New York, County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of county marriage records or marriage licenses for the state of New York. The collection includes marriage records for 45 counties and marriage licenses for 34 counties. It does not include New York City or its boroughs. The indexing of images is in process for this collection and will be added as it is completed. The collection covers the years 1847 to 1848 and 1908 to 1936.

General Information About These Records

The records are arranged by county, then by volume and year range. The form varies between register style and certificate style. County clerks usually used the same printed form during the same time periods.

New York began statewide registration of births, marriages, and deaths in 1880-81 under the supervision of the state and local boards of health. Compliance with the law was incomplete until 1900 or even later; therefore, certificates are lacking for many events.

New York State began requiring marriage records for each county in 1908. For the period of 1908 through 1935, marriages were recorded with the county clerk, with copies sent to Albany, although some counties do not have marriage records for all of this time period.

Marriage records are kept by the clerks of the town or county where the marriage occurred, usually where the bride lived.

Related Article: Finding New York State Marriage Records: Insights from the Experts New York Researcher 33 #3 (Fall 2002): 68-70. New York Genealogical and Biographical Society FS Library 974.71 D25n

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name and age of groom
 * Groom's occupation and residence
 * Birthplace of groom
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Name and age of bride


 * Bride's residence
 * Birthplace of bride
 * Names of bride's parents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of officiant who performed marriage

Coverage Table
A coverage table for this collection is available in the wiki article New York County Marriages Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The county where the marriage occurred
 * The names of the bride and groom at the time of marriage
 * The approximate marriage date and place

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. Keep track of your research in a research log

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s marriage record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Search for the marriage record of the marriage partner if known
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New York.
 * New York Guided Research
 * New York Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step New York Research, 1880-Present
 * New York Record Finder

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.