| Marriage records like all other public records are | | | | Usually, a marriage record search is able to |
| required by law to be documented for future use. | | | | provide you with a lot of information regarding |
| This is due to its usefulness. Examples that come | | | | the person being searched. Such information |
| to mind include doing a search for one's family | | | | includes the couple's names, their parents' names, |
| tree or general Genealogy studies. Additionally, | | | | witnesses' names, the name of the official of the |
| these documents may also be needed in the filing | | | | ceremony, the state the marriage took place in |
| for a divorce. All in all, one can look at the added | | | | as well as the date. When requesting such |
| benefit of seeking such information before they | | | | information, the license and certificate is |
| get married to a prospective spouse. | | | | presented which under any circumstance would |
| In the past, retrieving these documents was quite | | | | both be needed for any purpose. |
| a horrendous task due to the lack of technology. | | | | Usually, there are three copies of a marriage |
| During this process, persons who were usually | | | | license in which one belongs to the couple, the |
| professional investigators and government officials | | | | official of the ceremony and the government |
| had to locate a local government office and | | | | office with this function. As this information is now |
| search through literally thousands of folders of | | | | available online, only the certified hardcopies are |
| records. With the emergence of the technological | | | | seen as valid for any official purpose. However as |
| age, many people can now access these records, | | | | these records are governed by state laws, each |
| especially marriage records online. | | | | state may have variations in this requirement. |
| The point however is to reiterate that marriage | | | | With the convenience and discreetness of online |
| records are in fact public records by law and is | | | | marriage records search, it is easily the most |
| accessible to all citizens in the United States. | | | | used option. Evidently, most government agencies |
| Marriage records indeed form the majority of | | | | do not offer this service and as such mostly |
| public records stored in these government offices | | | | commercial providers that offer this service will |
| along with birth, divorce and death records. In | | | | be consulted. Moreover, there databases are |
| fact, marriage records search is quite a common | | | | more equipped with nationwide records as |
| practice since recent times and all it requires is an | | | | opposed to the limited government institutions |
| observation of the rules and regulations within this | | | | which only carries documents for their individual |
| process. | | | | state. |