Sunday, October 19, 2014

Researching On Oklahoma Marriage Records

By Claire Dowell


For those who are looking to update their ancestral records or want to check their family background, public vital records serve as one of the important documents, which can be useful to your search. Vital records such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces contain information such as birthdate, time of death, marriage status, and divorce decrees. This information can be used as supporting document as well as determine the person's eligibility. Birth and death records are available from the State's Health Department as well as from one's local Vital Statistic Record Office. Marriage and Divorce decrees on the other hand are available from the county clerk where such record was issued and granted. Oklahoma marriage records, for example are available from each county office as well as from Oklahoma Historical Society.

Marriage records in the US usually date back to the time where the county was first established although complete compilation was only done in 1940's. Marriage records that are available from the Clerk County include certificates, affidavits, bonds and licenses. Copies of the record(s) maybe requested via phone, in person and through fax. Fee schedule may vary per county.

For residents of Oklahoma, records are available from the Oklahoma County Courthouse. The Clerk Office has 175 volumes indexed and this ranges from 1889 up to 1951. The records contain the marriage licenses, certificates of marriage and affidavit of marriage applications. Research requests and copy fees are charged depending on whether the person is a resident or not. For residents, the charge is $20 and for non-residents, it is $30. Other charges include $1 for faxed, computer and microfilmed copies of the records. Standard mailing costs about $.25 per request. Express delivery is available only for Choctaw-Chicksaw marriage records only and costs $10.

For residents of Pittsburg County, marriage and divorce records are available from the McAlester Clerk Court Office. Each copy cost about $15 and requests can be made by mail or in person application. On the other hand, those who need marriage records in Washington County can go to the county clerk of Bartlesville to request for their records. The payment for the reports is also $15 and records date back up to 1940's.

Marriage records are not restricted unlike divorce or criminal records and as such, it is easy to acquire copies of these types of records. For those who want to find such records in Jackson County, they can go to the Althus Court Clerk office and request their copy. For those in Jefferson County, records are kept and maintained by the Waurika County Clerk Office. Some old records are also available from the Southwest Oklahoma Genealogical Society and Oklahoma Historical Society. To inquire about the records, one can call or walk in person and request for copies. All fees and charges vary as well.

Processing time for the records is usually available the same day for in person requests. For standard mail and online ordering, processing can take some time depending on the volume of requests received by the County Offices. For those who need the records immediately, they can use online vital record search sites. Birth, death, divorce and marriage records are free although for those who require batch or bulk searches, availing of search packages is ideal as one can perform the searches in a shorter time frame.




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