For those who lived in Missouri, marriage records are readily available that can answer many of the most challenging questions you may have. Individuals often seek out this information for a variety of reasons. If you are just married, you are likely to receive your marriage certificate from the county within six weeks, though some counties require individuals to visit the vital statistics office in the county to obtain these records.

For those who are looking for older information, this may be available as well. Knowing where to search for it and what to look for is very important. The more information you have for your search, the more likely your search will be a successful.
 

Missouri marriage records can answer many questions. However, finding these records can be a challenge in some cases, especially for older records. The state began requiring the collection of vital records, including birth records, death records and marriages in August of 1909. However, there are other ways to gather information older than this. At the time of this law going into place, most record collecting was limitedly done. For those who are looking for marriage records from Missouri that date from 1909, the best source of this information is the following location:
 

Missouri Department of Health

Bureau of Vital Records

PO Box 570

Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
 

In addition to this, note that the city of Saint Louis began its collection of such data significantly earlier, as a city required reporting policy went into place. In 1850 for deaths and 1870 for births, the city began gathering this information. Marriage records from this period may also be available at the city level during this time period. This information was then recorded with the county Recorder of Deeds.
 

For those who are looking for marriage records that occurred prior to 1909, one of the best searches for this information is the Saint Louis database. You can view that and gather information from it through the following address:
 

Saint Louis Vital Records

PO Box 14702

Saint Louis, Missouri 63178
 

It is also important to note that the counties throughout the state collected most birth, death and marriage records prior to this time. You will also find some of this information available through the local town halls or town clerks. For those who know where a person was married, the most complete information is available through the churches and religious organizations that held the events. This information can be very different from one location to the next, though. Most records do indicate the name and address of the couple as well as the location of the event, maiden name of the bride and the parents' names.
 

For those seeking out Missouri marriage records, the best overall way to find this information is at the local level. However, state records for the most current years provide the fullest information available. From these records you can create your family tree or help to answer questions about where a person lived.

• Missouri Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

• Missouri Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

• Missouri Marriage Certificates & Records

• Missouri Marriage License Laws