Conducting a Search for Marriage Records Online

Searching for marriage records online may be completed on a free or fee-based system, depending upon the site used. This is ideal for anyone needing to simply confirm or deny the fact that a marriage ever occurred, but different sources may offer you more or less detailed information about the union. Here, you’ll discover what you can learn from conducting a search online, where to go, and your options for completing the search.

Why Search for Marriage Records Online?

There are a multitude of reasons why you may decide to search for a marriage record via the Internet. If you are planning on marrying someone, you may want to quickly check to ensure they have not been or are not currently legally married to someone else. Searching for parents and other long-lost relatives or friends may also lead to an online marriage record search. 

Any type of genealogy project may require searching for these records to determine where your ancestors lived, too. This enables you to conduct your own search without needing to hire a professional service that can become costly. In addition, you may require copies of your own marriage records if you are in the midst of any type of divorce proceeding. 

What Information is Required to Conduct a Search?

A major advantage to conducting a simple and quick search online for marriage records is that you can either confirm or deny a marriage with very little information. You will usually need to know the location where the civil ceremony took place, the date and names of the bride and groom. 

If your information is very limited, it may still be enough to gather the search results. Problems may arise, however, if you are searching for extremely old records or those for someone with a very common name like Smith or Jones. The more information you do have, the more likely you are to end up with the correct record and accurate results. 

What Will the Marriage Records Tell Me?

Typically, an online marriage records search will yield general information about a union such as the county where it took place, the person who conducted the civil ceremony, the couple’s and their parents’ names, and the names of any witnesses. Many times, a search for marriage records online will only serve as a quick verification of an individual’s history, so this information is more than sufficient to either prove or deny the occurrence of a marriage.

Types of Online Marriage Records

When searching for a record of marriage online, you will most likely have the option of a free or fee-based service. The old adage that you get what you pay for directly applies in this situation. Free services will yield very limited results, and paid services will give you more information than free options. 

The charges associated with a paid search may be very nominal, and could be necessary depending upon your reason for conducting the search. Usually, these searches may take a little longer to complete, but you’ll also be armed with more details about the marriage. 

Often times, these results from paid searches can be used for official or legal reasons. This may include claiming rights to marital property, filing insurance claims for a life or disability policy, or changing your legal name or other official documents.

Advantages of Searching for Marriage Records Online

The immediate advantage to searching for any marriage record via the Internet is the ease in access. You can conduct this type of search from the comfort of your own home, and can often find at least preliminary results within minutes.

Another added value to conducting your search online is that even if you need to use a fee-based service, it will most likely be very affordable. The information you receive in exchange for convenience and avoiding traffic and long lines is sometimes most important to an individual conducting a search. Also, if the records are maintained in a different state or county, your only option may be to find them via online services.

If you are searching for a marriage record and don’t want the parties involved to know you are doing so, you can rest easy that an Internet search is also confidential. Your significant other will never know that you were checking his or her story, and your family won’t know you’re looking for them unless you tell them.

Where to Search Online for Marriage Records

If you simply want to confirm or deny the existence of a marriage, a simple free search can be conducted through a public records search engine. This will quickly answer your question about whether the marriage ever happened, and when it occurred.

Another option is to go directly to the source through a state or local government office’s website. However, this may require more information from you in order to complete the request, and a small fee may also be requested.

There are several options available when it comes to searching for a marriage record online. You must first determine the level of detail that you require from the record and gather the correct search criteria, then decide if a free online search or one that charges a fee will fit your needs best.