How to Request Marriage Certificates

Before conducting a marriage certificate search you must have certain information, both about the married couple and about yourself as an information requester. Gather this information before contacting any government agencies so your marriage certificate search will go smoothly and produce the results you are looking for.

Information Needed to Request Marriage Certificates

Begin with the full names of the husband and wife, including given and middle names. The wife's maiden name is helpful, as well as any nicknames or aliases the two of them might have used. If you know the names of the bride or groom's parents that might help you narrow your search as well.

You will need to know the date of the marriage. If you do not know the exact date, a range will narrow the search sufficiently. You may discover the date by looking in family papers, the family bible, or through archived newspaper clippings.

The place of the marriage may be confusing since town names change and county lines are sometimes redrawn over the course of time. Most states maintain marriage certificate records back to the time of statehood but the place names may have changed. Contact the local historical society and make a note of the town, township, and county where the ceremony took place.

When you make a request for a marriage certificate you must also provide information about yourself to prove your kinship to the couple. A photocopy of your driver’s license, passport, or birth certificate should prove kinship. For marriage certificate searches by unrelated individuals, there may be a waiting period before information about the marriage certificate will be released. Utilizing the services of a private website will also save you time and effort by revealing marriage certificates issued by name across multiple databases.

Where to Search for Marriage Licenses

The first place to visit when you search for marriage licenses is the official Health Department website for the state where the ceremony took place. Look for the “Vital Records Search” link. Most states require you to fill out a form and provide proof of kinship before they will conduct a marriage license search for you.

If the state does not have a central vital records search page, you may need to check the county government website. Certain counties have completed electronic archiving of vital information like marriage licenses so you may be able to conduct an online search for historic marriage records. Certified copies of marriage licenses need to be requested from the county auditor, however.

Information Available

Should your exploration of government websites not produce the marriage license record you are searching for, you may need to contact state or local historical societies. Historical societies do not archive certified documents but they do contain a wealth of information on the family of the bride and groom, addresses and perhaps employment histories, and whether or not there were previous marriages for either of the couple.

The National Archives in Washington D.C. has a fascinating article on marriage license records for freed slaves just after the Civil War.

A marriage license search can be an involved process if you don't know where to begin looking. Save yourself time and frustration by utilizing a private search source. Since there are several avenues for marriage license searches, a private company will explore until the information is found. A records search company covers all relevant databases at once and delivers detailed reports to order.

Where to Search for Marriage Records

A search for marriage records should begin with the state government website where the marriage took place. In most cases, the Department of Health for the state archives marriage records, but in some states marriage records are archived by the county. The official state government website will give you clues about where to begin your search for marriage records.

Unusual Sources for Marriage Records

Should your marriage records search come up empty at the state government website, you will need to broaden your search. Contact the library in the town where the ceremony took place and ask if they have documents archived. If they don't, they will be able to give you contact information for local historical societies.

Historic marriage records may be held by state or local historical societies. In addition to official documents, historical societies may have other relevant information or memorabilia in their archives. A search of newspaper archives may also turn up details of historic marriage records.

You may also find additional interesting information by contacting the church where the marriage took place. Many churches archive papers and memorabilia from wedding ceremonies performed in the church. There may be details of witnesses, bridesmaids and groomsmen, and readings from the ceremony.

In most cases, marriage records are protected by privacy laws. A request for a marriage record must be accompanied by proof of kinship and certified death certificates for the bride and groom. Historical societies do not typically hold official documents, so these restrictions may not apply to historic marriage records searches.

Save yourself time and frustration by contacting a private search source, which can access multiple public and private databases at once to reveal the marriage records you’re searching for.

Where to Search for Marriages & Divorces

Information about marriages and divorces can usually be found at the Health Department website of the state in which the marriage or divorce took place. Simply visit the official government website of the state in question and click through to the vital records department or the health department page.

There are often search fees or copy fees when you request information about marriages and divorces. For more recent marriage and divorce records, it can take up to 8 weeks to receive copies by mail. If you need certified copies of marriage certificates or divorce records, be sure to note that on your request. There is usually an additional fee for certified copies of records.

Historical Records of Marriages & Divorces

Most states have kept marriage and divorce records since the time of statehood, so historical records are archived and available to the public. Searching through historical records may take the county clerk some time, so an answer to your information request could take up to five months. In addition, there may be extra fees involved for past records searches.

If you don't find a divorce record but you know one occurred, check the civil appearance court docket for the time in question. Look for the names of the parties involved. The court historian for the county in question will be able to help you find the right information.

Save yourself time and effort utilizing a private search website which has access to multiple databases. If you choose to conduct a marriage or divorce records search on your own, make sure you are visiting a legitimate state government website for the state concerned.

What are Public Marriage Records?

Most marriage records are considered public information, but only certain people can access them easily. The bride or the groom may request public marriage records by including proof of identity with the request. Copies of public marriage records are also available to those who have a documented judicial purpose from an official agency, such as an heir attempting to claim a benefit. Marriage records may also be made public by court order.

If you are a genealogist or family historian, you may request uncertified copies of public marriage records after certain periods of time—for instance, after 50 years if the members of the married couple are both known to be deceased. Direct line descendents may waive these waiting periods by proving their relationship to the married people and providing proof of death of the bride and groom.

Searching for Public Marriage Records

Before you begin your search of public marriage records, gather some information. You will need to know the names of the bride and groom and the approximate date. Knowing the town, township, or county where the ceremony took place is also helpful for a marriage records search. Any additional family information you can supply may help narrow a search if the bride or groom have common names.

A search for public marriage records can be time-consuming and lead you to dead ends if you don't know where to look. Save yourself time and effort by contacting a private search tool that can utilize information contained within multiple databases at once.