How To Obtain Certifications Of Birth, Marriage, Divorce, And Death Certificates

How To Obtain Certifications Of Birth, Marriage, Divorce, And Death Certificates

The following material is intended to assist researchers in gaining access to copies of birth, marriage, and death records. Different researchers will have their own unique reasons and needs for trying to gain access to various records. Although the guidelines listed below will generally apply in all 50 states, each individual state may impose additional requirements not covered herein. This handout is meant as a guide. It is no substitute for consulting the sources mentioned below for specific details. All books mentioned in this handout are included in the bibliography at the end of the sheet. Each entry in the bibliography will give the complete bibliographic citation, including the call number in our collection.

BIRTHS:

1. You must know the state in which the actual birth occurred. Each state has an office for vital statistics. A good source to check before beginning your research is International Vital Records Handbook: Births, Marriages, and Deaths by Thomas J. Kemp. This handbook will discuss information concerning application forms, fee structures, mailing address, and the time frame for record retention period on the state vs county level. Each state will have its own chapter and discussion.

2. You will be required to explain your relationship to the person whose record you are requesting. In most jurisdictions, birth records can ONLY be issued to the person for whom the record is filed (must be at least 18 years old), to a parent, guardian, or legal representative, or upon court order.

3. In most states, there will be a cutoff period of records available at the state office vs the county courthouse. The Kemp book mentioned above will discuss this in the beginning narrative. Birth records are also available at the county courthouse or health department but most counties will only research requests for dates that pre-date records which are sent to the state bureau. If you need to contact the county courthouse, your best source is: Everton, George B. Handybook For Genealogists: United States of America. This source will give you the complete mailing addresses for county courthouses and telephone numbers.

To order a birth certificate by either mail or fax, provide a signed letter along with your completed form which should include the following information:
1. Information about the person whose record is being requested:
* Full name at birth and any subsequent name change that may have affected the indexing status of a birth record.
* Date of birth.
* City or county of birth.
* Father's full name and mother's full name, including her maiden surname.

2. Information about the person making the request:
* Full name.
* Relationship to the person named on the record.
* Mailing address.
* Telephone number where you can be reached during office hours.

3. Send a check or money order made payable to the "Office Of Vital Statistics":
* See chapter narrative in the International Vital Records Handbook mentioned on Page 1 of this handout.

4. If you are not sure of the date of the birth, provide a range of years to be searched.
* Some states will access a fee (can vary between $1.00 and $10.00) for each year searched.
* Add the extra search fee to your check or money order and indicate in your letter the additional years to be searched.
* Record request forms will usually indicate if they will accept credit card payments and what cards they will honor.
* Credit card orders usually have an added fee for processing. This fee can vary between one and ten dollars.

5. Allow 3 to 4 weeks (on average) for your request to be processed.

6. Rush Service.
* Some states will give you the option of paying for "RUSH SERVICE" on requests.
* Rush orders usually involve an extra fee (varies between $5.00 and $15.00).
* Some states will provide a fax number for "rush" orders.

MARRIAGE OR DIVORCE CERTIFICATES:

1. You must know the state and county where the marriage took place or the divorce was granted. Two good sources to check before beginning your correspondence are. Handybook For Genealogists: United States of America by George B. Everton and International Vital Records Handbook: Births, Marriages, and Deaths by Thomas Jay Kemp. The Everton publication will give you the complete mailing address and telephone number for each county courthouse nationwide. The publication by Thomas Jay Kemp, will give you both a narrative on what records are available within a given state, pricing information for record retrieval, and also the forms necessary to obtain records. These forms can be photocopied and mailed to the specific courthouses.

2. You will be required to explain your relationship to the person whose record you are requesting. Information on these records usually can only be released to the following parties:
* Immediate family members, guardians, or legal representative
* Presentation of a valid court order

3. For marriage and divorce records, they frequently ask for what purpose the records will be used. Some states are more lenient with marriage and divorce records in terms of providing access to the general public. Most states will require you to meet the same requirements as
outlined in the sections which discuss birth and death records.

To order a marriage or divorce certificate by either mail or fax, provide a signed letter along with your completed form which should include the following information:

1. Information about the person whose record is being requested:
* Name of Groom
* Maiden name of Bride
* Parents' names (both Bride & Groom)
* Date of marriage
* Place of marriage

2. Information about the person making the request:
* Full name
* Relationship to the persons named on record
* Mailing address.
* Purpose of request
* Telephone number where you can be reached during office hours

3. Send a check or money order to the Clerk of Courts for the specific county where the marriage or divorce took place.
* See narrative on Page 1 of this handout which discusses the George B. Everton publication Handybook For Genealogists: United States Of America.

