Marriage Records

Marriage records provide proof that two people have obtained legal permission to be married. This permission may come from a church or from a state. Marriage records usually come in the form of a marriage license. The details found in marriage records are currently varied, and have varied throughout history.

The concept of marriage records began during the Middle Ages. The purpose at that time was to provide permission for a marriage to take place that would normally have been illegal, such as if two people wanted to be married without giving enough notice. As time went on, having a marriage record became a statutory requirement for a marriage to take place. Marriage records took on the role of both permission-giver and historical recorder of a marriage.

Every state in the United States issues marriage licenses as a form of maintaining marriage records. After a marriage ceremony is over, both spouses and the officiant sign the marriage license. Some states require that an eye witness also sign a marriage record. A couple can then file for an official copy of a marriage record.

The requirements for getting a license to add to one's marriage record vary between countries. Many states in the United States require a waiting period of 1 to 6 days, while other countries may require a couple to wait longer. For example, most couples in Brazil must wait approximately 60 days before their marriage records can be revised. During this time, the governing body investigates both participants' marriage records, and search for any discrepancies which may prevent them from getting legally married.

In places like England and Wales, marriage records have traditionally been more of a formality. A couple's desire to be married is hardly ever contested, and the marriage records usually serve almost no purpose after the couple has officially been married. Throughout England's history, the purpose of a marriage record was to record the sworn statement that there was no legal impediment to the marriage. In some cases, the marriage record stated an amount of money that would be forfeit, if some impediment were later to emerge. Marriage records have tended to serve more as generational ties in this region. The bonds found in these older marriage records are an important source for English genealogy.

Marriage records are one example of public records that are often fragmented between states and counties. Because of this, many private companies have archived public records into massive databases for search on the internet. Database records contain vital records such as, birth records, adoption records, marriage records, divorce records, etc. These public records can be searched quickly and privately with results displayed on your computer screen in the comfort of your home. All searches are 100% anonymous. Our service subscribes to the most comprehensive public records database providers available on the internet. If you are ready to see if we have the records you are looking for, we encourage you to begin your search now.