How to Find United States Marriage Records: Difference between revisions
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*[[Alabama | *[[How to Find Alabama Marriage Records|Alabama]] | ||
*[[Alaska | *[[How to Find Alaska Marriage Records|Alaska]] | ||
*[[Arizona | *[[How to Find Arizona Marriage Records|Arizona]] | ||
*[[Arkansas | *[[How to Find Arkansas Marriage Records|Arkansas]] | ||
*[[California | *[[How to Find California Marriage Records|California]] | ||
*[[Colorado | *[[How to Find Colorado Marriage Records|Colorado]] | ||
*[[Connecticut | *[[How to Find Connecticut Marriage Records|Connecticut]] | ||
*[[Delaware | *[[How to Find Delaware Marriage Records|Delaware]] | ||
*[[District of Columbia | *[[How to Find District of Columbia Marriage Records|District of Columbia]] | ||
*[[Florida | *[[How to Find Florida Marriage Records|Florida]] | ||
*[[Georgia | *[[How to Find Georgia Marriage Records|Georgia]] | ||
*[[Hawaii | *[[How to Find Hawaii Marriage Records|Hawaii]] | ||
*[[Idaho | *[[How to Find Idaho Marriage Records|Idaho]] | ||
*[[Illinois | *[[How to Find Illinois Marriage Records|Illinois]] | ||
*[[Indiana | *[[How to Find Indiana Marriage Records|Indiana]] | ||
*[[Iowa | *[[How to Find Iowa Marriage Records|Iowa]] | ||
*[[Kansas | *[[How to Find Kansas Marriage Records|Kansas]] | ||
| valign="top" align="left" | | | valign="top" align="left" | | ||
*[[Kentucky | *[[How to Find Kentucky Marriage Records|Kentucky]] | ||
*[[Louisiana | *[[How to Find Louisiana Marriage Records|Louisiana]] | ||
*[[Maine | *[[How to Find Maine Marriage Records|Maine]] | ||
*[[Maryland | *[[How to Find Maryland Marriage Records|Maryland]] | ||
*[[Massachusetts | *[[How to Find Massachusetts Marriage Records|Massachusetts]] | ||
*[[How to Find Michigan Marriage Records|Michigan]] | *[[How to Find Michigan Marriage Records|Michigan]] | ||
*[[Minnesota | *[[How to Find Minnesota Marriage Records|Minnesota]] | ||
*[[Mississippi | *[[How to Find Mississippi Marriage Records|Mississippi]] | ||
*[[Missouri | *[[How to Find Missouri Marriage Records|Missouri]] | ||
*[[Montana | *[[How to Find Montana Marriage Records|Montana]] | ||
*[[Nebraska | *[[How to Find Nebraska Marriage Records|Nebraska]] | ||
*[[Nevada | *[[How to Find Nevada Marriage Records|Nevada]] | ||
*[[New Hampshire | *[[How to Find New Hampshire Marriage Records|New Hampshire]] | ||
*[[New Jersey | *[[How to Find New Jersey Marriage Records|New Jersey]] | ||
*[[New Mexico | *[[How to Find New Mexico Marriage Records|New Mexico]] | ||
*[[New York | *[[How to Find New York Marriage Records|New York]] | ||
*[[North Carolina | *[[How to Find North Carolina Marriage Records|North Carolina]]<br> | ||
| valign="top" align="left" | | | valign="top" align="left" | | ||
*[[North Dakota | *[[How to Find North Dakota Marriage Records|North Dakota]] | ||
*[[Ohio | *[[How to Find Ohio Marriage Records|Ohio]] | ||
*[[Oklahoma | *[[How to Find Oklahoma Marriage Records|Oklahoma]] | ||
*[[Oregon | *[[How to Find Oregon Marriage Records|Oregon]] | ||
*[[How to Find Pennsylvania Marriage Records|Pennsylvania]] | *[[How to Find Pennsylvania Marriage Records|Pennsylvania]] | ||
*[[Rhode Island | *[[How to Find Rhode Island Marriage Records|Rhode Island]] | ||
*[[How to Find South Carolina Birth Records|South Carolina]] | *[[How to Find South Carolina Birth Records|South Carolina]] | ||
*[[South Dakota | *[[How to Find South Dakota Marriage Records|South Dakota]] | ||
*[[Tennessee | *[[How to Find Tennessee Marriage Records|Tennessee]] | ||
*[[Texas | *[[How to Find Texas Marriage Records|Texas]] | ||
*[[Utah | *[[How to Find Utah Marriage Records|Utah]] | ||
*[[Vermont | *[[How to Find Vermont Marriage Records|Vermont]] | ||
*[[Virginia | *[[How to Find Virginia Marriage Records|Virginia]] | ||
*[[Washington | *[[How to Find Washington Marriage Records|Washington]] | ||
*[[West Virginia | *[[How to Find West Virginia Marriage Records|West Virginia]] | ||
*[[Wisconsin | *[[How to Find Wisconsin Marriage Records|Wisconsin]] | ||
*[[Wyoming | *[[How to Find Wyoming Marriage Records|Wyoming]]<br> | ||
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Revision as of 16:30, 11 June 2013
Start Here: Where Did the Marriage Occur?[edit | edit source]
To find a marriage record, choose the state where the marriage occurred:
- What if you don't know the state? — Go to How to Estimate Marriage Information
Tips about Searching United States Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
- Some couples were married in locations away from their home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. See the wiki page Gretna Greens.
- Most marriages are recorded on the county level.
- Most counties began recording marriages when the county was formed.
- Many counties forward marriage records to state agencies.
- Marriages recorded by state-level agencies vary widely by date and availability.
- Some marriages may only be found in church records.
Frequently Asked Questions about United States Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
How do I find my ancestor’s marriage record?
- Use the Finding US Marriage Records wiki page
- Check online indexes and digital images
- Check repositories, such as archives and libraries (FHL)
- Obtain certificate from the government agency ($$)
Why would I want to search for a marriage record?
- May give the exact date and place where the couple was married
- May indicate date and/or place of birth for bride and groom
- May list names and birthplaces of the bride’s and groom’s parents
What information does a marriage record include?
State and county officials followed different laws when gathering marriage information. Usually the following was included:
- Names of the bride and groom
- Where the bride and groom were married.
Some records also contain:
- Bride and groom's age at the time of marriage
- Residence of the bride and groom
- Birth date and/or place of the bride and groom
- Names of parents
- Birthplaces of parents
- Occupation
- Marital status of bride and groom--single, widowed, divorced
More information about US Marriage Records can be found on United States Vital Records wiki page.
Questions to Ask About Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
- Are records available for the dates when I would expect my ancestor to be getting married?
- Is the marriage database complete? Does it include all counties in the state?
- Does the marriage database contain images to the records which I can see online?
- Is the marriage database an index only? Will I need to order a film to see the original marriage record?
- Have I looked beyond the marriage date and names of the bride and groom for more family information that the record may contain?
- Is there more than one type of marriage record in the county? Does an additional county marriage record contain more information about my family?