How to Find Massachusetts Marriage Records
Massachusetts Towns have been recording marriages since the 1600s. Statewide registration began in 1841.
Next Step: When did the marriage occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Marriages before 1841[edit | edit source]
For marriages that occurred during this time period, try the following databases:
| Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| 1600-1850 - At Massachusetts Vital Records Project | Free; Transcriptions and images of Massachusetts town vital records. Includes births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 150 Massachusetts towns. | |||
| 1620-1988 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns. | |||
| 1695-1910 - Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910 at FamilySearch | Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Name index to marriage records from the state of Massachusetts. | |||
| 1600-1961 - United States Marriages – Massachusetts at Findmypast | ($) | |||
| 1700-1809 - use American Ancestors at the Family History Library | Free at the Family History Library; Includes index and digital images of published town vital records. | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||
| No marriage record for your ancestor? | Other records with marriage information | |||
Marriages from 1841 thru 1920[edit | edit source]
Massachusetts was the first state to initiate statewide registration of vital records beginning in 1841. However, the city of Boston, which had kept records prior to this time, didn't start reporting their vital statistics to the state until about 1850. Records from 1841 to 1920 are housed at the Massachusetts Archives. Every five years, another block of five years is transferred from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics to the Archives.
For marriages that occurred during this time period, try the following databases:
| Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| 1841-1915 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Name index and images of Massachusetts statewide marriage registers. | |||
| 1841-1920 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Massachusetts births, marriages and deaths, 1916-1920 and state amendments to vital records, 1841-1920 from the Massachusetts
State Archives. | |||
| 1600-1961 - United States Marriages – Massachusetts at Findmypast | ($) | |||
| 1841-1910 - Massachusetts Archives database | Free; Searchable index of Massachusetts birth, marriage, and death records. | |||
| 1841-1910 - use American Ancestors at the Family History Library | Free at the Family History Library; Includes index, digital images, and amended vital records | |||
| 1620-1988 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns. | |||
| 1901-1955 and 1966-1970 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free; at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Searchable index of Massachusetts marriage records, 1901-1955 and 1966-1970. | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||
| No marriage record for your ancestor? | Other records with marriage information | |||
Marriages from 1921 thru present[edit | edit source]
Marriage records beginning in 1921 to the present are located at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The MDPH maintains no online index for these records. Try to find your ancestor in one of the indexes below.
For marriages that occurred during the time period, try the following databases:
| Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| 1901-1955 and 1966-1970 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free; at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Searchable index of Massachusetts marriage records, 1901-1955 and 1966-1970. | |||
| 1600-1961 - United States Marriages – Massachusetts at Findmypast | ($) | |||
| 1620-1988 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns. | |||
Order the Certificate[edit | edit source]
With an exact date (from your records or an index above) you can order a copy of the marriage record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Marriage Certificates | |||
| From Town Clerk Massachusetts Vital Records |
From Registry of Vital Records and Statistics | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| It's cheaper and faster than ordering from the state | Town websites can be more difficult to use | Onsite researchers can access public marriage indexes | Only certified copies of records are issued, regardless of intended use. It's cheaper to order the record from the town clerk |
If you do not know the exact date or place of the marriage:
For a fee, the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics will do a 10 year search.
If you do not want to order the marriage record, there are other records with marriage information you can search.
Related Wiki Articles[edit | edit source]
- Massachusetts Town Marriage Records 1620-1850 ($)
- Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850 ($)
- Massachusetts, Marriage Index, 1784-1840 ($)
- Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800, Vol. I($)
- Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800, Vol. II($)
- Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800, Vol. III($)
- Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800, Vol. IV($)
- Massachusetts Marriages 1841-1915, ($), index
- Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915, ($), index
- Massachusetts, Marriage Records, 1840-1915 ($)
