Vital Records Online

How will vital records information help with genealogy?

Vital records are crucial in determining actual dates of events such as births, marriages, and deaths. They are also very helpful in confirming parental information.

What information do vital records contain?

Vital records include birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates and divorce decrees. They cover the "major" events in a person's life. Most records were not officially kept in the U.S. until the early 1900s. Some older records are held by state archives or libraries. Companies such as Ancestry.com can provide critical researched information online. Vital records will include information such as the full name of the person, dates, county, state, town where the event took place etc. Marriage records often will include parents names and birthplaces. Divorce records usually list children's names. Death certificates often specify where the person will be buried.

Why are census records important?

Census records are available through Ancestry.com - Census Records - Free Trial . They provide information about individuals and where they lived, number in each household, and perhaps occupation information. The census can help direct you when searching for vital records in individual towns or cities.

Click here for Vital Record information for individual states.