Pennsylvania Marriage License Records

By Claire Dowell


Among the states in America, Pennsylvania is known as one of the earliest established regions. As a matter of fact, a couple of American genealogists can easily locate their family as inhabiting this part of the U.S. at a given period of time. Moreover, the Pennsylvania Marriage Records is labelled as one of the oldest documents of this state and is reckoned to be vital in researching a family history.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of America. It is famous for its five nicknames; namely, the Keystone State, Quaker State, Coal State, Oil State and the State of Independence. Recent statistics has tallied more than 6 million people living in this region; the 6th-largest in the entire U.S. This place was originally claimed by both the Dutch and the Swedes, but it was granted a land in 1681.

The recording of marriages in this state officially started in the year 1885. Prior to that, the church archives store the information. Early files are registered by congregation and hardly found in one central location. Another good resource to consider is the civil records, which are available offline or online. The Internet also offers an index of all weddings that occurred in this state from 1885-1951. On the other hand, wedding images dated from 1885-1889 are on view at the State Archives.

The Division of Vital Records of the State Department of Health is currently the state's central repository for its public records. But, to get the marriage report you need, send an application to the Marriage License Clerk for the County Court House in the county that granted the marriage license. The information may be free of cost, but an admin fee must be paid for the service.

There are many reasons why most people opt to seek this kind of file these days. Primarily, it is valuable in studying family history. It can also be used to verify the present marital status of an individual, whether he's a future spouse or a date. In addition, this piece of document is useful in any legal proceedings such as establishing identity or probing a divorce case.

Marriage License Records is an important file that signifies the legitimacy of a particular marriage. Hence, it is of great significance in terms of supporting various serious issues. Generally, copies of this information are given to the involved couple, the officiant of the wedding ceremony and the local government. Fortunately, getting hold of this data these days is a lot easier and quicker with the aid of those commercial service providers online. While a minimal cost is needed, your satisfaction is guaranteed in return.




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