Oregon, County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of marriage records from counties in Oregon. These records include licenses and marriage certificates and are arranged by county, volume, and date. The dates covered by this collection are 1851 to 1975. Additional records will be added as they are completed.

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


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the groom and bride
 * County in which they reside
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name and title of officiator


 * Names of the parents or guardians of the bride and groom
 * Witnesses
 * Birthplaces of the bride and groom
 * Age of the bride and groom
 * Marital status of the bride and groom

Collection Content
The type of form used varies between register style and certificate style. County clerks usually used the same printed form during the same time periods. Marriage records were generally well preserved, although disasters may have destroyed some records.

The earliest marriage bonds and licenses were usually handwritten on loose papers that were later bound into lettered volumes. Some marriage records had multiple entries on each page, while others had single records per page.

Marriages were recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred.

Civil marriage records were created to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property.

The marriage date, place, residence of the bride and groom, and occupations are relatively reliable. Other information, such as age or birthplace, is dependent on the knowledge, memory, and accuracy of the informants, usually the bride and groom.

Coverage Table
As of 26 November 2019 records from the following counties were included in this collection:


 * Baker
 * Benton
 * Clatsop
 * Columbia


 * Douglas
 * Morrow
 * Polk
 * Yamhill

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The location or date 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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Search for vital records, such as birth and death
 * Use the information to find additional family members in census records
 * Search for land and property records
 * Search for probate records

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

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Oregon.
 * Oregon Guided Research
 * Oregon Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1903 | 1900-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Oregon State Board of Health. Division of Vital Statistics. Marriage index, 1906-1924
 * Baker County, Marriage records, 1879-1963
 * Benton County, Marriage records, 1852-1979
 * Benton County, Marriage records, 1885-1929
 * Clatsop County, Marriage records, 1853-1955
 * Columbia County, Marriage certificates, marriage licenses and miscellaneous records, 1854-1925
 * Columbia County, Marriage records, 1854-1961
 * Douglas County, Marriage records, 1852-1912 : index to marriage records, 1852-1953
 * Douglas County, Marriage records, 1852-1952
 * Morrow County, Marriage records, 1896-1958
 * Morrow County, Record of marriage licenses, v. A, 1885-1896
 * Polk County, Marriage records, 1850-1980
 * Yamhill county, Marriage records, 1925-1962; index, 1856-1942

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Oregon Marriages, 1853-1935

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * prepared by the Oregon Historical Records Survey, Service Division, Work Projects Administration. Guide to public vital statistics records in Oregon. Portland, Oregon : Oregon Historical Records Survey, 1942. FHL 979.5 V2h

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.