Instant Background Check & People Finder Services by Background Check Gateway

How can you find out if your subject is married or divorced? Here's the basic process:

First, since marriage/divorce records are maintained by local government jurisdictions (state/county) and not on the federal level, you need to determine your subject's current address and recent address history in order to know where to search for the records. Generally, the best way to do this is just to ask him/her, but if that's not practical, you can order a National Identifier Report or background check through an information provider.

Keep in mind, too, that many people get married in Las Vegas, so if you're searching for marriage records, be sure to include that jurisdiction (Clark County NV) in your search.

Second, once you have decided which jurisdictions to search, begin your research online, using our comprehensive list of searchable government web pages of marriage/divorce records (below).

Third, if you find no web page currently exists for the jurisdictions you need to search, try calling the counties and asking for a name search online. Ask the county switchboard operator to transfer you to the office that can perform a marriage (divorce) search for you. A list of county telephone numbers for all 3200 U.S. counties is available here.

Fourth, consider ordering a search through the state office (usually the state Vital Records Office). All states maintain web pages providing information on how to order marriage/divorce searches. Generally, you'll have to place your order by mail. A comprehensive list of state offices is provided below.

Here's a list of currently-available online resources useful in searching for marriage/divorce records.

Following this list (below), Informational State Websites are listed.

If your subject may have gotten married/divorced in a foreign country, you'll
need to contact that country's consular office. Click here for a list of foreign
consular offices.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For a detailed tutorial on how to access marriage/divorce records, plus links and phone numbers to all government marriage/divorce records repositories, download our new free ebook, Marriage & Divorce Records, USA.

ONLINE RESOURCES

A. ONLINE MARRIAGE RECORDS (SEARCHABLE)

If the jurisdiction you need to search doesn't have a searchable
site listed below, contact the county by phone or go to the
Informational State Websites section below to learn how to request
that the state conduct a search for you.

B. ONLINE DIVORCE RECORDS (SEARCHABLE)

If the jurisdiction you need to search doesn't have a searchable
site listed below, go to the Informational State Websites section
to learn how to request that the state conduct a search for you.

ALABAMA DIVORCE RECORDS
ALASKA
- Fairbanks (City) Divorce Records
CALIFORNIA
- Riverside County Court Records
- San Diego County Court Records (click on "Domestic")
COLORADO DIVORCE RECORDS
- Park County Divorce Records (1957 - 1974)
- Pitkin County Divorce Records (1931 - 1964)
FLORIDA DIVORCE RECORDS
- DeSoto County Divorce Records
- Hernando County Divorces
- Lake County Divorce Records
- Manatee County Divorce Records
- Orange County Divorce Records
- Osceola County Divorces
- Volusia County Divorces
GEORGIA
ILLINOIS DIVORCE RECORDS
- DeKalb County Court Records [fee]
- Kane County Court Records [fee]
- Kendall County Court Records [fee]
- Macon County Court Records
- Madison County Court Records [fee]
- Ogle County Court Records
- Sangamon County Divorces
- Will County Court Records [fee]
- Winnebago County Court Records [fee]
INDIANA
- Howard County Vital Records
KENTUCKY DIVORCE INDEX
LOUISIANA
   - Orleans Parish [genealogical]
MICHIGAN
- Eaton County Divorces [back to May 2004]
- Macomb County Divorces
MISSISSIPPI
- Harrison County Court Dockets
NEVADA
- Clark County Divorce Cases
OHIO
   - Hancock County Clerk of Courts
   - Lawrence County Divorces
   - Montgomery County Divorces
   - Trumbull County Court Records
   - Tuscarawas County Court Records
   - Union County Court Records
TEXAS DIVORCE SEARCH [unofficial]
TEXAS DIVORCE SEARCH [download]
- Collin County Divorces
   - Colorado County Divorces [unofficial]
   - Eastland County Divorces
   - Refugio County
WISCONSIN
- La Crosse County Divorces

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VIII. INFORMATIONAL STATE WEBSITES (NOT SEARCHABLE)

Most states maintain web pages (see below) which provide information on how to order searches
for marriage/divorce records within their state at both the state and county levels.

