While surfing the internet, especially in search of vital statistics documents, you may have noticed ads that boast “Marriage Certificate Free.”  The fact is that there is no such thing.  You can get verification of the possibility of data existing online, but no service is going to give you the information they paid so much for, free of charge.

False Advertising for Marriage Records?
I for one really resent being led on.  When I enter information in any of these sites that offer free services, I inevitably end up on a page requesting me to pay.  It isn’t that the information isn’t worth paying for.  It is, but I don’t like being told it will be free, and then find out it isn’t.  It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

State Search for Marriage Records
If you want an actual, certified copy of your marriage certificate, you will need to apply either with the state clerk or the county clerk where you were married. Most states have records going back to the early 1900s, reliably, but earlier marriages may appear as well.

For a government-based search, you will need to visit the correct website for your state, apply, provide the groom’s name, the maiden name of the bride, the date of the marriage, and the location.  Some states will request that you explain your relationship to the people on the license and some form of ID.

The Better Way to Look Up Vital Records
Verify a marriage certificate free of hassle, and access all the databases held by all the states around the country.  This way you can search more general parameters and also get access to other public documents like criminal records, divorce records, and legal decrees.

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