Georgia Marriage Record

When embarking on a genealogical research into the state's marriage records, take note that many courthouse records have been damaged by natural disasters, ranging from fires to flooding, which may have impaired earlier records. Still, the state has a good overall track record of maintaining certificates dating back to the 19th century, and their modern record keeping is impeccable. There are also supplementary 3rd party publications, such as Georgia Marriages books, as well as the Georgia Genealogist newspaper which may help you to piece together missing records from the era. One of the best resources for locating early records in the state is to access records at the county level. For example, many large Georgia counties has digitized their records for search on-line such as the Baldwin County Marriage Records up until 1850. Researching these databases can save you valuable time and resources by helping you to locate the information you need without travel or manual searches.

Additionally, you should utilize local historians, librarians and archivists as a valuable resource; they are likely to point you in the right direction, which can save you valuable time in the search process. Most counties have a resident historian or archivist at the local library who is well versed in local history. For those who aren't sure which county to pinpoint, you can refer to the State's Department of Archives, which is a clearinghouse for records across all counties. Further, for all marriages in the 20th century, the state Department of Archives and History maintains microfilm (or digital) records for every single certificate. While there are minor gaps in the historical record, these are, by and large, comprehensive records of state marriages during this period.