Public Record Central

Welcome to Public Record Central

Every important milestone in your life creates a record. Such events may be birth, marriage, divorce, and death, each having its own documented record kept on file in hospitals and courts. These are known as vital records, and they provide a legal documentation of these important events.

Vital records are important in a number of ways. Below is a list of each vital record, what is included, and why they are useful.

Birth Certificates

A birth certificate gives a recorded document of the day, time, and location of an individual’s birth. If the birth occurred at a hospital or medical facility, the birth certificate is usually issued by that facility and certified by the attending physician. Otherwise, a standard birth certificate form can be easily obtained by the state registrar and certified by a doctor, midwife, doula, or other state-approved certifier. The typical U.S. birth certificate form has been standardized by the U.S. Public Health Service, but states are free to issue their own form. On the form, you will find the following:

• Child’s Information – Including name, date and time of birth, sex, city and county of birth, and the specific place of birth (hospital, residence, etc.)
• Certifier/Attendant – Must be an approved certifier by the state
• Mother’s Information
• Father’s Information
• Other Demographic Information – Such as race, pregnancy history, marriage status of mother, etc.

This document is important for a number of reasons. First, the document is kept in the registrar’s office in each state for important census information. Also, your certified copy of your birth certificate is used for:

• A verifiable source of identification
• Obtaining a driver’s license
• Obtaining a passport
• Obtaining a social security number
• Documentation of a family history or genealogy search

Search For Your Birth Records Below

Marriage Certificate

A marriage license, or marriage certificate, is also issued and kept at the state level. The certificate is a legal documentation of the marriage between two people recognized by the state as being eligible for marriage.

A marriage certificate is signed by both parties of the marriage and an officiant, and it is also filed with a state government agency, which is usually a registrar or county clerk. The information includes the date and county that the marriage took place.

Marriage certificates can be useful for:

• Verifying a marital union
• Verifying a family history
• Obtaining spousal insurance

Divorce Records

Divorce records are legal documents usually written by attorneys and filed in county courts. These documents are vital for legalizing the dissolution of a marriage and stating specific duties by each spouse for dividing marital assets and paying child or spousal support.

There is no standard form for a divorce document, since each divorce is unique to each married couple. Included will be the names of the parties, when and where the marriage took place, and the date the divorce was finalized in the court and signed by a judge. Divorce documents may also contain sensitive information such as tax records, income records, criminal records, and lists of assets.

Divorce records can be used for:

• Determining the divorce status of an individual
• Revealing criminal history of an individual
• Verifying family history for a genealogy search
• Verifying the last known address of an individual

Death Certificate

Death certificates, like birth certificates, are also important for keeping public health and morbidity information on file. When a death occurs, a certificate of death is issued by a coroner, or other government official. The certificate explains the approximate date, time, location, and cause of death.

Death certificates are important to be used for:

• Verifying the death of an individual
• Verifying family history or genealogy search
• Use in estate probate
• Verification of life insurance claim

Vital records are those documents that provide an important milestone or event in each of our lives. These records include legal certificates of your birth, marriage, death, and court documents of any divorces. Each of these vital records provides not only documentation of the event, but they are equally important in other ways after the event.

People search for vital records for many reasons, including but certainly not limited to:

• Verifying family history (genealogy)
• Locating an individual
• Background checks on individuals
• Providing proof of a death for insurance purposes
• Obtaining a driver’s license

Where to Begin Your Search

Searching for vital records can be a challenge. The good news is that if you know the state and county in which the event took place, you can contact that government agency, such as a county courthouse, registrar, or state office of vital statistics, and request access to these documents. Usually there is a small fee and forms to complete for the request. The bad news is that if you do not know the state or county, your search could take longer.

State-Specific Searches Available Online

Thankfully, there is more good news. In our current digital age with databases connected through a worldwide network of computers, you can still obtain vital records with diligent research and by using the right resources.

State and county agencies can be contacted via the internet where you can make your request. A good place to start looking for the proper state vital records agency is by using the state-by-state resource provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm. Here you can click on the state you need and find specific offices for each vital record.

Other Online Resources

However, where do you go if you only have a name and not a clue where the vital event took place? There are many companies that provide a valuable service by searching for vital records. One resource is www.vitalchek.com, which is a company owned by LexisNexis, the world’s leading research organization. VitalChek offers you an easy, step-by-step process to order your vital record. At the end of your order, you simply pay the required agency fee, plus a single VitalChek order fee, and your document will be on the way.

Another online resource for all vital records is www.archives.com. This resource is helpful for family searches and genealogy, and it has over 1 billion records accessible. In addition, you can browse collections of records, network with other family history buffs, and get expert vital record search advice. Archives.com does charge a reasonable subscription to access their records, but they also offer a free 7-day trial where you can try searching their databases with no payment obligation.

Your vital records search, whether it is for yourself, a family member, or other individual, begins at your fingertips. Using these online resources can save you time, stress, and money, and get you the records or information you need.