Sometimes, gathering information can be difficult unless you know how to find the information. New Jersey marriage records can answer many of the questions you have. New Jersey was one of the first territories settled and as such it has a long history of marriages occurring in it. Many of these were recorded, even the earliest of settlers to the area documented the marriages occurring by those living there. It could be one of the best ways to learn about your family's history or to create a genealogy report if you gather these records and learn from them. Doing that, though, can prove to be a bit of a challenge in many cases.

The best New Jersey marriage records sources are at the local level. However, it can be hard to gather this information. However, the state of New Jersey began requiring that the local communities report the birth, death and marriages of citizens in May of 1848. This provides for written, state level information available for most marriages over the last 200 or more years at the state level. In some cases, though, this information only provides an index that provides very limited information in terms of what is reported. You may learn things like the name of those getting married and information regarding the location, date and witnesses of the marriage.

For those looking for New Jersey marriage records, it pays to gather this information from a local source when possible. Most towns and counties do hold marriage certificates, which are official copies of the license to allow individuals to marry. There are also written records available dating back to the 1600's in New Jersey at local county and town clerk offices. You can find this information by simply contacting the local facility in the area where the person was married. If you cannot find information like this, you may also wish to try local religious affiliations since these organizations collected most marriage records as well.

For those who are looking for marriages from 1940 on, the best location to do so is from the following archives:

New Jersey State Archives

Division of Archives and records Management

185 West State St

CN 307

Trenton, New Jersey 08625

For those who are looking for information that is older than this, a better source for that information is at the county clerk's offices in the area where the individual was married. There, you will find most records that can answer questions and provide resources to individuals.

The information contained in these New Jersey marriage records is varied. Some of the oldest records do contain a great deal of information. However, there are other sources of information as well. You may learn about the parent's of those getting married, the maiden name of the woman and even the location of the wedding. Sometimes, addresses of the previous residents are also available through these sources. The more information you have regarding this information the better. You will find that marriage records available readily at the state level.

 

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