A marriage records search can be used for a variety of reasons, including genealogy research, government research and law practice. You can publicly access most marriage records for free; but unless you are near the county where the marriage license was issued (not necessarily where the actual marriage took place), accessing marriage records will usually require some type of fee.

But there are ways to cut down on the time it takes you or someone else to perform a marriage record search. Making the most of marriage records search means knowing what goes into the process and what information you can provide to help speed it up, including:

1. Names of both marrying parties, including the wife's maiden name.

2. The county where the license was issued.

3. The year the public marriage records were issued.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know the type of information you need to best search marriage records

The more information you have on the marriage record you're searching for, the more likely you are to find the correct license the first time. The most important information is the name of the bride and groom, the marriage date, and the county where the license was issued. Other relevant information includes the city, state, and bride's maiden name.

I recommend: GenWed, a user-updated marriage record database, includes a form for updating records that includes all the information a person should have when conducting a marriage license search. VitalRec offers all the information you need to get the license, plus links to individual state offices that handle the requests.

Choose public marriage record information located in specific counties

The best way to find the information that you need and still only have to pay a copying fee is to locate the right county where the marriage license was signed. Many people mistake this with the county where a couple was married, but this is not always the case. The more information you gather about the marriage, the faster you'll find the records.

I recommend: World Vital Records gives you access to thousands of databases that contain many birth, death and marriage records organized by city, county and state. The Centers for Disease Control also has a complete list of all state and county vital record offices to complete your search.

Search for marriage records through online databases

The easiest way to search marriage records is to find them online. Many online databases can provide you with the correct information you're looking for within a few days, whether the record is already located in some form online, or whether the database must send out a request to the specific county office.

I recommend: Marriage Database provides public marriage records organized by state. And if you want to get marriage records but don't have much information, choose a database like the Marriage Records Database.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Beware of online databases that promise to find marriage records instantly. Because most marriage records are not available as documents online, instant access will probably turn up the information that can be accessed through people searches and background checks.

Whether you’re a small business owner conducting a background check on a potential employee or lawyer or a private investigator who needs to perform a marriage license search for your client, you can simplify your task by searching for marriage records online.

Even though it’s not possible to print out a copy of a marriage license after you search for marriage records on the Internet, an online marriage records search still simplifies your overall search process for the following reasons:

1. It’s convenient. Performing a marriage license search online reduces the amount of time you need to spend if you eventually have to go to the courthouse to get a copy of the actual marriage license.
2. It’s cost effective. If you conduct a marriage records search online, you won’t have to hire a genealogist or other researcher to conduct the search, and you don’t have to make a trip to the courthouse.
3. It’s less stressful. This alleviates the headache associated with long lines and crowded waiting rooms at public marriage record offices.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Simplify a marriage license search by visiting the appropriate county's website

A marriage license is a public record. Some states maintain widely available marriage license information online. Such databases can simplify your marriage records search.

I recommend: Find your county’s website by visiting the State and Local Government on the Net website. Then visit the county website to search for marriage records. Visit the official website of Clark County, Nevada to search for marriage records in Clark County. The El Dorado County, California website offers a list of marriage records when you search by name, along with the book and page numbers where the marriage licenses are located in the courthouse.

Properly fill out marriage certificate request forms after conducting a marriage license search

Conducting a marriage records search online can help you identify important details that you need when you complete your order form. Most states want to know the date of the marriage and the county and city where the marriage took place.

I recommend: Visit Vitalrec.com for a U.S. map. Simply click on the appropriate state, and you’ll be taken to a page with relevant information for the state you’re interested in, including a link to that state’s vital records division. The Office of Vital Records in California is just one state public marriage record database that is easily accessed by following the appropriate link at Vitalrec.com. There you can download an application to request a certified copy of a public marriage license.

Order public marriage records online by using a web-based information provider

It's sometimes possible to order a certified marriage license without leaving your home. The biggest cost involved is the shipping and handling fee, not the document fee. Only certain states and counties have this option.

I recommend: Visit VitalChek to order a copy of a certified marriage license. Begin by filling out a few required fields, and if the marriage certificate is not available for online ordering, a pop up window will appear to alert you. If you can't request a marriage license via the Internet, visit the National Center for Health Statistics website for specific information on how to obtain marriage licenses in all 50 states.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  An online marriage license search can provide you with needed information to request marriage licenses, but unfortunately you won't always be able to obtain marriage licenses. In some states, such as NY, you must have either a court order or a 'documented judicial or other proper purpose.'
• •  Sometimes it's necessary to visit a courthouse to conduct a marriage records search and obtain a marriage certificate. If travel is impractical, find a qualified individual who lives in the area where the appropriate county is located.
• •  To save money, if the marriage certificate is available through the appropriate state's vital records office, go that route.

