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How to Find a Marriage Certificate
Finding a marriage certificate may be easier said than done. If you cannot
find it on your first try, here are tips on how you can modify your search to
find what you want.
To find a marriage certificate you will first need the location of the office
that issued the certificate or the state where the marriage took place. You will
also need one or both the spouses’ names and the approximate date of the
ceremony.
A marriage certificate that was issued before states began keeping marriage
records may be difficult to locate. Although a marriage license is normally
returned for registering in state or county books, marriage certificates are
most often issued simply for framing.
Moreover, officials hardly ever kept copies of them since they were turned over
to the couple as evidence that the union authorized by the marriage license was
indeed completed.
This was done because taking out a license does not necessarily mean that a
marriage took place. It has happened often enough that a couple, although going
through the entire process of purchasing a license, eventually chooses not marry
at all.
Find a Marriage Certificate via Indexes
It is easier to find a marriage certificate using online government or
historical societies indexes nowadays as compared to 10 years ago. Many of these
indexes have been published online by websites that may not even be connected to
the original indexing office. Some will charge you for access so choose which
provider you want to use wisely.
When using an index, it is important to remember the following things:
- Even if you have the full name of the bride or groom, the marriage
certificate you need may be indexed in an unexpected way, as in the case of a
variation on the first or last name (e.g. Allison or Allyson, Fraser or
Frazier).
- Some errors may have occurred through human or technical errors. The
Wisconsin Historical Society, for instance, admits to errors in the fiche they
created around the 1970s as well as when they digitized the index later.
- To find a marriage certificate, you may have to check more than one index.
County records may not have all been forwarded to the state, especially since
the laws that required it came much later. Likewise, some state records may not
be found in their counties of origin.
If you’re ready to conduct your search, simply take a look at the top providers
reviewed at RecordsSiteReviews'
online marriage
certificate search section!
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