Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002

This database contains an index and images of marriage records from Missouri covering the years 1805-2002. Information that may be found in this database includes the following:

• Groom’s name
• Groom’s race
• Groom’s birth date or age
• Groom’s parents’ names
• Bride’s name
• Bride’s race
• Bride’s birth date or age
• Bride’s parents’ names
• Marriage place
• Marriage date

Note: Social Security numbers have been redacted from the images in order to protect privacy.

Types of marriage records found in this database include marriage licenses, applications for marriage licenses, records of marriages solemnized, marriage certificates, marriage registers, and indexes. Due to the variety of record types, all of the above listed information may not be available in the index for each marriage. On the other hand, there may be additional information listed on actual marriage records, so always click through to view the record images.

Marriage records are great sources for genealogists because they document an individual in a particular place and time as well as provide details about that person's marriage.

Search Tips:

• This collection includes images of indexes as well as the actual marriage records. If you’re having trouble finding your ancestor through the search, try browsing the index for the county in which they lived and use that information to locate them in the actual records.
• Don’t overlook the possibility that your ancestor may have been married in a nearby county that was more convenient to them, or where other family members lived.

More about Marriage Records in Missouri:

Marriage records are held by the county recorder of deeds. Prior to 26 June 1881, no marriage license was required; the marriage was recorded in any convenient courthouse.

Taken from Marsha Hoffman Rising and Pamela Boyer Porter, “Missouri,” in Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, 3d ed., ed. Alice Eichholz. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004).

Types of Marriage Records:

Marriage licenses are the most common marriage records in the United States. They are issued by the appropriate authority prior to the marriage ceremony, and they have come to replace the posting of banns and intentions. Marriage licenses, which grant permission for a marriage to be performed, are returned to civil authorities after the ceremony.

Marriage licenses exist in varying forms. A standard form generally asks for the names of the bride and groom, their residence at the time of application, the date the marriage was performed, the date the license was issued, the place of the marriage, and the name of the person performing the marriage ceremony.

Applications for marriage licenses have been required in some jurisdictions in addition to or in place of bonds. Applications are often filled out by both the bride and groom and typically contain a large amount of genealogical information.

Marriage certificates are given to the couple after the ceremony is completed and are thus usually found among family records. There are exceptions, however. [Some] certificates…are similar to marriage licenses issued in other places. The bride and groom usually receive a marriage certificate for their family records containing similar historical information, signatures of witnesses, and so on.

Taken from Cerny, Johni, "Vital Records" in The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, ed. Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2006).