South Dakota, Department of Health, Birth and Marriage Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection is a database of births from 1843 to 1914 and marriages from 1950 to 2016 provided by the South Dakota Department of Health.

Statewide registration of vital statistics began in 1905 and was generally complied with by 1932. Delayed birth records date from the early 1900's. Pre-1905 records exist for some South Dakota counties and are located in the office of the registrar of deeds in each county.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
This database of Births may include the following:
 * Name of the child
 * Gender
 * Names of the parents
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace

This database of Marriages  usually includes the following for both bride and groom:
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Date of Marriage
 * Birthplaces and residences of bride and groom
 * Ages of bride and groom

Coverage Map
To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of South Dakota marriages, click here.

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this index it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the individual
 * Approximate date and or location of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the South Dakota Health Department.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other county or South Dakota Vital Records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Search for death or burial information in South Dakota Cemeteries and South Dakota Newspapers
 * Use the information found in the record to find South Dakota Land and Property Records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find South Dakota Probate Records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find South Dakota Naturalization and Citizenship Records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the South Dakota Census. Witnesses were usually family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties and governments began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find The Person I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching in a nearby locality such as North Dakota Vital Records.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing this Collection
Proper citations make it easier to get back to sources that you have found, so citing sources properly can help you keep track of research. Correct citations also allow others to check completed research by giving them a way to find and examine records for themselves. Top of Page
 * Collection Citation:
 * Record (or Index) Citation: