How to Find Utah Marriage Records
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How To Find U.S. Marriage Records 
How To Find Utah Marriage Records
Finding Utah Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
- Civil registration of marriages was not required in Utah until 1887.
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More marriage information is usually found on the marriage license application or the marriage register. Less information is found on the marriage certificate. |
Next Step: When did the marriage occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Learn more about U.S. Marriage Records
Marriages Before 1887[edit | edit source]
- Civil registration of marriages was not required in Utah until 1887; however, some records of marriages before 1887 are in the justice of the peace or probate court records. These early marriage records were usually interfiled with other court matters.
- Use Pre-1887 Sources listed by Utah Counties in Western States Marriage Records Index
- Most of these court records are currently at either the county clerk's office or the Utah State Archives (see Marriage Records Research Guide). Some are also in the personal journals of individual judges. The Family History Library has pre-1887 court records for a number of Utah counties.
- Many early marriages were performed in the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before the government recorded marriages, marriages or sealings were only recorded in temple records. Other marriages may have been recorded in Church records or journals of the bishops.
- For vital records of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints see the Tracing LDS Ancestors.
If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for marriage information in other records.
| 1. Look first in | 2. Then search |
| Church Records |
Census Records |
Marriages 1888 to 1966[edit | edit source]
- In 1887, the Edmunds-Tucker Act required that marriage records be kept in the office of the probate court. Beginning in the late 1890s they were kept by the county clerks. County marriage records from 1887 to the present are currently found in either the county clerk's office or the Utah State Archives. The Family History Library has film copies of these records to about 1960 for most counties. Check the county for marriage records and which records are being digitized.
- Most marriage records show names of bride and groom, residences, and ages. Names of witnesses can help identify relatives or neighbors. Later records may include birth information and parents' names.
| Utah Marriage Database - Includes Index | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| Utah Marriages, 1887-1966 |
Free online at FamilySearch.org: 308,854 name index online at FamilySearch See Utah Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records) for coverage table. | |||
| Try 2nd: | ||||
| Western States Marriage Search |
Free online at BYU-Idaho: search by groom or bride Each entry in the index may contain the following:
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| 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. |
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Marriage Records on Microfilm
Some county marriage records may be available on microfilm at your local FamilySearch 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.
Marriages 1967 to Present[edit | edit source]
| Utah Marriage Indexes available at the Family History Library | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| Marriage License Information System |
This index covers the years 1800s through 1992. These can be searched by groom's name, bride's name, or date of marriage. The index provides the marriage license number and the county. | |||
| Try 2nd: | ||||
| Miscellaneous Marriage Records Index |
Compiled by the Genealogical Society of Utah in Salt Lake City, 1972. This source is an incomplete index for Utah counties for the 1860 to 1940 period. The index cards list marriage information for individuals from ten counties: Box Elder, Millard, Morgan, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Utah, Wayne, and Weber. A few counties from Idaho and Wyoming are also included. The original cards have been interfiled with the Early Church Information File. | |||
| Try 3rd: | County Offices | If you do not find your ancestor in the marriage index you may order a marriage record. Contact the county clerk where you think the marriage took place. It is usually less expensive to order a marriage record from the county clerk, so begin your search with the county clerk. | ||
| Try 4th: | Utah Department of Health | Utah State Vital Records can only verify marriages which took place in Utah between 1978 and present. You can use this form to order the marriage record. | ||
| 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. |
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Marriage Records on Microfilm
Some county marriage records may be available on microfilm at your local FamilySearch 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.
Wiki Articles[edit | edit source]
- Learn more about U.S. marriage records
- How to find U.S. birth records
- How to find U.S. marriage records
- How to find U.S. death records
- United States Record Selection Table
- United States, How to Use Marriage Records
- United States Marriage Records
- United States Vital Records
- U.S. Vital Records Overview
- Locating United States Vital Records
- Utah_Marriages_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)/Known_Issues