Arizona Vital Records

United States Arizona Arizona Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Introduction to Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Arizona Department of Health Services or the County Clerk's Office of the county where the event occurred.

Marriage Records  Death/Will Records Western States 1855 - 1933      1870 - 1951     1962 - Present Birth Records Arizona is a "closed record" state which means vital records are not public records. Only immediate family and selected others may obtain certified copies of vital records. The following parties may use the services of a confidential intermediary to obtain adoption information: birth siblings age 21 or older; adoptive parents or legal guardians of adopted adults age 18 or older; adopted adults age 21 or older; the immediate, adult relatives (age 21 or older) of a deceased adopted adult; birth parents; or birth grandparents if birth parents are deceased. After a confidential intermediary receives written consent from both parties, information may be released. Adoptive parents may prevent an adopted child& from being contacted by an intermediary without their permission and birth parents may prohibit an adopted child from contacting birth siblings without their permission. The Arizona confidential intermediary can be contacted at: Arizona Confidential Intermediary Program Arizona Supreme Court Attn: Torin Scott 1501 W. Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 542-9586 or (602) 542-9580 cip@supreme.sp.state.az.us Arizona adoption laws allow an adopted adult over the age of 21 to provide a notarized statement granting or refusing consent to release adoption information. Any party may try to obtain identifying information by petitioning the court for compelling need. Source: Adoption.com. Arizona Adoption Laws Marriage Records There is no statewide registration of marriages in Arizona. An 1864 territorial law required county recorders to keep marriage and divorce records. From 1891 to 1912, clerks of probate courts issued marriage licenses. Marriage and divorce records in Arizona are maintained by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the event occurred. They are not available from the Office of Vital Records. Many of the early marriages for the state are searchable online at no cost in the Western States Marriage Index. Yuma, Yuma County, Arizona& served many eloping couples from Arizona, southern California and New Mexico. In Yuma there was no waiting period between the time of issuing a license and the performance of the marriage. Information in Arizona Marriage Records Types of Information 1816 - 1912 1912 - present Name of Bride/Groom   Date of Marriage   Location of Marriage   Presiding Official     Date of Birth   Place of Birth   Residence at Time of Marriage   Gretna Greens. When an Arizona couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places, such as Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada, or Yuma, Yuma, Arizona. Divorce Records The earliest divorce records were granted by the territorial legislature and are found in the published territorial statutes. Later divorce proceedings were kept by the district court of each county until 1912, when the superior court was given this jurisdiction. Death Records Early to 1909 No deaths were recorded by government agencies prior to 1881. See Substitute Records below. 1909—Present Arizona Statewide Death Certificates: A free internet index and images to the Arizona Statewide Death Certificates can be viewed on the FamilySearch.org website. For a description of the collection see Arizona Statewide Death Certificates Arizona Deaths 1870-1951 are online at FamilySearch.org Arizona Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records) Arizona Statewide Death Certificates Records To obtain copies of the records for dates not currently online write to the state office at: Vital Records Section Arizona Department of Health Services P.O. Box 3887 Phoenix, AZ 85030 Telephone: 602-255-3260 Internet: Arizona Department of Health Services For current fees and latest information for obtaining copies of the state's records visit:VitalRecords.com (commercial site). Information in Arizona Death Records Types of Information before - 1913 1913 - present Name of Deceased   Date of Death   Place of Death     Date of Birth/Age     Place of Birth   Place of Burial   Parents' Names/Maiden   Occupation of Deceased   Marital Status Minorities African American Research When searching for birth, marriage, or death records for African Americans  in Arizona, check the record types listed above. Other sources have historical information for African American research. Arizona Indian Research To locate birth, marriage, or death information on Native Americans living in Arkansas you must know which tribe the individual belonged to.  Indians of Arizona has more specific information about Indian tribes in Arizona. Substitute Records Check substitute records to either verify information already found or to locate birth, marriage, death and other information when government records do not exist. Arizona Church Records Arizona Census Records Arizona Cemetery Records Arizona History Arizona Newspapers Arizona Military Records Arizona Periodicals See also Arizona Statewide Indexes and Collections at the Family History Library. Archives, Libraries & Societies Statewide archives, libraries, historical and genealogical societies of Alabama have collections that can be of great value in Alabama research. Individual counties usually have historical and genealogical societies as well. Contact the Alabama Archives, Societies and Libraries listed below for specific information on availability of records and how to access their collections online, in person or through a local agent that will search the records for a fee. Arizona Archives and Libraries Tips The information given on a birth or death certificate is given by an informant.  Learn the relationship of the informant to determine the accuracy of the record. If you are unable to locate vital records recorded by governments; search for a church record of christening, marriage, death or burial.  A family Bible may have been used to record family births, marriages and deaths. Privacy laws may restrict your access to some vital records.  Copies of vital records recorded in the last 100 years may be unavailable to anyone except a direct relative. If the survival of a baby was in question, the birth may not have been recorded. Search for a delayed birth record if the child survived. Search for Vital Records in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search and then choosing Vital Records.  Search for Arizona to locate records filed by the State and then search the name of the county to locate records kept by the county. Arizona Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online The following is a list of online resources useful for locating Arizona vital records. Check Arizona Vital Records Online for more information about the resources listed below. Most online resources for Arizona Vital Records are indexes. After locating a person in an index always consult the original record to confirm the information in the index. Images of Birth 1855-1934 & Death Certificates 1844-1959 Western States Marriage Index  Arizona Links from fhlfavorites.info - Free Arizona Databases listed on Rootsweb.org - Free State of Arizona Obituary and Death Notices Collection from GenealogyBuff.com - Free USGenWeb.org Arizona Site - Free Search for Arizona Collections on FamilySearch.org under Canada, USA, and Mexico - Free The Vital Records Search and Information Directory for Arizona - Free/$ Wee Monster Links for Arizona Birth & Marriage and Death Records - Free/$ Linkpendium Links for Arizona Genealogy and History, including individual Counties - Free/$  Progenealogists Links for the United States. Press Ctrl + F on the keyboard to search for Arizona or AZ - Free/$ Search the Arizona Birth, Marriage & Death Records at Ancestry.com - $  Order Arizona Certificates online - $  Obtain services of Confidential Intermediary to find information about parents/children lost through adoption - $  Arizona Births and Christenings (FamilySearch Historical Records Arizona Death and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records) Arizona Deaths (FamilySearch Historical Records) Arizona Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records References "Arizona." Red book American state, county & town sources. Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004. 45-53. Print.