Florida Vital Records

Introduction to Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Florida State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

Florida Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online
The following is a list of online resources useful for locating Florida Vital Records which consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. Most online resources for Florida Vital Records are indexes. After locating a person in an index always consult the original record to confirm the information in the index.  
 * Florida Databases listed on Rootsweb.com - Free
 * USGenWeb.org Florida Site - Free
 * Search for Florida Collections at United States on FamilySearch.org - Free
 * The Vital Records Search and Information Directory for Florida - Free/$
 * Online Links for Florida Birth &amp; Marriage and Death Records - Free/$
 * Linkpendium Links for Florida Genealogy and History, including individual Counties - Free/$
 * Search the Florida Birth, Marriage, and eath Records at Ancestry.com - $
 * CDC to order Florida Certificates online. It also shows where to write and any restrictions - Free site, but the certificates cost money $

Birth Records
early - 1899

The Family History Library has copies of original birth and death records for some counties of Florida as well as an extensive collection of delayed birth records dating to the 1860s. For example, there are 22 microfilms of delayed birth records for Leon County, 1874 to 1948, and two films of Pensacola birth and death records, 1891 to 1910.

1899 - present

Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899 and was generally complied with by 1920. Some earlier city and county records have been deposited with the state office. They include incomplete records of births from 1865 to 1917 and incomplete records of deaths from 1877 to 1917.

A digital index at FamilySearch is:


 * Florida Births and Christenings, 1880-1935 and description of the records

To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Florida county birth records, click here.

State records are closed to the general public. Conditions for obtaining a record may be obtained from the Office of Vital Statistics.


 * Bureau of Vital Statistics Attn: Vital Records Section P.O. Box 210 Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042 Telephone: 904-359-6900 Fax: 904-359-6931 Internet: Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics

Adoption Records
Adoption records are confidential. Medical background on the birth family is given to the adoptive family at adoption. It can be obtained by the adoptee at age eighteen from the Family and Children Services Program, Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Servies.

Identifying information about a birth parent, an adoptive parent, or an adoptee may not be disclosed unless the person has consented in writing.

Florida’s Adoption Reunion Registry (FARR) helps people who were adopted or who gave a child up for adoption to reunite. People are listed on a registry. FARR is operated by the state of Florida Department of Children and Families. It also explains how to get medical background.

Marriage Records
Statewide registration of marriages began in June 1927.

Marriage records have been kept by each county, usually from the date the county was created. The Family History Library has a large collection of county marriage records. For example, the marriage licenses of the county judge for Hillsborough County are on 93 microfilms for the years 1849 to 1951, 1853 to 1927, and 1940 to 1956, with an index for 1846 to 1980.


 * United States Marriages – Florida, 1802-1998 ($) index and images


 * Florida, County Marriages, 1823-1982 index and images ($)


 * Florida, Marriages, 1830-1993 has a name index and images. A description of the records is also available.


 * Florida, Marriages, 1837-1974 has a name index. A description is also available.

Florida Combined Marriage Index,1927-1969''. These records are in the Office of Vital Statistics.''

To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Florida county marriage records, click here.

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:


 * Florida, Marriage Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Florida Marriages,1830-1993 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Florida Marriages, 1837-1974 (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Divorce Records
Records of divorce proceedings are kept by the clerk of the circuit court in each county. You can write to the clerk for records up to June 1927. For records since then, write to the Office of Vital Statistics.

The Family History Library has 305 microfiche of the Florida Combined Divorce and Annulment Index, 1927-1969.


 * Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 with a description of the records.

A wiki article describing an oline collection is found at: 

Florida Divorce Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Death Records
early - 1917

The Family History Library has copies of original birth and death records for some counties of Florida.

Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899 and was generally complied with by 1920. Some earlier city and county records have been deposited with the state office. They include incomplete records of deaths from 1877 to 1917 and incomplete records of births from 1865 to 1917.

1917 to Present

State records are closed to the general public. Conditions for obtaining a record may be obtained from the Bureau of Vital Statistics.


 * Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998 is a name index without images with a description of the records.


 * Florida Deaths, 1877-1939 is a name index to death certificates without images. A description of the records is available.


 * Florida Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921 is a name index to death and burial records from the state of Florida. Images of the records are not available. A description of the records is given.

The Family History Library has 143 microfiche of the Florida Combined Death Index, 1877-1969. You can obtain copies of the state's records by writing to:


 * Bureau of Vital Statistics Attn: Vital Records Section P.O. Box 210 Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042 Telephone: 904-359-6900 Fax: 904-359-6931 Internet: Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics

An explanation of the history and availability of vital records is in Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Florida.

To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Florida county death records, click here.

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:


 * Florida Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Florida Death Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Florida Death Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Fetal Deaths Parents, legal representative or court order may request a copy of a "Certificate of Birth Resulting in a Stillbirth." Anyone may apply for a copy of a "Fetal Death Certificate," however, only cause of death will be issued after 50 years unless you are the parent.

Lost, Missing or Fragmented Records
When there is record loss, usually there is an attempt to reconstruct some of the records. For losses in county records, check if state records have a copy. For losses in the state records, check if the appropriate county has a copy. If neither have a copy, check the Substitute Records below.

Counties with record loss:

Santa Rosa (1869) and Wakulla (1896)

Substitute Records

 * Florida Church Records
 * Florida Cemetery Records
 * Florida Census Records
 * Florida History
 * Florida Military Records
 * Florida Newspapers
 * Florida Periodicals

Tips

 * Information listed on vital records is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of the record.  The closer the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) and whether or not the informant was present at the time ot the event can help determine the accuracy of the information found on the record.
 * If you are unable to locate vital records recorded by governments, search for church records for christening, marriage, death or burial. A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages and death.
 * Records for African Americans are often recorded in separate files with separate indexes.
 * Privacy laws may restrict your access to some vital records. Copies of some vital records recorded in the last 100 years may be unavailable to anyone except a direct relative.
 * Search for Vital Records in the FamilySearch Catalog by using a Place Search. Search for Florida to locate records filed by the state and then search the name of the county to locate records kept by the county.

Archives, Libraries and Societies

 * Florida Archives and Libraries
 * Florida Societies