How to Find Virginia Marriage Records

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

Finding Virginia Marriage Records

• 1660 - Colonial government required church officials to record all marriages in church registers
• 1780 - Law required ministers report all marriages to county clerk
• 1853 - State law required clerk of the court in the county or independent city to issue marriage licenses and keep marriage records
• Gretna Greens. When an eloping Virginia couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places like Manassas, Prince William, Virginia, or Howard County, Maryland, or Mount Airy, Surry, North Carolina, or Pike County, Kentucky.

Next Step: When did the marriage occur?		Marriage Records Choose a time period: Before 1853 How to Find Virginia Marriage Records 1918 to Present Marriage year unknown

Learn more about U.S. Marriage Records

Marriages Before 1853

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 Newspapers Military Records Obituaries	Census Records Cemetery Records Death Records Bible Records

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Marriages 1853 to 1917

STEP ONE: Find Marriage Information

Try these databases. Marriage information is taken from substitute records such as church records.
Database Name	Link or links to access database		# of records
Ancestry, Marriages, 1660-1800	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	88,130
Ancestry, Marriages, 1700-1850	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	33,706
Ancestry, Marriage bonds, 1700s-1824	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	4,496
Ancestry, Marriages, 1740-1850	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	337,520
FamilySearch, Marriages, 1785-1940	On FamilySearch, free, incomplete, to view coverage table		1,219,044
Ancestry, Marriages, 1851-1929	Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers	$, Use your own Ancestry subscription	29,984

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.

If you did not find your ancestor in the above indexes, try searching for marriage information in other records.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Record

PART A: You know the exact date and place of marriage from your records or the above indexes

Option A:
Marriage Records on Microfilm
Some 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 Family Search Center.

Option B:

• Order the marriage record from the county probate judge's offices in the county the marriage took place.

PART B: You don't know the exact date or place of marriage

• If you know the county or independent city of marriage, you can request a search for a fee from the http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/circuit.html county clerk].
• If you don't know the county or date of marriage, you can request a search for a fee from the West Virginia Department of Health State office.
• If you don't know the date or county of marriage, you can also try searching for marriage information in other records.

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Marriages 1918 to Present

Ask for the marriage license or the marriage register, not the marriage certificate. The license or register usually contains more information.

Michigan Marriage Database - Includes Index and Digital Images
Try 1st:
	Template:RecordSearch&	Free; most counties 1868-1925: Free name index with images online at FamilySearch. Records include such information as names of bride and groom, date of license, ages, race, residences, birthplaces, occupations and names of the fathers of the bride and groom.
Try 2nd:
	Template:RecordSearch&	Free; name index with images online at FamilySearch. Does not include the following counties: Alger, Alpena, Barry, Eaton, Gladwin, Kalkaska, Kent, Lenawee, Missaukee, Monroe, Montmorency, Oceana, Oscoda, Schoolcraft, and Shiawassee.
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

Marriage Records on Microfilm
Some 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 Family Search Center.

Return to the Top: Choose another marriage year

Marriages 1936 to Present

Marriage licenses may be found in the county records where the marriage occurred.

STEP ONE: Find Marriage Information

• Copies may be ordered from the county clerk.

• Copies may be ordered from the Michigan Department of Public Health.

To Order Marriage Certificates
From County where Marriage occurred		From MI Dept. of Health State office
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use	Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee	May be more expensive than ordering from the county

Restrictions for Obtaining Birth Records

If you know the marriage date, copies of marriage records are available to the public 25 years after the event at the Virginia Office of Vital Records. For marriage records within the last 25 years, only immediate family members with valid ID can request a copy.

Immediate family members include:

• Mother
• Father
• Husband
• Wife
• Child
• Brother
• Sister
• Grandparents

If you do not want to order the marriage record, you can search other records with birth information.

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Wiki Articles

• 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

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