How to Find Marriage Records for Free

Looking up someone's marriage records can be necessary if you want to confirm the date of someone's wedding or to determine a woman's maiden name. Marriage records contain the names of those who were wed, the date of the marriage and the name of the clergyperson who oversaw the marriage, if applicable. You can obtain marriage records for free in most locations as long as the marriage was not registered as a confidential marriage.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Visit the local Office of the Clerk Recorder in the location in which the marriage took place. Most Offices of the Clerk Recorder are open during business hours Monday through Friday.

2. Fill out a form that requests marriage record information. The fields required to view marriage records include the full names of the bride and groom. Some jurisdictions also require the year of the marriage.

3. When you hand the form to the clerk, tell the clerk that you only want to view the record and that you are not looking to purchase a copy of the marriage certificate. These documents are public record, so you are legally allowed to view the documents at no cost. If you would like to purchase a copy of the marriage certificate, you may also do so.

4. View the requested marriage record. Because marriage records are delicate documents and because you are not purchasing a copy of the document, the clerk may ask that he be present while you view the record for free.

5. Write down any information that you need from the marriage record.

Resources

• Where to Write for Vital Records