Kentucky Vital Records: Difference between revisions

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{{Adoption KYGenWeb}}[[United States Vital Records|Vital Records]] consist of [[United States Birth Records|births]], adoptions, [[United States Marriage Records|marriages]], divorces, and [[United States Death Records|deaths]] recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. [[Locating United States Vital Records|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 [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/Kentucky.htm Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Department of Public Health] or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list#page=1&countryId=36 Kentucky Statewide Indexes and Collections] at the FamilySearch Library.

Kentucky death certificates are also on microfilm at the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives, beginning with 1911. Another resource for researching Kentucky birth and death indexes from 1911 to 1988 can be found at the Kentucky Room of the Lexington Central Public Library, the Louisville Free Public Library, the Kenton County Public Library, and many other libraries across Kentucky. See [[Kentucky Archives and Libraries]] for their addresses. The Kentucky Room contains 130 bound volumes of birth and death indexes for 1911 to 1969 which were created by the Office of Vital Statistics. Microfiche is available for 1911 to 1988 (only to 1986 for deaths). The births are indexed by name of the child and name of the mother.'''

In most cases, divorces from 1792 to 1849 were only granted by the Kentucky state legislature. For short time in January 1809, circuit courts had the power to grant divorces. A published list of divorces from 1792 to 1849 can be found in the periodical ''Blue Grass Roots'' ({{FSC|976.9 B2b|book}}) beginning with the Spring 1980 issue. These articles are indexed in the [[Periodical Source Index (PERSI)|Periodical Source Index.]] They are not indexed by surname, only by the title of the article. Some divorce records may be found in the Acts of Kentucky prior to 1850.  

In 1849, authority was given to county circuit courts to grant divorces. These records can be requested from the Clerk of the County Court. Some Circuit Clerk offices may have records as early as 1802. The FamilySearch Library has divorce records from some Kentucky counties. These records may be found under court records or vital records of the individual county.   Since 1958 divorce records have been filed in Frankfort on a state-wide basis. Send for these records to the Office of Vital Statistics. By 1972, the word divorce was replaced with the term "dissolution of marriage".  

*Information listed on vital records is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of the record. The closer the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) and whether or not the informant was present at the time of the event can help determine the accuracy of the information found on the record.  

*If you are unable to locate vital records recorded by governments, search for church records of christening, marriage, death or burial, A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages and deaths.  

*Privacy laws may restrict your access to some vital records. Copies of some vital records recorded in the last 100 years may be unavailable to anyone except a direct relative.  

*Search for Vital Records in the FamilySearch Catalog by using a '''Place Search '''and then choosing '''Vital Records'''. Search for '''Kentucky''' to locate records filed by the State and then search the '''name of the county '''to locate records kept by the county.

*[[Kentucky Church Records|Church Records]]: Depending on the denomination, church records may contain information about birth, marriage and death.

*[[Kentucky Cemeteries|Cemetery Records]]: Cemetery records are a rich source of birth and death information. These records may also reveal family relationships.

*[[Kentucky Military Records|Military Records]]: Military pension records can give birth, marriage and death information, In addtion, soldiers' homes records can included this same information.

*[[Kentucky Newspapers|Newspapers]]: Besides obituaries, local newspapers may contain birth and marriage announcements and death notices. Also check newspaper social columns for additional information.  

*[[Kentucky Probate Records|Probate Records]]: If no death record exists, probate records may be helpful in estimating when an individual has died. Probate records in the 20th Century often contain the exact death date.

*[[Kentucky History|History]]: Local histories, family histories and biographies can all be sources of birth, marriage and death information. Often this information is found in county-level records or in surname searches of the FamilySearch Catalog.

*German Roots Links for Kentucky [http://www.germanroots.com/vitalrecords.html#Kentucky Birth &amp; Marriage] and [http://www.germanroots.com/deathrecords.html Death] Records - Free/$ This includes all vital records, not just those of German descent.