Virginia Vital Records

Records of Births and Deaths

Few births were recorded by civil authorities before 1853. You may find some information on pre-1853 births and deaths in genealogies, histories, church and Bible records, and collections of personal papers.

From 1853 to 1896, the state required the counties to record births and deaths. Microfilm copies of these are at the Library of Virginia. The Library of Virginia has indexes of the birth records to 1896 but does not have indexes of death records. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of many of the county birth and death records at the Library of Virginia. The statewide birth record index from 1853 to 1896 is available on FHL films 2026327-52, with birth records from 1853 to 1896 (on films beginning with 2046907).

Registration of births and deaths was not required between 1896 and 14 June 1912, but the health departments of some cities kept birth and death records during that period. Delayed birth registrations for the years 1896-1912 are available at the Division of Vital Records (see address below), and an index is on FHL films 2026352-3.

Statewide registration of vital statistics began in 1912. The Division of Vital Records has the records from 14 June 1912 to the present. The Family History Library does not have copies of these records. You can obtain copies by going to:

http://vitalrec.com/va.html

Marriage Records

Few marriage records prior to 1730 have survived. Those that exist may be found in various places.

Records before 1853. Beginning in 1660, a couple could receive approval to marry by posting a bond with a civil authority or by announcing banns in church.

A bond was usually posted by a relative of the couple. This individual went to a county court clerk and made a written agreement to forfeit a sum of money (about $150 in the 1800s) as a guarantee that there was no reason to prevent the marriage. Records of marriage bonds sometimes include the parents' consent to the marriage if the bride or groom was a minor. The county clerk then gave the couple a license to be given to the minister who would perform the ceremony.

Marriage banns were announcements or publications of the intended marriage presented at three church meetings. This avoided the need to post a bond or obtain a license. The banns were recorded in the church records and the minister then performed the ceremony.

Beginning in 1660 the colonial government required church officials to record all marriages in church registers. Before 1780 these marriages were seldom reported to the county clerk, but in some cases they are recorded in county court order books. A law passed in 1780 required ministers to report all marriages to the county clerk.

Records since 1853. An 1853 state law required the clerk of the court in the county or independent city to issue marriage licenses and keep marriage records. Couples applying for a license provided the following information for the bride and groom. (Beginning in 1858, a standard form was used.)

Full names
Ages
Places of birth and residence
Proposed marriage date and place
Whether single or widowed
Parents' names
Groom's occupation
Minister's name

After the certificate was completed, the clerk issued a license. When the marriage was performed, the minister returned the information to the clerk, who recorded it in the county or city marriage records or registers. For many counties the certificates no longer exist, but the county marriage record books generally provide the marriage information and the parents' names.

Copies of Marriage Records. Copies of Virginia marriage records are available at several places. You can contact:

http://vitalrec.com/va.html

The clerk of the court of the county or independent city for copies of the certificates, licenses, and registers kept by the county.

The Library of Virginia for copies of extant county marriage records and indexes from 1853 to 1935, microfilmed marriage bonds, and published marriage records for many counties. Vogt's book (see below) describes the holdings of the Library of Virginia.

The Family History Library has microfilm copies of marriage bonds and marriage registers for most counties to about 1935 (and some to the 1960s). They can be found in the Family History Library Catalog Locality Search under VIRGINIA - VITAL RECORDS, or VIRGINIA, [COUNTY] - VITAL RECORDS. The Family History Library does not have copies of the marriage indexes at the Library of Virginia but has the Marriage Registers, 1853-1935, on 53 FHL films beginning with 2056971 item 4.

The many published marriage records that are available include:

Marriage Records: Early to 1850, Southern States. [Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 1995. (FHL compact disc #9 part 229 [does not circulate to Family History Centers].) Indexes tens of thousands of Virginia county marriage records from 1735 to 1850 on microfilms at the Family History Library

Marriage Records [Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina]. [Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 1994. (FHL compact disc #9 part 4 [does not circulate to Family History Centers].) Also called “Hunting for Bears” collection Indexes tens of thousands of original county marriage records from the late 1700s to 1880.

Virginia Marriage Records from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, the William and Mary Quarterly, and Tyler's Quarterly. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1982. (FHL book 975.5 V2v.) This is especially useful for finding marriage information from the 1700s. It is based on various sources for 41 counties.

A guide to Virginia marriage records is:

Vogt, John, and T., William Kethley. Marriage Records in the Virginia State Library: A Researcher's Guide. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co. 1988. (FHL book 975.5 V23v 1988.) Describes the available microfilmed and published records and has helpful background information.

More published marriage records can be found in the Family History Library Catalog Locality Search under VIRGINIA - VITAL RECORDS and VIRGINIA, [COUNTY] - VITAL RECORDS.

Divorce Records

Divorce records are usually kept by the county court. The records for 1853 to the present can be obtained by going to http://vitalrec.com/va.html. The library has not obtained copies of divorce records.

Online Resources

The Library of Virginia: Vital Statistics (Birth, Marriage, and Death Records) - http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/vital/index.htm
Virginia Marriage Records - http://www.genwed.com/state/vagen.htm
Online Virginia Death Indexes and Records - http://www.deathindexes.com/virginia/
Virginia Department of Health: Office of Vital Records - http://www.vdh.state.va.us/Vital_Records/index.htm

Virginia Vital Records

Contents

Records of Births and Deaths

Marriage Records

Online Resources

Further Reading