Genealoger

Family History and Genealogy Services

Genealogy Resources

Marriage and Divorce Records

Types of Marriage Records --

  • Marriage bond (a statement by knowledgeable parties testifying that there is no legal impediment to the marriage).

  • Marriage license (issued by a government)

  • Marriage license application.

  • Prenuptial agreement or marriage contract.

  • Civil marriage registration (from the original register).

  • Civil marriage certificate (details copied out by a clerk onto a form).

  • Church record of banns (announcement of intentions to marry in a church).

  • Church register record of marriage.

  • Newspaper announcement of an upcoming wedding.

  • Newspaper account of a wedding that had already taken place.

  • Wedding invitation.

  • Wedding program (a kind of schedule given to guests to follow the ceremony).

  • Wedding album or guest book.


  • Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950 - Name index and images of marriage records created by Alabama counties. Records are arranged by county, volume and date. Currently, the following counties are represented in this collection: Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Chilton, Cleburne, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dallas, St. Clair, and portions of Jefferson. FamilySearch.

  • Alabama Marriages 1816-1957 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Alabama.  FamilySearch.

  • Arizona Marriages 1888-1908 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Arizona.  FamilySearch.

  • Arkansas County Marriages 1837-1957 - Index and images of marriages recorded in counties of Arkansas.  FamilySearch.

  • Arkansas Marriages 1837-1944 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Arkansas. FamilySearch.

  • Birth, Marriage, and Divorce Records. Directory of online birth, marriage, and divorce indexes arranged by state and county.

  • California County Marriages, 1850-1952 - Name index of marriage records including a number of different type of documents such as licenses, certificates, registers, applications, affidavits, stubs, etc.
     
  • California, San Mateo County Records – 1856-1967 – Browsable Images – County records including marriage intentions, naturalizations, deeds, patents, homesteads, and military service discharges.

  • Connecticut Marriages 1729-1867 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Connecticut. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Cyndi's List - Marriages.

  • Delaware Marriages 1713-1953 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Delaware. FamilySearch.org.

  • District of Columbia Marriages 1830-1921 - Name index to marriage records from the District of Columbia. FamilySearch.org.

  • District of Columbia Marriages 1811-1950 - Digital Images - Name index and images of marriage records in the District of Columbia. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Dollarhide, William. "Dowery vs. Dower Rights." Everton's Genealogical Helper 61, 1 (January/February 2007): 48-50. Do you know the difference? Dollarhide uses Martha Washington as an example.
     
  • Finding a Marriage Date. By Karen Clifford at Genealogy.com.

  • Florida Marriages 1837-1974 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Florida. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Genealinks - Marriage records database.

  • Georgia Marriages 1808-1967 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Georgia. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • GenWed.com - A directory of free marriage records, obituaries and other vital records.  Search this growing resource for early marriages.

  • Hawaii Marriages 1826-1922 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Hawaii. FamilySearch.org.

  • Idaho, Clark County Records 1884-1998 – Imaged Records – Clark County marriage affidavits, naturalization records, declarations of intention, deeds, patents, brands and marks, mining records, probate records, and estate files located at the Clark County courthouse. Time period varies by record type. FamilySearch.org.

  • Idaho County Marriages 1864-1950 - Name index and images of Idaho county marriages acquired from local courthouses. Also includes records for the towns of Ashton and Marysville. Currently includes the following counties: Ada, Adams, Benewah, Blaine, Bonner, Bonneville, Butte, Camas, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Payette, Power, Shoshone, Teton, Twin Falls, Valley, and Washington. FamilySearch.org.

  • Idaho Marriages 1878-1898, 1903-1942 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Idaho - 88,588 records after 27 April, 2010. FamilySearch.org.

  • Illinois, Cook County Marriages 1871-1920 - Name index and images of marriage licenses and returns recorded at Cook County, Illinois - including the City of Chicago. FamilySearch.org.

