Are There Free Vital Records?

Vital records are legal documents of important events, including birth,
marriage, divorce, and death. These records are created not only to
keep census and vital statistics for government agencies, but for
individual uses, such as identification, background checks,
verification of marital status, verification for a life insurance
claim, and many more reasons. However, searching for and obtaining
vital records can be a chore, and there is usually a fee involved in
obtaining a certified copy from a government agency. Is there vital
record information that is available for free? And where can you get
free vital record information?
Accessing Free Vital Records from Each State Since vital records are
legal government documents, they must be requested through an official
form, and a fee must be paid. Each state and government agency has its
own procedure and fee schedule for vital records official copy
requests. However, some states will provide limited free information
online for those vital records that are deemed “public record.”
Thankfully, tracking down the right agency to contact can be easy if
you know where to look. If you know the specific agency you need, you
can start by looking at the free resource located at
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm. Here you can locate for free the
specific agency for each vital record for every state in the U.S.
Online Resources for Vital Records If you are searching a record for
someone else, or don’t know the specific county or state agency, you
can find online resources that provide helpful information. One online
resource is Archives.com. At Archives.com you can search their
collection of over 1.3 billion records, browse collections of records,
network with other family history and genealogy buffs, and even find or
ask expert advice. Although Archives.com does charge a subscription fee
for the use of their vast database, you can access their records for no
charge with a free 7-day trial. Use your free 7-day trial to search for
your own records, your living relatives, or even your ancestors. If you
find that the service is worthwhile, your subscription will
automatically begin after 7 days if you do not cancel.
Free Online Search Tools In the hunt for family tree ancestors or even
living relatives, you do have other free resources and search engines.
Another free search engine is at www.ancestorhunt.com. This free search
engine can help you find records by using specific surnames or state,
and it provides additional genealogy help. A search could turn up
digital copies of your ancestors’ records, including property deeds,
marriage bonds, and other certificates.
Another popular genealogy site is www.rootsweb.com. Here you can upload
your own family tree information and browse over 300,000 posted family
trees and over 3 billion records.
Still another helpful website that may help you find ancestors in your
family tree search is the research site provided by the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints at www.familysearch.org. Your search for
personal vital records or ancestry records doesn’t have to be a chore
or cost you a lot of money. Try these free resources to get you started
and with the right information you can get the records you need.

What are Vital Records?

Every
important milestone in your life creates a record. Such events may be
birth, marriage, divorce, and death, each having its own documented
record kept on file in hospitals and courts. These are known as vital
records, and they provide a legal documentation of these important
events.
Vital records are important in a number of ways. Below is a list of
each vital record, what is included, and why they are useful.
Birth Certificates
A birth certificate gives a recorded document of the day, time, and
location of an individual’s birth. If the birth occurred at a hospital
or medical facility, the birth certificate is usually issued by that
facility and certified by the attending physician. Otherwise, a
standard birth certificate form can be easily obtained by the state
registrar and certified by a doctor, midwife, doula, or other
state-approved certifier. The typical U.S. birth certificate form has
been standardized by the U.S. Public Health Service, but states are
free to issue their own form. On the form, you will find the following:
• Child’s Information – Including name, date and time of birth, sex,
city and county of birth, and the specific place of birth (hospital,
residence, etc.)
• Certifier/Attendant – Must be an approved certifier by the state
• Mother’s Information
• Father’s Information
• Other Demographic Information – Such as race, pregnancy history,
marriage status of mother, etc.
This document is important for a number of reasons. First, the document
is kept in the registrar’s office in each state for important census
information. Also, your certified copy of your birth certificate is
used for:
• A verifiable source of identification
• Obtaining a driver’s license
• Obtaining a passport
• Obtaining a social security number
• Documentation of a family history or genealogy search
Marriage Certificate A marriage license, or marriage certificate, is
also issued and kept at the state level. The certificate is a legal
documentation of the marriage between two people recognized by the
state as being eligible for marriage.
A marriage certificate is signed by both parties of the marriage and an
officiant, and it is also filed with a state government agency, which
is usually a registrar or county clerk. The information includes the
date and county that the marriage took place. Marriage certificates can
be useful for:
• Verifying a marital union
• Verifying a family history
• Obtaining spousal insurance Divorce Records
Divorce records are legal documents usually written by attorneys and
filed in county courts. These documents are vital for legalizing the
dissolution of a marriage and stating specific duties by each spouse
for dividing marital assets and paying child or spousal support.
There is no standard form for a divorce document, since each divorce is
unique to each married couple. Included will be the names of the
parties, when and where the marriage took place, and the date the
divorce was finalized in the court and signed by a judge. Divorce
documents may also contain sensitive information such as tax records,
income records, criminal records, and lists of assets.
Divorce records can be used for:
• Determining the divorce status of an individual
• Revealing criminal history of an individual
• Verifying family history for a genealogy search
• Verifying the last known address of an individual
Death Certificate
Death certificates, like birth certificates, are also important for
keeping public health and morbidity information on file. When a death
occurs, a certificate of death is issued by a coroner, or other
government official. The certificate explains the approximate date,
time, location, and cause of death.
Death certificates are important to be used for:
• Verifying the death of an individual
• Verifying family history or genealogy search
• Use in estate probate
• Verification of life insurance claim

