| If you wish to acquire a certified marriage certificate | | | | traveling clergymen, or simply take up living together in |
| free of hassles, you will need to know where to go. | | | | the earlier years of our history. The only mention of |
| There are two common options and then a few less | | | | such things would be in public documents like |
| typical locations where you might find what you | | | | newspapers and bibles. |
| seek. The normal locations would be either at the | | | | Online Search Services for All Your Vital Statistic |
| State or County Clerk’s office where the marriage | | | | Needs |
| took place, or by using an online search service. | | | | Search services online have taken the time to compile |
| How to use Governmental Agencies for Vital Statistics | | | | the data available from public databases into one |
| Some states file marriage licenses with the state clerk, | | | | place. When you join such a service, you get access |
| others use the county clerk, but the process for getting | | | | to their extensive information. As long as you |
| your copy is the same. Find the state’s website | | | | don’t desire a certified copy, this is the perfect |
| and connect to the appropriate clerk. | | | | place to validate marriages. |
| Fill out the application for the certificate. This can | | | | An additional benefit is that you don’t need to have |
| usually be done online. Then explain why you need a | | | | quite as much information when you start your |
| copy. States place restrictions on who can access | | | | search. Whereas the state wants you to provide the |
| this type of public document, retaining the illusion of | | | | location of the ceremony, the name of both parties, |
| privacy. The spouses listed on the certificate, children | | | | and justify your query, a search service will be able to |
| and grandchildren of the wedded, and siblings are | | | | trace a marriage certificate without a maiden name or |
| usually the only ones allowed to obtain a certified copy. | | | | exact location. |
| You will need to have both the groom’s name and | | | | You enter what you have and the search engine will |
| the maiden name of the bride. A government issued | | | | pull up all likely matches. You use your common |
| ID will be necessary to prove who you are. Expect the | | | | sense and family history to narrow down your |
| process to take a few weeks. If you can’t do | | | | choices. You can still go to the state afterwards if |
| this over the internet, make sure to include a SASE | | | | you want that certified copy. |
| with your application and letter of request. | | | | As you can see, your best option to find that marriage |
| Are Marriage Records Considered Public Records? | | | | certificate free of a lot of hassle is a search service. |
| Marriage certificates weren’t commonly filed with | | | | Additionally, if you do join such a service you get |
| the State until the early 1900s. For confirmation of | | | | access to a lot more than just marriage licenses. |
| earlier marriages, you might need to scan church | | | | You can search criminal records, liens, reverse phone |
| documents and newspapers. It wasn’t | | | | numbers and more. |
| uncommon for people to post Banns, be married by | | | | |