Texas Free Marriage Records

By Ben Kingsley


From 1966 to 2008, Texas marriage records number more than seven million entries. Thousands of marriage applications are being recorded every day. The record is an important document that contains the names of the couple and the date and location of the marriage. In some counties, the record can be found with the marriage license.

Some people search for the records for various purposes. The usual purpose is for completing genealogical history. You'll be able to find your distant ancestors as long as it is recorded properly. The record can also be used for several legal purposes. It can be used to settle the legitimacy of a child. The record is also part of the documents needed during divorce proceedings to prove that the marriage took place in the first place.

Getting your records will depend on the date of the marriage. For newly married couples, they are not yet entered into the registry. To validate their marriage certificate, they need to approach the local County clerk before the record can be finalized. You'll find the address and contact numbers of the clerks online or through phone books.

For records of previous marriages (assuming you've had several or looking up records of your parents or other persons) that took place a long time ago, you'll find the website of the Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics a great help. They offer a free access to obtain records of marriages since 1966. If you're looking for records before that year, you'll have better help if you approach your County Clerk. The records given by the department are not certified. It will only be good for reference or record keeping. To get certified records, you need to go to your local County Clerk again before using them as legal documents.

The information you get from the website of the department is not specific. There's no search function to pinpoint a specific date, place and persons marriage. What happens is that you have to download the marriage applications for the whole year. Each download file can have at least one hundred thousand records to as many as two hundred thousand. Once you finish downloading the file, you can then search manually for the record you are interested in.

A better way is to use other websites that specialize in obtaining a specific marriage license. These are websites that offer the service for a small sum. You have options such as a 7 day trial or whole year fee. They have up to date online database that will allow you to search for a specific record using only the first and last name. Advanced searches are also available such as specific date and place. There are also websites that offer to get certified records for you and mail them so you won't have to visit your County Clerk. If you need a certified record from the vital records department, you can download the form from their website. Fill the application and attach your payment. The fee is $20 and can be sent with your form as cash, money order, check or even credit card.




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