- 1). Find the county where the marriage took place. To locate the county, ask the husband or wife, their children or other family members where the marriage occurred. If family members don't recall, research family documents (such as the family Bible, family wedding photos, family letters). Another approach is to locate the church that the family attended at the time of the wedding, then go to that church and request a search of people's names in its records (churches maintain records of events, such as marriages, which took place there). If the marriage occurred at that church, you know the county.
- 2). Contact the county recorder's office. After locating the county where the marriage took place, go to that county clerk and recorder's office and request a copy of the marriage license. Typically, the clerk will ask you to fill out a request form and pay a fee (in the $5 to $10 range). Some recorder's offices also have websites through which you can order a marriage license.
- 3). Locate state vital statistics offices through Vitalrec.com. You can order a copy of a marriage license from some state vital statistics offices. Go to Vitalrec.com, scroll down the page to a listing of states under "Select a State or Territory to obtain birth certificate, death record, or marriage license" and click your state name. On the web page that displays, click the Vital Records Office link at the top left (this displays contact information for your state vital records office). Write a letter to that office with your marriage license request, including bride and groom's names (if you're unsure of the spelling for the names, suggest altnernate spellings), the date of the marriage (if you're unsure of the exact date, provide a span of years when it might have occurred), your name and contact information, and the fee. Because fees and services vary from state to state, contact the vital statistics office to find out the charges.
- 4). Hire a private investigator. If you hit a roadblock finding a marriage license, or if you need help with your search, consider hiring a private investigator. Investigators have the background, skills and resources to dig deeper for information. To find a qualified private investigator, contact your state professional private investigator association.
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