Idaho Divorce Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Idaho

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of an index to divorces created by the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics; covering divorces filed between May 1, 1947 and December 31, 1963. The years 1962-1963 will be available as soon as they are published. Divorces before the twentieth century were uncommon in Idaho and in some places illegal. Records of divorces contain data on family members, their marital history, their property, residences, and dates of other important events such as the children's births.

Some of the earliest divorces were granted by state legislatures and may be listed in legislature records. County officials began keeping divorce records as soon as a court was established in the area. Early divorce actions are found in dockets, minutes, and case files of the county, circuit, or district court. In some areas of the United States, divorces have been under the jurisdiction of a chancery, common pleas, domestic, probate, superior, or supreme judicial court.

Divorce records are often open to the public and can be obtained by contacting the clerk of the court. You will also find clues to separations and divorces in local newspapers.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Information found in this collection may include:
 * Names of husband and wife
 * Date of divorce
 * Divorce place
 * Certificate number

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection, 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 Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Boise.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other county or Idaho Vital Records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Search for death or burial information in local Idaho Cemeteries and Idaho Obituaries
 * Use the information found in the record to find Idaho Land and Property.
 * Use the information found in the record to find Idaho Probate Records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find Idaho Naturalization and Citizenship.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the Idaho 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 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 Utah Divorce 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. Below are the proper citations to use for this whole collection as well as for individual records within it:

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

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