People may have different reasons for searching marriage records. Some might want to trace genealogy, while some might want to track someone with whom they’ve lost their connection. There are many other reasons besides these, for which, people search for marriage records.

Public vs confidential marriage records

Marriage records can either be public or confidential. Any member of the public can get an informational copy of a marriage record quite easily. An authorized copy of a public marriage record can be obtained by certain individuals. Marriage records that are confidential are often sealed. They may only be requested by court order or by the marriage partners. 

An authorized and certified copy of a public marriage record can be requested and received only by certain individuals. They include someone who has been a party to the marriage. They also include someone who is the parent or legal guardian to a party to the marriage. In simple words, these individuals include the bride and the groom. They also include the parent or a legal guardian of the bride or groom.

Departments that maintain the records

The general data on all the marriages and divorces within a state is maintained by one major department. It is the Department of Health or Bureau of Vital Statistics of that particular state. You can contact the agency of the state where the marriage took place. The marriage can thus be confirmed and even the county in which the license was filed can be found. 

Each county has an Office of the County Clerk. It is typically found in the courthouse of the county. If you want to review the original copy of a marriage license, you’ll need to take some effort. You must be aware that there would be a nominal fee for obtaining a physical copy of the record. It must also be kept in mind that not all information would be provided with a copy.

Searching online for marriage certificates

It is far more convenient to search for marriage records online. For the best results, it is good to have as many pieces of information as possible. You must also include the middle initials while searching, if available. If you lack the other information, you can use the details that are provided commonly. They include the individual’s name, a date range, or the county name. 

Upon receiving the information, the search engine would pull up all the records associated with the data. The list would be in the order of file numbers. You can browse the list to find the required marriage record. It is always better to use broader search criteria. To prevent the list from getting longer, fill in as many fields as possible.

Why you should search online

There’s a fact you must know before visiting the local courthouse for finding a marriage record. You must know in which county the marriage had taken place. Otherwise, the whole visit would be a waste of time. The marriage records stored by a county courthouse are only of the marriages in that particular county. If you’re looking for a marriage record in Texas, it could be in any of the 254 courthouses. 

All of them are spread across 269,000 square miles. Visiting some or many of them just to review the documents would be a significant waste of time. Only three or four counties can be covered after spending an entire week travelling.

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This requirement was irrespective of whether it was the church or a civil authority that performed the ceremony. Marriage has always been an agreement between two individuals made in public but recorded in many different ways. The records of marriages were usually stored with the clerk of the town or county where the bride resided. 

Some of the earlier records might’ve been housed in the archives of the state. The more recent ones may be stored in a state’s Division of Vital Records. In addition to the actual marriage record, you’ll also come across records that show a couple’s intent to marry.

Marriage Banns

The announcement of an intended marriage made in public is called marriage banns. The intentions and banns were made a few weeks before the couple went ahead with their plans of marriage. This might’ve been a requirement to enable other community members to raise objections to the marriage if necessary.

Throughout the mid-1800s, this was a common custom in the southern and New England states. The announcement of a wedding was traditionally made in the church about three weeks before the event. Banns were more of a religious custom. It required the couple to announce that they had plans to marry their local congregation. 

They might’ve posted a written notice at the church as well. Intentions were presented to the local civil authority as written notices. They were posted in a public place for a certain period of time. The town clerk or minister then recorded these announcements in a register. 

Applications and licenses

The most common types of records that show an intent to marry are the applications and licenses. The use of banns, bonds, and intentions was gradually replaced by these documents. A bride and groom applied to the appropriate civil authorities for obtaining a license to be married. 

The civil authority, in this case, was usually a town or county clerk. Most of the information on genealogical value can be found in these records. They include the names of the couple, their residence, and their ages. The race, occupations, birth dates, and names of the parents of the couples were also provided in the later records. 

The person who performed the marriage has presented the license. It was later returned to the town or county clerk. Applications for obtaining a license are primarily records of the twentieth century. They often contain more detailed information when compared to the license.

Marriage bonds

Marriage bonds are guarantees in a written form. They are promises of payment made by the groom or a person who is often the bride’s relative. This ensures that a forthcoming marriage would be legal. The individual posting the bond was known as the ‘surety’ or ‘bondsman’. 

The bond was then presented to the official or minister who performed the ceremony. It was then returned to the town or county clerk. The southern and middle-Atlantic states frequently used bonds until the mid-1800s.

Consent papers

Consent papers were made available in cases where the permission of a parent or guardian was required. They were usually required when the bride or groom was underage. The consent might’ve been either verbal or written on the bond or license.

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