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Free Connecticut Marriage Records Online
Connecticut joined the Union as the fifth state in January 1788. It remains one of the original thirteen colonies, and its marriage records rank among the richest genealogical veins in New England. These documents typically list both spouses by name, their ages, birthplaces, occupations, and their parents. The bride’s maiden name is the gold in that vein. That maiden name links a woman to her birth family. That link is what breaks brick walls.
Marriage records do more than fill a family tree. They settle inheritance claims. They prove name changes. They reveal who married whom and why. Before 1897, town clerks recorded most marriages. Town halls hold the colonial and early republic records. Those town halls are where the real work begins.
Connecticut Vital Records Office
The Connecticut Department of Public Health, Vital Records Office holds marriages from July 1, 1897, to today. For anything older, you call the town clerk where the wedding happened. That rule is ironclad.
Contact Information:
Connecticut Department of Public Health
Vital Records Office
410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06134
Phone: (860) 509-7702
Website: portal.ct.gov/dph
The Vital Records Office sells two kinds of copies. Certified copies hold legal weight. Informational copies do not. Neither is free. Neither is cheap. The DPH Vital Records Office does not give anything away. They are the official source for modern records. They are not the only source.
Free Online Sources
Free databases exist. They are not a myth. They are real.
FamilySearch.org holds three key collections:
- Connecticut Marriages, 1800-1820
- Connecticut Marriage Records, 1897-1968
- Connecticut, Town Clerk, Vital Records, 1650-1950
Search them at familysearch.org/search. Search them twice.
The Connecticut State Library holds the Connecticut State Archives. The archives hold historical vital records. Their genealogical resources live at cslib.org.
The Connecticut State Archives also offers historical documents at cslib.org/ct-state-archives.
The Connecticut Digital Archive offers digitized records from 1897-1968. That archive lives at cslib.org.
The Barbour Collection holds pre-1897 records. FamilySearch holds the Barbour Collection. It contains extracted town records from every town in Connecticut. It is a gold mine.
County-Level Records
Connecticut abolished county government in 1960. The eight historical counties—Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Tolland, Windham—still matter. They matter for genealogical research. They matter for colonial records.
Each county had a Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Those offices recorded marriages during different time periods. Town clerks recorded marriages since colonial times. Town clerks have records dating back to the 1600s. Some date back to the 1700s.
The Connecticut State Library holds those historical county records. The DPH holds modern records. The DPH does not hold everything.
How to Search Step by Step
Follow these steps. Follow them in order.
1. Find the date. Find the town. For pre-1897 records, you need the town. You need the town. You need the town.
2. Visit FamilySearch.org. Search their Connecticut marriage collections. Create a free account. Use their search filters. Use them.
3. Check the Connecticut State Library archives at cslib.org. Check them twice.
4. For marriages after 1897, submit a request to the Connecticut Department of Public Health Vital Records Office. Submit it.
5. Contact the town clerk. For records before 1897, contact the town clerk. Many towns have records from the 1600s. Many towns have records from the 1700s.
6. Request the Barbour Collection. FamilySearch holds the Barbour Collection. Request it.
7. If you cannot find the record. Consider the neighboring town. Consider the misspelled name. Consider the alternate spelling. Consider the alternate town.
8. Request both copies. Request both informational and certified copies. Request both.
9. Keep notes. Keep dates. Keep sources. Keep records. Keep everything.
Requirements and Fees
The Connecticut Department of Public Health requires valid identification. A driver’s license. A state ID. A passport. A military ID. If you apply by mail. Include a photocopy. Include a photocopy of your ID. Include it.
Current fees for marriage records from DPH:
- Informational copy: $15.00 per record
- Certified copy: $30.00 per record
- Additional copies of the same record: $15.00 each
Mail requests should include the full names of both parties. The date. The town. The relationship. The fee. The fee payable to “DPH – Vital Records.”
The DPH Vital Records Office accepts online orders at familysearch.org. Processing time for mail requests is 4-6 weeks. Expedited processing. Additional fees. Expedited processing. Additional fees.