Find Arkansas Marriage Certificate Copies and How They Are Filed with the State Government

Are you someone who is interested in an Arkansas marriage certificate? If you are, then you should know that you are not alone. In fact, there are many others who are looking for them these days, and not just here in the State of Arkansas, but in the other states of the US as well.

There are actually quite a few reasons for asking for the marriage certificate. The most popular reason however is for a genealogy research project. These days we all are living such a busy life and so detached from our relatives that we do not even realize when we lose track of many of our own family members.

Perhaps you are creating your own family tree and are thus trying to locate someone. Perhaps you had a great-grandfather, an uncle or aunt whom you know came to the state, was married here and settled down. Your Arkansas marriage record can help you immensely in this.

Information You Can Obtain from a Marriage Certificate

The marriage certificate can give you a lot of information. It contains the information about the marriage of two people, including the date of marriage, place of marriage, sometimes the names of the mothers and fathers, and even the people who witnessed the marriage.

The state and county offices issue marriage certificates and include the addresses of the couple and perhaps even the maiden names of the mothers. In many cases, these records serve as the primary source of information. Arkansas marriage records, marriage licenses in Arkansas, marriage indexes, marriage announcements, and other related Arkansas genealogy records provide plenty of information to find your relatives.

Other Sources Where You Can Get the Information You Need

You can carry out a reverse record search to utilize a network of multiple data sources and find the exact records you need. In this exercise, you can access thousands of sources, and some of them are both public and private.

There are also those who hire the services of a licensed private investigator. They can of course help you know about someone and find more information about them.

Another way to get your marriage record is by requesting one online. With just a few clicks you can place your application easily. The Internet helps you save on hassles and time. You can apply instantly and thus, your request is processed quickly.

Finding Your Arkansas Marriage Records

In the State of Arkansas, the statewide registration of vital records such as birth, death and marriage did not start until February 1914. So it can be said that the state lagged behind some others because in many other parts of the country, this practice started much earlier. It was only from 1917 that the marriage records started to be registered. There were individual counties however in the state that had started the process before that. Even then, compliance was not complete – it has to be conceded that not all records were maintained properly during the first 30 years or so.

If you also need to access these records, you will need to write to the clerk of the county in question. It was the County Clerk’s office that issued the license, and so this is the office that you will have to approach. These offices store death records from before 1914 and marriage records from before 1917.

If you need to access marriage records from later than 1917, you will have to send your application to:

Division of Vital Records
Arkansas Department of Health
4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44
Little Rock, AR 72205-3867

The fees from one case to another will usually vary depending on what your exact need is. It can be estimated that it usually costs around $10.00.

What to Do When You Want a Copy of the Marriage Record

When you submit a request for your copy of the marriage certificate, you need to provide some information. You need to provide as much information as possible to ensure that what you receive is accurate. Do not forget that there might have been two people with the same name. Thus, when you want a copy of the marriage license you need to provide the following information:

•    The husband’s full name (the last name should be in capital letters)
•    The wife’s full maiden name (the last name should be in capital letters)
•    The date when the marriage took place
•    The place where the marriage happened
•    Your relationship to party
•    You need to state why you need access to the record
•    Your own address and name
•    Your own state and driver’s license number (this is necessary in some counties)
•    Your signature

Other Advice to Help You Access the Marriage Certificate

•    Your application letter should be to the point and concise.
•    Never make more than just 1 or 2 requests at a time. Never write confusing family details.
•    It is always better to type the addresses and names in the letter.
•    Provide as much information as possible such as every name that could have been used, alternative spellings, nicknames etc.
•    Make a list of dates and types of events accurately (as much as possible). If it is difficult to specify the date, include the span of years that you want searched. Try to narrow it down to the maximum possible.
•    Include a self-addressed and stamped envelope with the application.

Did you know that you can now submit your request over the Internet? The Internet can save you a lot of time when you are searching for a marriage certificate. It is quicker and hassle-free, so many people are doing exactly this.