How to Find Arkansas Marriage Records: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:39, 3 July 2013

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

Finding Arkansas Marriage Records[edit | edit source]

Marriages are kept by the county clerk for each county and usually begin at the creation of the county
1917 - duplicate copies of the marriages were required to be sent to the state

Next Step: When did the marriage occur? [edit \| edit source]		Marriage Records Choose a time period: Before 1917 1917 to Present Marriage year unknown

Learn more about U.S. Marriage Records

Marriages Before 1917[edit | edit source]

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

Marriage Indexes and Digital Images
Database Name - Index and Image	Link or links to access database	# of records
FamilySearch, Marriages, 1837-1957	On FamilySearch; free; INCOMPLETE for all counties and years	1,001,777

If you do not locate the marriage in the above, try:
Database Name-Index Only	Link or links to access database		# of records
Ancestry, Marriages, 1837-1957	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	3,554,066
Ancestry, Marriages, 1933-1939	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	421,079
Ancestry, Marriages, 1779-1992	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	202,790
Ancestry, Marriages, 1851-1900	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	142,055
Ancestry, Marriages, 1820-1949	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	39,640
Ancestry, Marriages, to 1850	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	18,173
FamilySearch, Marriages, 1837-1944	On FamilySearch; free; INCOMPLETE for all counties and years		1,001,777
FamilySearch, Marriages, 1933-1939	On FamilySearch; free; INCOMPLETE for all counties and years		421,079

Can't access Ancestry?	Visit your local Family History 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.


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 1917 to Present[edit | edit source]

1917 - duplicate copies of the marriages were required to be sent to the state

Currently, there are no online indexes to Arkansas marriage records for the period 1957 to the present.

Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]

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 clerk.
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 county clerk.

OR

Order a copy of a marriage record for a fee from the Arkansas Department of Health.

To Order Marriage Certificates
From County of Marriage		From AR Dept. of Health
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