Wyoming Vital Records

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U.S. Vital Records

Wyoming

Vital Records

Wyoming Vital Records Dates

Government Registration	Births	Marriages	Deaths
County/Town	1901	County Formation	County Formation
State	1909	1941	1909
General Compliance	1927	1838	1927

Online Resources

Birth

• See Wyoming Substitute Records for more resources.

Marriage

• 1600s-1900s US Marriages – Wyoming, 1600's to 1900's at Findmypast — index & images ($)
• 1869-1923 Wyoming Marriages, 1869-1923 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1877-1920 Wyoming Marriages, 1877-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: MyHeritage($)
• 1908-1966 Wyoming, Reclaim the Records, State Archives Vital Records, 1908-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1941-1969 Wyoming Marriage Records, 1941-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• United States Western States Marriage Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Death

• 1908-1966 Wyoming, Reclaim the Records, State Archives Vital Records, 1908-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1909-1969 Wyoming Death Records, 1909-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1910-1952 Wyoming Deaths, 1910-1952 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Divorce

• See Wyoming Divorce Records for more resources.

Get Copies

Wyoming Restrictions

• Birth records (including delayed births) are restricted for 100 years.
• Death and marriage records are restricted for 50 years.

• Get unrestricted records from Wyoming State Archives
• Get restricted records from Wyoming State Department of Health

Wyoming State Archives
2301 Central Ave.
Barrett Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: (307) 777-7826
Website

• Birth records (including delayed births) after 100 years and death and marriage records after 50 years are available.

• Request a Document Wyoming Archives
  

Wyoming Department of Health
Vital Statistics Services
2300 Capitol Avenue
Hathaway Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: (307) 777-7591
Website

• How to get restricted Birth, Marriage, or Death certificates
• Vital Record Request Form
  

County Courthouses
Contact the county clerk directly where the couple married for unrestricted records. They do not have birth or death records.

• Wyoming County Clerks
  

Coverage and Compliance

Birth and Death Records

• Birth records are on file since July 1909. Compliance by the public mostly by 1922.
• Death records are on file since July 1909. Some deaths were unreported, especially when the family did not use a Funeral Home.

Marriage Records

• Marriage records generally had high compliance by the public from when the county was organized.

Information in the Records

Birth Records

Wyoming Birth Records May Include*
Name of Child	x
Birth Date/Place	x
Sex/Race	x
Parents' Names	x
Parents' Birthplace	x
# of Children Born/Living	x
Residence/Occupation	x
Midwife/Doctor	x
* Early records may have less    information

Birth records began in 1909 by the State of Wyoming. Counties sent all birth records to the state.

Delayed Birth Records

• Wyoming began keeping delayed birth certificates in the 1920s.
  
• Delayed birth records were used in the 1940s for adults without birth certificates delayed birth certificates in order to be eligible for Social Security benefits.
  

See also:

• Wyoming Guided Research
• How to Find Wyoming Birth Records
• United States Birth Records
• United States Delayed Birth Records
• How to Find Birth Information in the United States
• United States How to Use Birth Records

Marriage Records

Wyoming Marriage Records May Include:*
Names of Bride/Groom**	x
Date/Place of Marriage	x
Presiding Official	x
# of Times Married	x
Dates/Places of Birth	x
Residences/Race	x
Parents' Names	x
* Early records may have less information ** May be previous married name of bride

• There was little or no waiting period between the time of issuing a license and the performance of the marriage.
  
• The couple provided information at the time of the marriage.

Gretna Greens. When an eloping, couples would get married in alternate places instead of the county they lived in.
For those from Wyoming, these locations include:

• Evanstibm Uinta County, Wyoming
• Paris, Bear Lake County, Idaho

See also:

• Wyoming Guided Research
• How to Find Wyoming Marriage Records
• United States Marriage Records
• United States How to Use Marriage Records
• Wyoming Divorce Records
  

Death Records

Wyoming Death Records May Include:*
Name of Decedent	x
Date/Place of Death	x
Sex/Race	x
Occupation	x
Age/Date of Birth	x
State/Country of Birth	x
Length of Residence	x
Name of Spouse	x
Parents' Names	x
Birth Places of Parents	x
Physician	x
Cause of Death	x
Informant	x
Cemetery	x
* Early records may have less information

A few Wyoming counties kept records of deaths a couple years prior to state registration in 1909. All death records were then sent to the state.

See also:

• Wyoming Guided Research
• How to Find Wyoming Death Records
• United States Death Records
• United States How to Find Death Records
• United States How to Use Death Records

Cause of Death

• Causes of Death - use this resource when trying to interpret a disease or medical condition listed on a death, record or certificate.

Additional Information

See also:

• Wyoming Guided Research
• United States Vital Records
• Locating United States Vital Records
• GenealogyTrails Wyoming
• US GenWeb Wyoming
• Black Sheep Ancestors
• Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Wyoming, by Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration. Cheyenne, WY: s.n., 1941. FS Catalog book 978.7 V23g; microfilm 6075744 At various libraries (WorldCat); Online at: FamilySearch Catalog(*).

Strategy

Tips for Using Vital Records

• Certificate or record is not found:

1. Couples often married in the county where bride lived or they may have eloped
2. Search the towns and cities where the event took place. Also search surrounding counties to locate the document.
3. The record may not exist because of record loss at the the county courthouse. See Burned, Lost, or Missing Records.
4. The event may not have been recorded by the government at that time. Substitute Records.

• Examine the record to determine accuracy:

1. Person providing information may not remember events accurately
2. Informant may not have been present at the time of the event
3. Informant may give false information to hide age, race, religion, or illegitimacy
4. Grieving relatives may not have remembered correctly

• Review the informant on the document:

1. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of the record
2. See if records about the informant may have clues about the family
3. Verify vital information with other sources
   

See also:

• Wyoming Research Tips and Strategies
• United States Basic Search Strategies
• United States Research Tips and Strategies

Burned, Lost, or Missing Records

There is no known record loss in the counties of Wyoming.

Substitute Records

For other records that may give birth, marriage, or death information, see:

• Wyoming Substitute Records
• Substitute Records for United States Birth Information
• Substitute Records for United States Marriage Information
• Substitute Records for United States Death Information