Where Can I Get Divorce Records?

There
are a variety of reasons why you may need divorce records. Whether the
record is your own, you are confirming a divorce of another individual,
or conducting genealogy research, you can perform a search and
oftentimes request divorce records if you have the right resources.
Starting with the County Courthouse Divorce records are considered
“vital records,” which also include birth, death, and marriage records.
However, a divorce record is a legal document, and thus, you will
usually be able to find them in the courthouse records in the county in
which the divorce was finalized. If you know the exact county in which
the divorce took place, you can contact that county courthouse clerk to
find out the fees and procedure for requesting divorce records. Perform
a simple online search with the county name and state to find a contact
for that specific county. You will most likely find the contact
information you need.
If that doesn’t work, you can find a list of county courts and their
contact information on each official state page. Simply type the URL:
www.state.XX.us, where ‘XX’ is replaced by the actual state code. For
instance, to bring up the official state website for South Dakota,
enter www.state.SD.us. Official state websites have a variety of
helpful information. Look for links to courts or state agencies to find
the county you seek. If you do not know the county, all states have a
central agency for vital records. You can contact this organization to
have a search performed on the divorce record in which you are
interested. A resource to contact all the states’ vital records
departments is at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm. Information to
Supply to the County Clerk When you find the county contact you are
searching for, you will need to provide information to help the clerk
search for the divorce record you need. You will usually be required to
complete a form and include information such as the divorce file
number, names of individuals, and a reason you are requesting the
record. Since official divorce files contain private and sensitive
information, many states only grant official copies to the individuals
identified on the divorce decree. You may be able to simply confirm
that a divorce record exists, however. Other states, however, consider
divorce records public records, and anyone may obtain a copy.
Online Resources to Access Divorce Records You also have many resources
available online to search for divorce records. Many private agencies
and businesses perform vital records searches. Most will charge a fee
or provide only limited information for free. You can perform a free
public record search for individuals at
http://publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/. Enter the name of an
individual, and this service will provide a list of potential matches.
If you want further information, you can pay for their service to
provide the records.
You may also get valuable information from www.vitalchek.com, which is
a LexisNexis company. LexisNexis is the most trusted global leader in
information research. VitalChek provides easy directions and
step-by-step instructions for ordering vital records, including divorce
records. VitalChek also provides helpful guides to determine whether
divorce records are public or ID-only in each state.
Your search for divorce records can be successful. Use the resources
provided here, or do a more specific search online to get the
information you need.