Marriage Certificate Overview A marriage certificate is an official vital record kept by a government entity, documenting the marriage of a couple. In the United States the term “marriage certificate” usually refers to a certified replica of the original document, though it can also refer to the original document kept by the issuing state or county government. Outside of the United States the term “marriage certificate” is used to refer to the original marriage record. State Marriage Certificate Links Obtaining Marriage Certificates The easiest way to order a marriage certificate is to order it online. All states have now contracted with a third party provider to manage their online delivery of marriage certificates. Online ordering is not only the fastest and easiest way to get marriage certificates, but for some states it is the only way to obtain a marriage certificate using a credit card. Click here to order a marriage certificate online. 
Making it more difficult to obtain marriage records than birth and death certificates is the fact that not all states’ vital record departments maintain marriage records. In many states you need to contact the local county or town municipality that issues and maintains the marriage record. Some states do allow individuals who come directly to their offices or to order through the mail. Ordering marriage certificates by fax or phone is very limited. To get specific ordering instruction click on the above link for the state that you are interested.
Though churches and other places that perform marriages keep records of marriages taken place at their premises, these are not official government records. The churches cannot provide official certified marriage certificates. Information on Marriage Certificates Marriage Certificates contain all the important information that pertains to the marriage of an individual. The marriage certificate usually contains:
- Name of the Groom
- Name of the Bride (Maiden Name)
- Birth date of the Groom
- Birthrate of the Bride
- Blood type (Sometimes)
- Date of Marriage
- Location of the Marriage
- Address of the Groom
- Address of the Bride
- Information about Previous Marriages
- Name of witnesses
Uses for Marriage Certificates Marriage certificates the following uses throughout someone’s life:
- A marriage certificate is needed to get a divorce.
- Marriage certificates can help prove bloodline that need to be established for some government assistance programs.
- Acceptance into some Native American tribes requires proof from marriage certificates.
- Acceptance into some Clubs or Associations requires proof from marriage certificates.
Genealogy Uses for Marriage Certificates Marriage Certificates are some of the most important documents for genealogy research. Marriage certificates are primary sources of information about the marriage of two individuals. Usually a marriage certificate is created within a few days of the marriage and the information found on the marriage certificate is given by a witness of the marriage. Due to the timeliness of the creation of the marriage certificate and the testimony of a directly involved witness, a marriage certificate is a very reliable source of information about the marriage.
Marriage certificates contain valuable information about the individual whose marriage it documents, but it also provides valuable information about others involved in the marriage. Sometimes information that has been missing before can be found on a marriage certificate and provide valuable clues to adding branches to a family tree.
Though every step is taken to make the marriage certificate as correct as possible, mistakes can still be made. This is truer of earlier marriage certificates when the marriage certificate creation process was more disorganized. Even if a marriage certificate is not complete, it may contain very valuable information to add to a family tree. Family records are a great starting place to find individuals whose marriage certificates might be of great importance to a family tree. Such family records include:
- Family Bibles
- Family Record Books
- Journals
- Diaries
- Family Letters and Other Correspondences
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Last Updated on Monday, 31 August 2009 19:46 |
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