  • Illinois County Marriages, 1810-1934 - Name indexes and images of county marriages from the state of Illinois. Currently this collection is 9% complete. Additional records will be added as they are completed. Counties: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Champaign, Christian, Clark and Clay. Note that in a cursory search, I didn't spot any images posted, but this will be a wonderful database as the data and images get up!

  • Indiana Marriages 1780-1992 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Indiana. FamilySearch.org.

  • Indiana Marriages 1811-1959 - Indexed in partnership with the Indiana Genealogical Society. Name index of marriages recorded in the Indiana Territory and in the State of Indiana between 1811 and 1959. This collection includes searchable index data for marriage returns and licenses from the following counties: Adams, Allen, Benton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clark, Clay, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, De Kalb, Delaware, Dubois, Franklin, Harrison, Henry, Huntington, Marshall, Ohio, Owen, Rush, and Sullivan. The collection also includes searchable images for marriage returns and licenses from the following counties: Adams, Allen, Benton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clark, Clay, Daviess, Dearborn, De Kalb, Delaware, Dubois, Harrison, Huntington, Marshall, Ohio, Owen and Rush. FamilySearch.org.

  • Iowa Marriages 1809-1992 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Iowa. FamilySearch.org.

  • Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1910- Images of marriage registers and records made by county clerks in Kansas. Includes the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Clay, Crawford, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Linn, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson.

  • Kansas Marriages 1840-1935 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Kansas. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Kentucky Divorce Index for 1973-1993.
     
  • Kentucky Marriage Index For 1973-1993.

  • Kentucky Marriages 1785-1979 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Kentucky. FamilySearch.org.

  • Louisiana Marriages 1816-1906 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Louisiana. FamilySearch.org.

  • Maine Marriage Records, 1705-1922.  (Ancestry.com) Contained in this index are Maine marriage records from 1705-1922. From 1705-1891 record marriage records were not standardize and therefore are sparsely recorded. Therefore, this collection contains a comprehensive marriage record set only from 1892-1922. Information in this index:
    • Surname
    • Date
    • Location
    • Parents’ Names
    • Birthdates

  • Maine Marriages 1771-1907 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Maine. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Marriage Records at RootsWeb - Free search of a vast repository of early marriages.
     
  • Marriage Search Engines  - Marriage research tools for various states.

  • Maryland Marriages 1666-1970 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Maryland. FamilySearch.org.

  • Massachusetts Marriages 1695-1910 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Massachusetts. FamilySearch.org.

  • Massachusetts Marriages 1841-1915 - Name index and images of Massachusetts statewide marriage registers. The marriage registers are in numbered volumes arranged by year then by individual town. FamilySearch.org.

  • Michigan County Marriages, 1820-1935 - Images of marriage registers and certificates from county records. This collection does not include the following counties: Alger, Alpena, Barry, Eaton, Gladwin, Kalkaska, Kent, Lenawee, Missaukee, Monroe, Montmorency, Oceana, Oscoda, Schoolcraft, and Shiawassee. FamilySearch.

  • Michigan Marriages 1822-1995 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Michigan. FamilySearch.org.

  • Michigan Marriages 1868-1925 - Name index and images of marriages recorded in the State of Michigan. In some instances, marriages were celebrated and recorded in a county different from the county where the marriage license was issued. FamilySearch.org.

  • Minnesota County Marriages, 1860-1949 - Name index and images of county marriage records for Minnesota. Currently the following counties are represented in this collection: Anoka, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cottonwood, Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, and Goodhue.

  • Minnesota Marriages 1849-1950 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Minnesota - 459,384 records after 6 May, 2010. FamilySearch.org.

  • Montana County Marriages 1865-1950 - Name index and images of Montana county marriage records acquired from local courthouses. FamilySearch.org.

  • Montana Marriages 1889-1947 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Montana. FamilySearch.org.
      
  • Murray, Dorothy. Computer indexed marriage records [name of county], Illinois, [date]. Salt Lake City, Utah (P.O. Box 204, Salt Lake City 84054) : Hunting for Bears, <1988- > <13 > v. : ill. ; 28 cm.
     