4. If you are not sure of the date of the marriage or divorce, you can request a range of years to be searched.
* Some states will access a fee for each year searched.
* Add the extra search fee to your check or money order and indicate in your letter and request form the additional years to be searched.
* Credit card orders usually have an added fee for processing. This fee can vary from one to fifteen dollars per name searched.
* Record request forms will usually tell you if they will accept credit card payments and what cards they will honor.

5. Allow 3 to 4 weeks (on average) for your request to be processed.

6. Rush Service:
* Some states will give you the option of paying for "RUSH SERVICE" on requests.
* Rush orders usually involve an extra fee (varies between $5.00 and $15.00).
* Some states will provide a fax number for "rush" orders.
.

DEATH RECORDS:

1. You must know the state where your subject's death occurred. Each state has an office for vital statistics. A good source to check before beginning your research is the Thomas Jay Kemp publication International Vital Records Handbook: Births, Marriages, and Deaths. This handbook discusses information concerning application forms, fee structures, mailing address, and the time frame for records retention on the state vs county level.

2. If you are requesting the cause of death, most jurisdictions will require you to explain your relationship to the person whose record you are requesting. Some jurisdictions may also require you to document this relationship before your request is processed. If your relationship is not stated or does not meet their requirements, you will be issued a certified copy of the death certificate excluding cause of death information.

* In most states, by law, certification of death records which include cause of death information is restricted to the following people:

1. The decedent's immediate family or guardian (spouse, parent, child (if the child is of legal age), sibling, next of kin, or any other family member) providing documented proof of a direct emotional or financial interest in the cause of death.
2. The representative of the family or guardian (attorney, executor, physician, funeral director, insurance agent, or anyone with power of attorney as specifically authorized by the immediate family).
3. By court order.

3. Fees for death records can vary by various jurisdictions. The fees for each state are discussed on the first page of each state entry in the International Vital Records Handbook by Thomas Jay Kemp. Fees may or may not be refundable even if the record is not located. In most cases, a certified "not found" statement is provided. If you can only provide a range of years to be searched, a fee is usually charged for each year. If you require multiple copies of a record, there will likely be a fee for each copy.

To order a death certificate by either mail or fax, provide a signed letter along with your completed form which should include the following information:

1. Information about the person whose record is being requested:
* Full name of the deceased person
* Sex
* Date of death
* City or county in which death took place

2. Information about the person making the request:
* Full name
* Relationship to the decedent if requesting cause of death information.
* Telephone number where you can be reached during office hours.

3. Send a check or money order made payable to the "Office Of Vital Statistics":
* See International Vital Records Handbook by Thomas Jay Kemp. Each state will have its own chapter.
* Remember, if you request a search for multiple years, there will usually be a fee for each year searched. This extra search fee must be added to the amount of your check or money order.
* Policies and fee structure for credit card orders can vary. Some states will not accept any credit cards.

4. Allow 3 to 4 weeks (on average) to process your request.

5. Rush Service:
* Some states will allow you the option of requesting "RUSH SERVICE" on your requests.
* Rush orders will usually involve an additional fee (varies between $5.00 and $15.00).
* Some states will provide a fax number for "rush" orders.

Bibliography Of Additional Sources

Find Public Records Fast: The Complete State, County, & Courthouse Locator. Revised Edition. Tempe, AZ: Facts On Demand Press, c1998. REF. 347.02 Fin.

Sourcebook Of County Court Records: A Concise, Straightforward, & Informative Reference Manual To The Main & Secondary Repositories Of American Courthouse Records. Denver, CO: BRB Publications, c1992. REF. 929.373 Sou.

Sourcebook Of Local Court & County Record Retrievers: The National Guide To Information Retrievers Who Pull Files & Documents From Federal, State, Local Courts, & County Agencies. 2nd Edition. Tempe, AZ: BRB Publications, 1995. REF 347.013 SOU.

Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. County Courthouse Book. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, c1990. REF. 347.02 Ben.

Everton, George B. Handybook For Genealogists: United States Of America. 8th Edition. Logan, UT: Everton Publishers, c1991. GENEALOGY REF. 929.1 Eve.

Kemp, Thomas Jay. International Vital Records Handbook: Births, Marriages, Divorces, & Deaths Including The Forms & Ordering Information For The Vital Records You Need For Driver's Licenses, Passports, Jobs, Social Security, & Proof Of Identity. 3rd Edition.