Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
Digital images of marriage records created in Missouri counties including recorded marriages, marriage applications, licenses, and certificates. This collection is being published as images become available. It covers the years 1819 to 1969.

For a list of records by localities, document type and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Information found in this collection may include:


 * Names of bride and groom
 * Residence
 * Marriage place
 * License date
 * Marriage date
 * Certificate date
 * Filing date
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of officiator

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the bride and groom
 * The approximate marriage date
 * The marriage place
 * Name of officiator

Search the Collection
To begin your search, it is helpful to know the name and some other identifying information such as the birth place or birth date.

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒Select the "Browse link" in the initial search page ⇒Select the appropriate "County" ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article [FamilySearch Tips and Tricks].

Using the Information
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. For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence to locate church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * 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.
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in marriage records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Check for an different index. There are often indexes at the beginning or end of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites
Missouri State Archives

Related Wiki Articles
Missouri Vital Records

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.