  • Murray, Nicholas Russell. Illinois surname index, 1987 : computer indexed marriage records / published by Nicholas Russell Murray. North Salt Lake, UT (P.O. Box 204, North Salt Lake 84054) : Hunting for Bears, [1988?] 80 leaves, [1] leaf of plates : map ; 28 cm.
     
  • Murray, Nicholas Russell. Illinois surname index : computer indexed marriage records / published by Nicholas Russell Murray. North Salt Lake, UT (P.O. Box 204, North Salt Lake 84054) : Hunting for Bears, 1987. 60 leaves, [1] leaf of plates : map ; 28 cm.

  • Nebraska Marriages 1855-1995 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Nebraska.  FamilySearch.org.

  • New Hampshire Marriage Records 1637-1947 – name index and images of New Hampshire marriage records. These records consist of cards giving the names of the bride and groom with the town and date of the marriage and often much more information. With the town and date, the original records can usually be located. Note – there are two images for each marriage.

  • New Hampshire Marriages 1720-1920 - Name index to marriage records from the state of New Hampshire. FamilySearch.org.

  • New Jersey Marriages 1678-1985 - Name index to marriage records from the state of New Jersey. FamilySearch.org.

  • New Mexico Marriages 1751-1918 - Name index to marriage records from the state of New Mexico. FamilySearch.org.

  • New York County Marriages 1908-1935 - Name index and images of New York county marriage records. The collection includes the following counties: Broome, Cattaraugus, Chemung, Delaware, Fulton, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Ontario, Orange, Oswego, Putnam, St. Lawrence, Tioga, and Warren. The collection does not include New York City nor its boroughs. FamilySearch.org.

  • New York Marriages 1686-1980 - Name index to marriage records from the state of New York. FamilySearch.org.

  • New York, New York City, Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church Records, 1862-1955 – Imaged Records – Digital images of baptism, marriage, and burial records from Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in New York City.  FamilySearch.org.

  • North Carolina County Marriages 1762-1979 - Name index and images of marriage records from North Carolina county courthouses. These records include licenses, marriage applications, marriage bonds, marriage certificates, marriage packets and cohabitation registers. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741-2000. Ancestry.com

  • North Carolina Marriages 1759-1979 - Name index to marriage records from the state of North Carolina. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • OHGenWeb Project. Ohio Vital Record Data. For each Ohio county, the earliest date of marriage records available.

  • Ohio County Marriages, 1790-1950 – Name index and images of county marriage records acquired from local courthouses. FamilySearch.

  • Ohio Marriages 1800-1958 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Ohio. FamilySearch.org.

  • Oklahoma County Marriages – 1891-1959 – Name index and images of marriage records from counties in Oklahoma – Counties included so far include Adair, Alfalfa, Atoka, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Dewey, Garfield, Harmon, Hughes, Jackson, Jefferson, and Kingfisher Counties. Other counties will be added over time. FamilySearch.

  • Oregon, Columbia County Records 1854-1858 – Imaged Records – This collection includes digital images of land and property, marriage, and naturalization records and indexes digitally captured at the Columbia County Courthouse in St. Helens, Oregon. FamilySearch.org.

  • Oregon, County Marriages, 1851-1975 – Index and images of marriage records from counties in Oregon. These records include licenses amd marriage certificates and are arranged by county, volume, and date.  FamilySearch.org.

  • Oregon Marriages 1853-1935 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Oregon. FamilySearch.org.

  • Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Indexes 1885-1951 - Marriage indexes imaged) are arranged by the names of brides and grooms with the year of the marriage and the license number. The surname of the spouse is shown in parentheses. Use the license numbers listed in this index to find copies of the marriage license records. Marriage license records for years 1885-1915 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library and Family History Centers. Marriage license records for years 1916-1951 are available at the City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Public Records Finder. Source for free public records.
     
