Since it requires manpower to maintain these large depositories of public records, a small fee is generally required of those who want to access marriage records and other vital records. The fee is typically less than $25 and it covers administrative costs of locating and printing marriage records.

Other Places to Obtain Marriage Records

If you just want information on a person's marriage, not his or her actual marriage certificate, you can use other sources to find the information you need. These sources can be newspaper announcements and church records. You may even be able to find marriage information through the obituary (if the individual whose information you're trying to search for is deceased).

Doing an Online Search

If you're stumped as to where or how to start your search for marriage records, or if you don't have key information on hand that's essential for making a marriage record request, the Internet is a good place to start.

There are many resource sites for vital records searches. Some of these sites are free while others charge a small fee or subscription fee for access. The free marriage record sites are more often than not a disappointment. The quality of the information is sorely lacking.

Also, many of these sites are misleading. They would advertise to offer free searches, but the searches are actually expensive if you want access to the information. For instance, you'll come across free marriage records sites that offer free searches. What they do is actually do a small general search so very little information comes up. If you want more information or a deeper search, then you'll have to pay up first.

Finding Accurate Marriage Records

However, there are many reliable and reputable sites that were created to help people who are trying to find marriage records. Archives.com is one such site. To search for vital records, it goes through the proper channels in order to produce results.

Needless to say, these services are upfront about the fact that they charge a fee for their service. However, the fee they charge usually covers how much it is to search for the records, as well as how much it is to obtain the marriage records via the proper channels (e.g., county clerk or county office).

Keep in mind that if you were to go to your local courthouse to obtain a marriage record, you'll have to pay a small fee too. Online sites like Archives.com offer you the convenience of performing the search and obtaining the records for you. They have search tools available to make locating marriage records and other vital records easy and quick. Archives.com has a free 7-day trial offer for people who want to try out the service and decide if it's what they need.