How to Find Mississippi Marriage Records: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:58, 1 July 2013

How To Find U.S. Marriage Records How To Find Mississippi Marriage Records

Finding Mississippi Marriage Records[edit | edit source]

Marriages are kept by the circuit clerk for each county and usually begin at the creation of the county
1926 - duplicate copies of the marriages were required to be sent to the state
Gap in the state records from June 30, 1938 to January 1, 1942 - write to circuit court clerks in the appropriate county for these years

Next Step: When did the marriage occur? [edit \| edit source]		Marriage Records Choose a time period: Before 1926 1926 to Present Marriage year unknown

Learn more about U.S. Marriage Records

Marriages Before 1926[edit | edit source]

Marriages are kept by the circuit clerk for each county and usually begin at the creation of the county

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

For marriages that exist during the time period, try the following databases. Try each link.

Marriage Indexes
Database Name-Index Only	Link or links to access database		# of records
Ancestry, Marriages, 1776-1935	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	684,772
Ancestry, Marriages, To 1825	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	9,029
FamilySearch, Marriage Index, 1800-1911	On FamilySearch; free; INCOMPLETE for all counties and years		411,408
Ancestry, Marriages, 1826-1900	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	60,557
Ancestry, Marriages, 1826-1850	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	11,154


Can't find your ancestor in the online index?		Tips for searching online indexes
No marriage record for your ancestor?		Search for Gretna Greens-- locations away from the home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. Other records with marriage information

Found the index but not the image of the marriage?
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 Family History Library Catalog (FHLC) to see what is available.

Search the FHLC by county.
Select the topic Vital Records. Look for records authored by the county clerk.
For a small fee, order the microfilm to view at a local FamilySearch Center.

Return to the Top: Choose another marriage year

Marriages 1926 to Present[edit | edit source]

1926 - duplicate copies of the marriages were required to be sent to the state
Gap in the state records from June 30, 1938 to January 1, 1942 - write to circuit court clerks in the appropriate county for these years

STEP ONE: Find Marriage Information in Index[edit | edit source]

Some marriage indexes after 1926 are found in the following database.

Marriage Indexes
Database Name-Index Only	Link or links to access database		# of records
Ancestry, Marriages, 1776-1935	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	684,772


Can't find your ancestor in the online index?		Tips for searching online indexes
No marriage record for your ancestor?		Search for Gretna Greens-- locations away from the home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. Other records with marriage information

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]

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

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 circuit court clerk.
If you don't know the county or date of marriage, you can request a 5-year search for free from the Mississippi State Department of Health office.
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

Order a copy of a marriage record for a fee from the circuit clerk.

OR

Order a copy of a marriage record for a fee from the Mississippi State Department of Health office.

To Order Marriage Certificates
From County of Marriage		From MS State Dept. of Health office
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use	Offers a search of the state index for free	May be more expensive than ordering from the county