Which United States birth, marriage, and death certificates are available online, and how can we locate them fast and free?
The answer is that it varies by state and date. In many states, clerks began registering marriages a century or more before they recorded births and deaths. Births and deaths were recorded in most states by the early 1900s. In some states, they go much earlier. Massachusetts vital records begin in the 1600s. Online United States vital records are found on a number of websites, such as FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, or state government sites. Some states have not placed their records online and it is necessary for near kin to fill out forms and order copies of certificates. What’s a quick way to determine if your state’s records are online?
