How to Find Vermont Marriage Records
Some early records are available in the following Findmypast collection:
- United States Marriages – Vermont, 1718-1940 ($) index and images
In Vermont, towns were created starting about 1760. Marriages were and still are recorded by town clerks, beginning when the town was formed. Statewide registration of marriages began in 1857 and was generally complied with by 1919. The towns have copies of these state marriage registration records.
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More marriage information is usually found on the marriage license application or the marriage register. Less information is found on the marriage certificate. |
Next Step: When did the marriage occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Marriage records were kept by each town clerk. Early town clerks put marriage records in town records. Town clerks were usually good at recording marriage information. The towns continue to keep marriage records today. These are described further in Vermont Town Records.
Following the Revolutionary War until about 1870, records were not always recorded. In 1870, the State Board of Health was established and record keeping in towns improved.
Vermont towns are like western townships, so several populated places are in a town's borders. The name of the town is used in official records rather than the name of the populated place.
If you do not find marriage information in the town where your ancestor was born, you may need to look at substitute records to locate your ancestor’s marriage date and place or try the records in a neighboring town.
You can also search other records to locate your ancestor’s marriage date and place.
| Records that give marriage information: | ||
Marriages 1760 to 1857[edit | edit source]
For marriages that occurred in this time period try the following databases:
| Vermont Marriage Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images. Some collections are Browse Only. | |||
| Try: | 1718-1940 - At Findmypast.com | ($); United States Marriages – Vermont, 1718-1940; index and images. | |
| Try: | 1760-2008 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-2003: name index and images of births, marriages and deaths. | |
| Try: | 1760-2008 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-2003: name index and images of births, marriages and deaths. | |
| Try: | 1760-1954 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; a name index and index card images to town birth, marriage and death records. | |
| Try: | 1791-1974 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Marriages, 1791-1974: name index to marriage records. | |
| Try: | 1732-2005 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town records, 1732-2005: birth, marriage and death records from town clerk offices. | |
| Try: | 1850-2005 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, town records, 1850-2005: limited counties, Vermont vital records from various counties and towns, Browse Only | |
| Try: | 1720-1908 - At Ancestry.com | ($) Free at family history libraries; Vermont, Vital Records, 1720 to 1908. | |
| Can't find your ancestor in the online index? | Tips for searching online indexes | ||
| No marriage record for your ancestor? | other records with marriage information | ||
Marriages 1857 to the Present[edit | edit source]
| Vermont Marriages Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images. Some collections are Browse Only. | |||
| Try: | 1718-1940 - At Findmypast.com | ($); United States Marriages – Vermont, 1718-1940; index and some images. | |
| Try: | 1760-2008 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-2003: name index and images of births, marriages and deaths. | |
| Try: | 1760-1954 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; a name index and index card images to town birth, marriage and death records. | |
| Try: | 1791-1974 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Marriages, 1791-1974: name index to marriage records. | |
| Try: | 1732-2005 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town records, 1732-2005: birth, marriage and death records from town clerk offices, Browse Only | |
| Try: | 1850-2005 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Vermont, town records, 1850-2005: limited counties, Vermont vital records from various counties and towns, Browse Only | |
| Try: | 1720-1908 - At Ancestry.com | ($) free at family history centers. Vermont, Vital Records, 1720 to 1908. | |
| Try: | 1909-2008 - At Ancestry.com | ($) free at family history centers. Vermont, Marriage Records, 1909 to 2008. | |
| Try: | 1981-1984 and 1989-2001 - At Ancestry.com | ($) free at family history centers. Vermont, Marriage Records, 1981-1984 and 1989-2001: index to Vermont marriage records. | |
| Can't find your ancestor in the online index? | Tips for searching online indexes | ||
| No marriage record for your ancestor? | other records with marriage information. | ||
Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the marriage record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Marriage Certificates | |||
| From VT State Archives and Records Administration or Vermont Department of Health | From the clerk of the town where the marriage occurred | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| Department of Health-Only marriages within last 5 years | The State records are not as complete, particularly pre-1909. | May be faster.
May be more complete. |
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There are No Restrictions for obtaining Vermont vital records.
If you do not want to order the marriage record, you can search other records with marriage information.
