 or at the creation of the county
• 1990 - county circuit court clerks began sending copies to the state

Next Step: When did the marriage occur?		Marriage Records Choose a time period: Before 1777 1777 to 1990 1990 to Present Marriage year unknown

Learn more about U.S. Marriage Records

Marriages Before 1777

• Colonial marriages were recorded by the Church of England and other religious bodies

Marriage Indexes
Database Name-Index Only	Link or links to access database		# of records
FamilySearch, Marriages, 1666-1970	On FamilySearch; free; INCOMPLETE for all counties and years		256,134
Findmypast, United States Marriages, 1761-1947	On Findmypast ($); Includes some images
Ancestry, Marriages, 1655-1850	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	257,488
Maryland State Archives, Marriages, 1600s-1800s	Maryland State Archives; free		Undisclosed
Ancestry, Marriages, 1667-1899	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	84,761
Ancestry, Marriages, 1634-1777	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	23,319

Can't access Ancestry?	Visit your local FamilySearch center or your local public library.
No marriage record for your ancestor?	Search for Gretna Greens-- locations away from the home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. Search other records with marriage information.

Search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s marriage date and place:

1. Look first in	2. Then search
Church Records Newspapers Military Records Obituaries	Census Records Cemetery Records Death Records Bible Records

Return to the Top: Choose another marriage year

Marriages 1777 to 1990

• Marriages are kept by the circuit court for each county and begin in 1777 or at the creation of the county

If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for marriage information in other records.

STEP ONE: Find Marriage Information in Index

Marriage Indexes
Database Name-Index Only	Link or links to access database		# of records
FamilySearch, Marriages, 1666-1970	On FamilySearch; free; INCOMPLETE for all counties and years		256,134
Findmypast, United States Marriages, 1761-1947	On Findmypast ($); Includes some images
Ancestry, Marriages, 1655-1850	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	257,488
Maryland State Archives, Marriages, 1600s-1800s	Maryland State Archives; free		Undisclosed
Ancestry, Marriages, 1667-1899	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	84,761
Ancestry, Marriages, 1634-1777	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	23,319
Ancestry, Marriages, 1778-1800	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	317
Ancestry, Marriages, 1801-1820	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	260

Can't access Ancestry?	Visit your local FamilySearch center or your local public library.
No marriage record for your ancestor?	Search for Gretna Greens-- locations away from the home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. Search other records with marriage information.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Record

If you did not find your ancestor in the databases above, follow the instructions below:

Obtain the Record

PART A: You don't know the exact date or place of marriage

• If you know the county of marriage, you can request a search for a fee from the county circuit court or Maryland State Archives.
• If you don't know the date or county of marriage, you can also try searching for marriage information in other records.

PART B: You know the exact date and place of marriage from your records

• A copy of a marriage record may be ordered for a fee (up to 2003) from Maryland State Archives.

OR

• A copy of a marriage record may be ordered for a fee from the county circuit court.

To Order Marriage Certificates
From County where Marriage occurred		Maryland State Archives
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use		May be more expensive than ordering from the county

• View a copy of a marriage record on microfilm at a Family Search Center:

Some images of county marriage records may be available on microfilm at your local Family Search Center. If you know the approximate date and county where the marriage took place, use the FamilySearch Catalog to see what is available.

• Search the FamilySearch Catalog by county.
• Select the topic Vital Records. Look for records authored by the county clerk.
• Some microfilms may be available to view at a local FamilySearch Center.

Marriages 1990 to Present

• 1990 - county circuit court clerks began sending copies to the state
• Currently, there are no online indexes to Maryland marriages for the years 1990 to the present

Obtain the Record

PART A: You don't know the exact date or place of marriage

• If you know the county of marriage, you can request a search for a fee from the county circuit court, Maryland State Archives, or the Maryland Department of Health.
• If you don't know the date or county of marriage, you can also try searching for marriage information in other records.

PART B: You know the exact date and place of marriage from your records

• A copy of a marriage record may be ordered for a fee (up to 2003) from Maryland State Archives.

OR

• A copy of a marriage record may be ordered for a fee from the county circuit court.

OR

• A copy of a marriage record may be ordered for a fee from the Maryland Department of Health.

To Order Marriage Certificates
From County where Marriage occurred		Maryland Department of Health		Maryland State Archives
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use	Expedited service on VitalChek	May be more expensive than ordering from the county		May be more expensive than ordering from the county

Return to the Top: Choose another marriage year

Wiki Articles

• Learn more about U.S. marriage records
• How to find U.S. birth records
• How to find U.S. marriage records
• How to find U.S. death records
• United States Record Finder
• United States, How to Use Marriage Records
• United States Marriage Records
• United States Vital Records
• U.S. Vital Records Overview
• Locating United States Vital Records

• American Marriages Before 1699 ($)
• Maryland Revolutionary records : pension claims and bounty land applications, but also includes 1,000 marriages ($)
• U.S., Hochheimer Marriage Records for Maryland, 1850-1900 (Jewish)($)

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