In many cases, you'll need to know the names of the parties and date and place of the event,
which is not useful to you if your purpose is to determine if there's been a marriage or divorce.

However, many states will conduct a name search based on limited information, such as
the groom's name and a span of years during which the marriage/divorce may have
occurred.. Some will conduct this search if you request it, even though it's not indicated
on their website that they offer this service, so it's best to call and ask if you're not sure.

Also see, NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS for an alternative source of
state-by-state information. However, this site provides no telephone numbers. If you wish to call
the state offices, the telephone numbers are provided below, together with recent fee information
for requesting record searches.

Alabama

Alabama Center for Health Statistics
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103-5625
(334) 206-5418
More info

Search Fee: $12

Alaska

Alaska Department of Health & Social Services
P.O. Box 110675
Juneau, AK 99811-0675
(907) 465-3392
Fax: (907) 465-3618
More info

Search Fee: $15

Arizona - Contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Arkansas

Arkansas Department of Health
Division of Vital Records
4815 W. Markham St., Slot 44
Little Rock, AR 72205-3867
(501) 661-2174
More info

Search Fee: $10.00

California (marriage records 1905-1985, contact county for more recent infomration.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Department of Health Services
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 96899
(916) 445-2684.
More info

Search Fee: $13 for each decade searched

Colorado (marriage records 1974-present only, otherwise contact county.)

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Vital Records Office
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246-1530
(303) 756-4464
More info

Search Fee: $15

Connecticut - Contact county.

Delaware

Division of Public Health
Office of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 637
Dover, DE 19903
(302) 739-4549

Search Fee: $10

District of Columbia

DC Superior Court,
Room 4485
500 Indiana Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 879-4840

Search Fee: $10

Florida

Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services
Office of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 210
1217 Pearl Street
Jacksonville, FL 32231
(904) 359-6900 ext. 9000
Fax: (904) 359-6993
More info

Search Fee: $5 for first name searched

Georgia

Georgia Dept of Human Resources
Vital Records Service
2600 Skyland Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA 30319-3640
(404) 679-4701
More info

Search Fee: $10

Hawaii

State Department of Health
Vital Records Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801-9984
(808) 586-4533
More info

Search Fee: $10

Idaho

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Vital Statistics
450 W State St., 1st Floor
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
(208) 334-5988
More info

Search Fee: $13

Illinois (Verification only - contact county for search.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level.")

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
605 W. Jefferson St.
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
(217) 782-6553
More info

Search Fee: $17

Indiana - Contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Iowa

Iowa Department of Public Health
Bureau of Vital Records
Lucas State Office Bldg., 1st Floor
321 E. 12th Street
DesMoines, IA 50319-0075
(515) 281-4944
More info

Search Fee: $10

Kansas

Office of Vital Statistics
Kansas State Department of Health and Environment
1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 120
Topeka, Kansas 66612-2221
(785) 296-1400
More info

Search Fee: $12

Kentucky

Dept for Public Health
Office of Vital Statistics
275 E. Main St.
Frankfort, KY 40621
(502) 564-4212
More info

Search Fee: $6

Loiusiana - Contact parish.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Maine

Maine Dept of Vital Records
221 State Street, Station 11
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
(207) 287-3181
More info

Search Fee: $10

Maryland

Maryland Division of Vital Records
Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene
6550 Reisterstown Road Plaza
P.O. Box 68760
Baltimore, MD 21215-0020
(410) 764-3038
More info

Search Fee: $12

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon St., 1st Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105
(617) 740-2606
More info

Fee: $18

Michigan

Michigan Department of Community Health
P.O. Box 30721
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 335-8656
More info

Search Fee: $15

Minnesota

Contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Mississippi

Mississippi Vital Records
2423 North State Street
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215-1700
(601) 576-7960
More Info

