How to do a Public Marriage Records Search for Free?
Marriage licenses, they are a little different than driving licenses or even a hunting and fishing license, but something that every married couple should make sure to get and also is very important to keep track of. A marriage license is a formal document, and in order to have a ‘right’ to marry, a person must qualify under certain conditions, mainly that they are single and free to marry, of the state’s legal age, and a number of other deciding factors that confirm the request is both legit and genuine.
Fast and Easy Ways to Search for Public Marriage Records:
The two easiest ways to search for public marriage records, for free, is to go to the country court house where the marriage was performed, or to search online with the internet.
County Court house:
Copies of all marriages that took place within that state are stored in your county courthouse indefinitely and anyone can go and search these records free of charge.Many states also maintain records of past marriages, so you can find out how many times a particular person has been married before. It is important to note that marriages performed by a Justice of the Peace might be maintained separately from the actual marriage license or certificate, and if this is the case you will need to ask the county clerk where to find the record of this marriage. The country clerks are very helpful and can locate as well as pull any marriage records for you. To access marriage records from the country clerk you will need the names of the persons who were married and the date of the marriage.
Internet Searches:
The internet has made the world such a small and convenient place and not only can you now purchase items from your couch, work from home in your pajama’s, but you can also search for marriage records online, for free. Surf on the Internet and start researching. A lot of websites may try and charge you to use their services, but it is important to not be misled and tricked intothinking you must pay for information on the internet. As a matter of fact, you can frequently use information gathered from sites which require you to pay – for free. One of the easiest ways to search for marriage records via the internet is to go to a search engine and simply input the bride and grooms name, where they were married and any other information you know aboutthem – the more information you have the more accurate your search results will be. If a website says that you need to pay for their services, they will usually allow you a preliminary search and the results that you find will get you on your way to finding more information. For example, it may turn up a phone number, address or even a maiden name. One of the keys to doing online searches is to try everything – combine words, check various sites, and keep gathering information, because it is definitely out there.
Marriage Records Will Show:
- Addresses of both marital parties at time of application
- Woman’s maiden name
- Both person’s birth date as well as their place of birth and occupation
- Both person’s blood type
- Place where the marriage was held
- Witnesses to the marriage
- Any previous marriages and address of parents
If you are still looking for further information some other great resources are newspapers and church records.
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