Learn Where to Find Iowa Marriage Certificate Copies and How They Are Filed with the State and Local Government

If you are looking for marriage certificates for any reason, you will find luck in Iowa. Your task will be relatively easy here. Iowa is a “heartland” state, but in one respect it is like those of New England. It shares with them the distinction of being one of the few US states to have made a success of vital records storage implementation prior to the 20th century, with an excellent system in place since the 1880s.

If you are into genealogical or demographic research, whether as a discipline or profession, Iowa marriage certificates could provide you with an amazing all-American quilt of ethnicities and linkages. It is a state that historically attracted immigrants from both within and outside the USA.

Marriage certificates of families residing in Iowa for centuries may reflect its onetime French governance and large Native American settlements. If you are interested, you will probably find strong evidence in its marriage records that its libertarian traditions were partly responsible for its ethnic and religious admixture today.

Iowa officially rejected slavery in 1839, long before the Civil War. It permitted interracial marriages in 1851, about a century before the Federal Government did so. The state also provided a haven for dissenting Christian sects from northern Europe and the northeastern USA, and today includes the township set up by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s US adherents!

From its marriage records, you will also find a wonderful diversity of occupations. Older records will show why Iowa is known the world over as the ‘food capital’ of the USA, a magnet for farming communities when the territory and state came into being.

What You Can Find in a Marriage Certificate

On a marriage certificate, you will at least find the bride's and grooms full names, the date of the marriage, and the county where the marriage took place. Many records will also include items of information such as the names and birthplaces of the bride's and groom's parents, the addresses of the bride and groom, evidence of previous marriages, and the names of the marriage witnesses and the person officiating at the ceremony. Depending on individual choice, you may also find identification by religion and denomination.

Where Can You Find the Marriage Certificate?

For birth and marriage records after 1 July 1880, and death records after 1891, contact the Iowa Department of Public Health, Vital Records Bureau, Lucas State Office Bldg, 4th Floor, 321 East 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0075.

Iowa prefers you to obtain all vital records from there and not from County Clerks' offices. You will need to fill out a request form and attach a check or money order that is payable to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

How to Get Effective Action in Fulfilling Your Request

Your letter should be brief and topical. Be careful not to give confusing details about family lines. Also, do remember that you must never make more than two requests in one letter. Otherwise, it may simply bounce back and forth between departments, causing avoidable delay.

Submit all possible data about the marriage. If a person goes by more than one name, mention all of them, including nicknames and alternate spellings.

Be accurate about the marriage date. If you do not know the exact date, provide a time span that can be searched. Try to keep it narrow – the wider the search, the more it will cost you. Type or print all names and addresses to avoid misreading.

Do not pay in advance, unless you know for sure how much the document/s will cost. Guesswork could leave you either out of pocket or losing time on adjustments. Consider sending a signed blank check: with "Not to exceed $__.00" (the maximum likely amount) written preferably in red ink, under the check's "$____" line.

It is always safest to write two letters. The first one should state your requirements and provide all relevant information as well as ask about the charges payable. The second one should carry your check. Remember to enclose a stamped and self-addressed envelope.

The office is probably short of help and swamped with paperwork. Though the office handles genealogical queries, this is not the main activity conducted there – do remember this. So it is a good idea to show a little patience and courtesy, especially if you find their responses slower than you would like.

A Checklist of Essential Details to Include

Date of request
Full name of husband (last name in caps)
Full name of wife (maiden name in caps)
Date of marriage
Place of marriage (city or town, county, state)
Relationship to you
Purpose for which the record is needed
Your name & address
Your driver's license number & state (some counties require it)
Your signature

Some Other Ways You Can Access the Marriage Certificate

You can of course draft that letter and send in your request to receive your marriage certificate. There are however some other ways in which you can receive it.

You can carry out a reverse record search to utilize a network of multiple data sources and find the exact records you need. Using this method, 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 for this. They can help you learn about someone and find you more information about them.

Another way to get your marriage record is by submitting a request 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 your application gets processed quickly. You save a lot of time. Many people are now using the Internet as well when they are placing a request for their Iowa marriage certificate.