Since the Internet has become a major part of daily life, finding something like public marriage records only takes a few clicks. There are many ways to find any type of marriage record online, including foreign records, old records and more.

Most marriage records database websites and marriage license records will cost, even if you can take a trip to city hall to find the specific record you're looking for. The pricing and costs of marriage records searches are usually determined by the type of database access you purchase. Here are some common ways you can get the records you need:

1. Buy one-time access to a marriage record online.

2. Purchase a monthly or yearly subscription to a marriage records search service.

3. Obtain records through the websites of county clerks.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find marriage records through state and county websites

If you are looking for marriage licenses that were signed within the United States, you may be able to get free access to the information on those licenses. Many county clerk offices will provide marriage records online for free, but charge a nominal shipping and handling charge if you request a physical copy of the license, which is usually no more than $10.

I recommend: If you are looking for marriage licenses from a specific state, you can check with that state's vital records department. The National Center for Health Statistics has a great resource that provides links to vital records departments by state, and lists pricing information. You can find specific county clerk offices through state government websites, such as the one published by the State of Michigan.

Purchase one-time access to a public marriage record

A one time access to marriage records will usually allow you to search for records without having to pay anything. But if the search turns up the records you are looking for, access to those will cost. The price of a public marriage record ranges from $15 to $75, depending on the time and effort the service puts into finding it.

I recommend: USAVital.com provides marriage records for $25 to $65, depending on how difficult it is to find the records. And you can pay as little as $9.95 for marriage and divorce records at eFindOutTheTruth.com.

Buy a membership to perform a marriage license search anytime

If you know you will regularly search for marriage records, buying a monthly or yearly membership will usually entitle you to unlimited access. Such services also may also get you access to additional public records, depending on the type of service you work with.

I recommend: People-Records.net provides anyone with unlimited access to its database for a small fee, with the option to purchase additional information on a person. PublicRecordsPro.com offers an affordable monthly fee for those who look up marriage records on a regular basis.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are looking for marriage records that are housed in a county office near you, it may cost less to go to the courthouse and have the staff perform a marriage records search.

Marriage records are just one type of public record that can be accessed and used by any interested individual or organization. If your company is conducting its own background checks, for instance, marriage records can become a useful element of the personal information search because they are free to obtain, or can be obtained for a nominal shipping charge. Understanding marriage records, including the data they contain and the purposes they can be used for, can help you get the most out of the information available to you.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Public record

Because a marriage license is a type of public record, marriage records can be obtained from the county courthouse holding the record. Public records include all types of documents that are open to public access, and are not restricted to written documents.

I recommend: The Electronic Privacy Information Center offers a comprehensive definition of public record documents, and Government in the Sunshine offers the state of Florida's public record definition for a state-specific example.

Vital records

Vital records, also known as vital statistics, are a type of basic population data kept on file in every county. These records include marriages, births, deaths and other demographic information about the basic makeup of a community. Vital records are also kept by organizations and institutions, as well as government bodies.

I recommend: Vitalrec.com and Vital Records Protection.org both offer a concise definition of vital records and the type of information they include.

Marriage records

Marriage records provide specific information about the individuals being married, including their full names, the date of the marriage, the county where the marriage took place and the maiden name of the bride, if applicable. Because of the amount of information supplied, marriage records are often used in genealogical studies and personal background checks.

I recommend: Get a definition of marriage records and the information supplied in them from Genealogy.com.

Background check

Marriage records are sometimes included as part of a background check, which is a records search conducted most often by employers in order to check for an individual's criminal history. Marriage records most often are used in the case of women who may have changed their names one or more times.

I recommend: Read an extended definition of the background check process and the records searches involved from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Court order

A court order is defined as any type of legal restriction or demand regulating an individual's action, and can also be used to grant an individual or organization access to something. A court order is occasionally necessary for gaining access to marriage records in special cases, or if one is unable to appear at the courthouse in person to retrieve the record.

I recommend: Read a basic definition of a court order from the Virginia Judicial System.

Certified marriage license

A certified marriage license, also known as a marriage certificate, is the specific record you are searching for when looking at marriage records. A certified marriage license is signed by both parties being joined in marriage, as well as two witnesses, and is kept on file in the county where the record was signed, which may be different from the county in which the couple was married.

I recommend: Nolo offers a brief legal definition for a certified marriage license or marriage certificate.