Learn How to Find Indiana Marriage Certificates

Indiana is an average American state on many counts, but it is also special in many ways. If you consider its population (16th in the US), the population density (17th) or size of the state according to the land area (38th in the US), Indiana does not come across as anything special.

However, the state warrants a special mention because of its natural beauty – it is located in the region of the Great Lakes. Also, there is a lot of diversity to be found here – many small towns and industrial cities, urban areas, the big city of Indianapolis and much diversity when it comes to the residents who live here.

There are as many as 80 counties in this average-sized state in the US, and thus it is no fun when you need to access the vital records here. In most cases, it is the county offices that are in charge of maintaining the vital statistics such as the birth, death and the marriage records.

You Can Legally Obtain Your Marriage Record in the State Of Indiana

Are you aware of the fact that in the State of Indiana and also in most other parts of the country, the state and county offices are legally bound to maintain and update the vital statistics that include the birth, death and marriage records? Are you also aware of the fact that when you approach the authorities for a copy of these records, they are legally bound to send them to you?

Obtaining your Indiana marriage certificate is thus not a hassle at all. All you need to know is whom to approach and how to send your application, and you can legally get your copy. The only problem that you may anticipate is knowing the name of the exact county because there are as many as 80 of them in the state.

Do keep in mind that you will have to send your request to the exact county office where the marriage took place, because otherwise the processing of your application may simply be delayed. So, before you request that certificate it might be a good idea to find this out.

Where Can You Get Indiana Marriage Certificates?

It was the year 1882 when the birth and death records started to be maintained in the state at the county level. At the state level, the registration of births started in October 1907 and for deaths it started in 1900. At the county level, marriage records have been maintained on a mandatory basis from earlier than 1800.

If you need to access birth records from earlier than 1907 and death records prior to 1900, you will need to send your request to the respective County’s Clerk’s office. Requests for your marriage records should be sent to the same office.

However, if you need to access birth records from later than 1907 and death records from after 1900, you will need to approach the following office:

Indiana State Department of Health
Vital Records Section
2 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Do keep in mind that in most cases it is not the State Department of Health that will issue you the record of marriage in the state, but the County Clerk’s office because it was the Clerk of the Circuit Court that granted the marriage. This is also where the records are being maintained and updated.

Service Charges Involved

You have to know when you are sending an application to receive your copy that the service is not free. The service charges are very negligible and thus they will never pinch your pocket.

If you know the exact date of the marriage, then do mention this in your request along with the name of the person (also mention all probable names of the person if he or she was known in multiple names including nicknames). If you are not aware of the exact date, then you will have to mention a time span, and this is where the service charge will vary.

For example, if your span covers many years then you should expect to pay more. You should expect this because in all such cases the county office has to carry out more work when searching a larger portion of the database to find you the certificate of marriage.

What Can You Expect to Find in the Marriage Certificate?

Marriage records are vital, and can be the primary source of information when you are carrying out a genealogy search or trying to verify facts about a person before getting married.

Marriage records contain information about two people getting married such as the date of the wedding, where it took place, the names of the parents of the bride and the groom, and even those who witnessed the marriage. Other than this, in some instances you may also find the name of the person who conducted the wedding.

Searching for Indiana Marriages? Here’s How You Should File Your Request for a Marriage Certificate:

You need to mention the following in your application when you are asking for a marriage certificate in the state:

•    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
•    The relationship to you
•    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

Keep the above points in mind when you are placing a request for marriage certificates in the State of Indiana. When you are placing your request, do it correctly and you can surely receive your copy quickly, legally and without hassles.