| There is usually some time that a person needs | | | | many agencies who are transferring records from |
| to locate records of vital statistics. These include | | | | paper and microfiche to online databases, but the |
| births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. There are | | | | quantity of possible information is incredibly high |
| other lifetime records that can also be searched, | | | | and it is a slow process. Start with either the |
| such as social security number and military | | | | state government website, where you can find |
| records. If you need to do a vital records search, | | | | some records, and links to local county offices. If |
| you may wonder how to lookup or search vital | | | | you know the county involved, that is even a |
| records online, for convenience. It is possible in | | | | better place to begin. When you lookup or search |
| most cases to find these records online, and for | | | | vital records online, they should be free at the |
| free from government offices. | | | | state and county levels. City offices may have |
| If you are looking for birth, death, marriage or | | | | some records. You need names, and may have |
| divorce records, the first place to try is the local | | | | to pay a fee to get a copy of a license or |
| county clerk's office. Many of these do have | | | | certificate, and verify that you are authorized to |
| online websites where you can search by name, | | | | receive such information. |
| date, and case number if you have that available. | | | | If you cannot find what you need online, you may |
| Even a search by last name is useful, because the | | | | want to consult with an investigator, a pay for |
| records will come up in alphabetical order, with | | | | search website, or local agencies like the Social |
| approximate age of the person, so you can try | | | | Security Administration, or County Clerk's office. |
| to narrow it down a little. The easiest way to do | | | | Other places to look in person include newspaper |
| the vital records search is when you have a | | | | archives, churches, cemetery records offices, and |
| complete name, including middle name or initial, and | | | | libraries. Genealogy websites have many records |
| approximate dates of the occasion. | | | | available, and there are online blogs that contain |
| For most online searches, records begin | | | | unverified but personal family history information. |
| somewhere in the 1900's, with the nearest to | | | | Some immigration records are also available online, |
| current dates more likely to be found. There are | | | | including some vital records search information. |