  • The Public Records Online Directory is a Portal to official state web sites, and those Tax Assessors' and Recorders' offices that have developed web sites for the retrieval of available public records over the internet. For example, some Recorders' offices have marriage and birth records available online. Although not every county and parish has data online, many have home pages, and where neither is available a phone number has been provided.

  • Rhode Island Marriages 1724-1916 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Rhode Island. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Riley, Glenda. Divorce: An American Tradition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
     
  • RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees - Lesson 5: Vital Records: Marriage Records and Evidence.

  • Tennessee County Marriages 1790-1950 - Name index and images of Tennessee county marriage records acquired from local courthouses. Records include marriage registers, marriage licenses, marriage bonds, and marriage certificates. records consist of packets, with multiple documents per packet. FamilySearch.org.

  • Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Tennessee. FamilySearch.org.

  • Texas, Comanche County Records, 1858-1905 – Browsable Images – Not indexed yet – Records from Comanche County, Texas including births, marriages, divorce minutes, court records, probate records, and scholastic census records. FamilySearch.

  • Texas County Marriage Index 1837-1977 - Index to a variety of marriage records (registers, licenses, intentions to marry, etc.) from select counties in Texas. FamilySearch.org.

  • Texas Marriages 1837-1973 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Texas. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Texas, Mills County Clerk Records 1841-1945 – Browsable Imaged Records – Records of the Mills County Clerk including births, marriages, deaths, court records, deed records, divorce records, naturalization records, probate records, and indexes for each of these record sets. FamilySearch.
     
  • Torrey, Clarence. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004, 1985.
     
  • U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records. Updated online version of the federal government publication that gives the local official in each state who has custody of marriage records. Dates of available records are not given.

  • United States Marriages 1733-1990 - Name index to small sets of marriage records from a few states within the United States. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • United States Vital Records Information. Vital records addresses for each county. Some county listings include the dates of available marriage records and the cost of copies.

  • Utah Marriages 1887-1966 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Utah.

  • Vermont Marriages 1791-1974 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Vermont. FamilySearch.org.

  • Virginia Marriages 1785-1940- Name index to marriage records from the state of Virginia. FamilySearch.org.

  • Virginia, Surry County Marriage Records, 1735-1950 – Browsable Imaged Records – Not Indexed yet – Various marriage records for Surry County, Virginia, including certificates to obtain a marriage license, marriage bonds and consents, marriage licenses, and marriage returns. All records are from the Register of Deeds Office, Surry, Virginia. FamilySearch.

  • Washington State County Marriages 1858-1950 - Name index and images of the marriage records for Lewis, Wahkiakum, Thurston and Pacific Counties. This collection of marriage records includes: Lewis County marriage returns, 1914-1948; Wahkiakum County marriage certificates, 1907-1939; Thurston County marriage certificates, 1927-1950; and Pacific County marriage certificates, 1878-1947. The records are arranged chronologically. From the Washington State Archives. FamilySearch.org.

  • West Virginia Marriages 1853-1970 - Name index (and images offsite) of West Virginia county marriage records. Data is searchable for all counties. However, records within each county may not be available for the full year range. You may need to click on the link to WV culture website to see the image itself. In most cases you'll be able to click right through for a FREE image, although the site says that fees may apply. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • West Virginia Marriages 1854-1932 - Name index to marriage records from the state of West Virginia. FamilySearch.org.
     
  • Where to Find Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records. By William Dollarhide in Genealogy Bulletin.
     
  • Wisconsin Marriage Records - Wisconsin Marriage Records Databases. - Ancestry.com - Subscription Product.
     
  • Wisconsin Marriage Index 1973-1997 (requires payment)
     
  • Wisconsin Marriage Index 1852-1907 - submitted by Mark Schears
     
  • Wisconsin Marriage Index (selected entries pre-1907) - submitted by Jean Martin
     
  • Wisconsin Marriages, Weddings & Genealogy 

  • Wisconsin Marriages 1836-1930 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Wisconsin. FamilySearch.org.

  • Wyoming Marriages 1877-1920 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Wyoming. FamilySearch.org.