Maryland>Maryland Vital Records
Quick Links to Maryland Vital Records
Maryland Vital Records include, births, marriages, and deaths. Divorce records are also considered vital records. To learn more about Maryland vital records, choose from the list below:
- Maryland Vital Records: Birth
- Maryland Vital Records: Marriages
- Maryland Vital Records: Death
- Maryland Divorce Records
Vital Records Overview
Civil governments have created records of births, marriages, and deaths. Records containing this information are commonly called “vital records,” because they refer to critical events in a person's life. These are the most important documents for genealogical research, but the births, marriages, and deaths of many people have never been recorded by civil authorities.
The practice of recording civil vital statistics developed slowly in the United States. Early vital information was sometimes recorded in brief entries in register books until the twentieth century, when it became more common to create certificates. The federal government has not registered vital records. This responsibility was left to the town/city, county or state agencies.
Each state eventually developed its own laws and created a statewide registration system. Unfortunately, these records do not exist until the early 1900's in most states. Local offices did not always comply immediately with the registration laws. Within 20 years after registration laws were enacted, most states were recording at least 90 percent of the births and deaths. (See the state research outlines for more information.)
Maryland Vital Records
Birth Records
Some births were recorded in colonial Maryland by the Maryland General Assembly but not many survived or where ever recorded (no state records from 1800 until 1865). Birth registration was inconsistant but started again in 1865. In 1875, Baltimore began recording births. In 1898, counties in Maryland began recording births, although full compliance did not happen until the 1910s.
For more information about availability, content, and history about birth records in Marylandm click on this link:
Marriage Records
Records of marriages were generally the first vital records kept consistantly in Maryland by the Maryland General Assembly. Early colonial marriage records includes banns and marriage registers. By 1777, marriage licenses were required but it wasn't until 1865 that the county court recorded all marriages in Maryland.
For more information about availability, content, and history about marriage records in Maryland, click on this link:
Death Records
For more information about availability, content and history about death records in Maryland, click on this link:
Read more about United States Vital Records.