Fee: $10

Missouri

Contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Montana

Contact county
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Nebraska

Nebraska Vital Records
P.O. Box 95065
Lincoln, NE 68509-5065
(402) 471-2871
More info

Search Fee: $7

Nevada - Contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

However, the state agency has an index and will
relate the county and date of the event. Call
775-684-4242. The fee is $8.00.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics
Health & Welfare Building
6 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301-6527
(603) 271-4650
More info

Search Fee: $12

New Jersey

New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services
Vital Statistics Registration
P. O. Box 370
Trenton, NJ 08625-0370
(609) 292-4087
More info

Search Fee: $4 per record

New Mexico - Contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

New York (not incl. NYC)

New York Department of Health
Vital Records Section
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12237-0023
(518) 474-3038
Fax: (518) 474-3077
More info

Search Fee: $30

New York City

New York City Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Records
125 Worth Street RM 133
New York, NY 10013
(212) 788-4520

Search Fee: $15

North Carolina

North Carolina Vital Records Branch
1903 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1903
(919) 733-3526
More info

Search Fee: $15

North Dakota

North Dakota Vital Records
600 East Boulevard
Bismarck, ND 58505-0200
(701) 328-2360
Fax: (701) 328-1850
More info

Search Fee: $5

Ohio - Contact county.

However state agency will do an index search from
1953 forward . There is a $3 search fee per 10-year
period searched. Telephone 614-466-2531 (Bureau of
Vital Statistics).

Oklahoma - Contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Oregon

Oregon Health Division
Vital Records
P.O. Box 14050
Portland, OR 97293-0050
(503) 731-4108
More info

Search Fee: $15

Pennsylvania - Contact county

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Health
3 Capitol Hill, Room 101
Providence, RI 02908-5097
(401) 222-2811
More info

Search Fee: $15

However, divorce records are maintained only at the county level.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

South Carolina

South Carolina Division of Vital Records
S.C. DHEC
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 898-3630
Fax: (803) 799-0301
More info

Search Fee: $12

South Dakota

South Dakota Department of Health
Vital Records
600 E. Capitol
Pierre, SD 57501-2536
(605) 773-4961
Fax: (605) 773-5683
More info

Search Fee: $7

Tennessee (1949-present)

Tennessee Vital Records
421 5th Avenue N. First Floor
Nashville, TN 37247-0460
(615) 741-1763
More info

Serch Fee: $12

Texas (Marriage Records 1966-present. Verification only - otherwise contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level.")

Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics
1100 W 49th St.
Austin, TX 78756
(512)758-73661
More info

Search Fee: $9

Utah (Marriage records 1978-2001) Earlier contact county.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Utah Office of Vital Records
Box 141012
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1010
(801) 535-6105
More info

Search Fee: $9

Vermont

Reference & Research
Vital Recoprds Section
US Rte 2, Drawer 13
Montpelier VT 05633
(802) 828-3286
More info

Search Fee: $9.50

Virginia (1853-present)

Virginia Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond, VA 23218-1000
(804) 662-6200
More info

Search Fee: $12

Washington (Marriage records 1968-present. Contact county for earlier.)

Washington Department of Health
Center for Health Statistics
P.O. Box 9709
Olympia, WA 98507-9709
(360) 236-4300
Fax: (360) 352-2586
More info

Search Fee: $17

West Virginia -

Bureau of Public Health, Vital Records
350 Capitol St., Rm 165
Charleston WV 25305
(304) 558-2931
More info

Search fee: $5

However, divorce records are available only at the
county level.
Go to Background Check Gateway and scroll down to
"Public Information Available at the County Level."

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Vital Records
P.O. Box 309
Madison, WI 53701-0309
(608) 266-1373
More info

Search Fee: $7

Wyoming

Wyoming Vital Records Service
Hathaway Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7591
More info

Fee: $12