“Vital records” is a term used to refer to birth, marriage, and death records created by a government agency. In some cases, other types of records may also be called vital records, such as divorce records.
The term "vital records" is not used by all countries. Some countries may call these records by another term, such as "civil registration". In the United States, the term "vital records" is used.
Genealogical benefits of vital records
Vital records are the official documentation of an event. They provide information about those that are connected to that event. Vital records often include the name of parents, which can help link a child with its parents, necessary for tracing and proving lineage. What is found on a vital record differs according to time period and location. In the case of a birth, marriage, and death certificate, the purpose of the record is to document that event. Marriage licenses are issued before a wedding and require the bride and the groom to prove their identity and provide information about themselves and their parents. After the wedding is completed, a marriage certificate is issued.
Information found on vital records can include:
Birth certificate
- Full name of child
- Birth date and time
- Birthplace
- Parents' names
- Parents' age
- Parents' occupation
- Doctor or midwife's name
- Name of the informant
Marriage license
- Name of bride and groom
- Residence of bride and groom
- Age and/or birth date of bride and groom
- Birthplace of bride and groom
- Occupation of bride and groom
- Parents' names of both the bride and groom
- Place marriage license was acquired and date
Marriage certificate
- Name of bride and groom
- Name of officiant
- Date and place of wedding
- Witness names
Death certificate
- Name of deceased
- Residence of deceased
- Age and birthdate of deceased
- Occupation of deceased
- Parent's names
- Place of death
- Cause of death
- Name of physician
- Name of funeral home
- Place of burial
- Name of the informant
Problems with using vital records for Genealogy
Vital records can be a more modern type of record. In some cases, in the United States, vital records may not have been kept routinely until the mid-twentieth century. Other countries may also be late adaptors to vital record registration.
While vital records are meant to be an "official" document, they can be subject to error. Consider who the informant is when studying a vital record. What information are they providing? Do they have first-hand knowledge of that event? How would they have known that information? For example, a wife providing information for her husband's death certificate may be asked about his parents. She may not know her mother-in-law's maiden name. She might not have ever met her in-laws. Even her husband's birth information might be something she knows from what he told her. On top of that, she may be distraught, and providing accurate information on his death certificate is not important to her at such a difficult time.
Couples providing personal information for a marriage license may provide erroneous information on purpose or accidentally. A potential wife may not want her beloved to know that she is really five years older than he is. A man may not want his wife-to-be to know he's been married before. It's also possible they may not know information about their parents for various reasons, including that the person is adopted or their parents are deceased. They don't have access to that information so they answer the questions to the best of their ability.
Another issue with vital records can be cost. When vital records are not available for free online, they can require a fee paid to a government entity. This fee can be prohibitive if you are ordering several certificates. Some localities require a form that must be notarized if not appearing in person. So this requires you to pay a fee for the vital record copy and a fee to the notary. Online third-party services can be utilized for a quick turnaround in getting copies, but they charge a premium that can be more than the vital record itself. Always seek possible records online, first found on genealogy or government websites, before ordering a record.
Lastly, some municipalities are concerned with privacy. Because of this, they may redact and obscure some information found on a vital record unless you are a close relative (such as a spouse or child) or the record names you. You may also be unable to access the records because of restrictions related to when they are available to the public, such as after 50, 75, or 100 years. When acquiring the vital record is impossible, consult possible vital record alternatives that provide some of the same information.
Keep in mind that vital records are official documents. However, there are other vital records like certificates of birth and marriage that might be found as a home source. For example, a hospital might provide a decorative “birth certificate” that can even include the footprints of the newborn. These types of certificates are meant to be decorative and not official documents.
Accessing vital records
Just like any genealogical record, not everything is online. However, you should start your search online. Search for information about when vital record registration started in that place. Sometimes, a county may have begun recording vital record events before the state required it. You will avoid frustration by verifying that a vital record exists for that time and place.
Some vital records can be found online via genealogy websites or even a state or county government website. Consult finding aids such as Cyndi's List for the place you are researching and the subject "vital records" to find possible online records. However, not all records are online due to privacy issues, so it is possible the only way to acquire a record is to order it from the local government.
Vital records are created mainly by the local government, not the federal government. Acquiring them may require you to consult the website of a county/parish or state government vital records office. You may be able to order the record online or travel to the office to acquire the document. Although vital records are not typically federal records, thus not archived by the federal government, there are some cases a branch of the federal government may create a record like a birth record in the case of a birth overseas.
Search vital records on MyHeritage
Explore more on vital records
- MyHeritage: Birth, Marriage & Death
- Vital Records: How to Find Birth, Marriage & Death Records: article from the MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- 6 Tips for Searching Historical Records on MyHeritage from the MyHeritage blog
- The Anatomy of BMD: What You Don’t Know About Vital Records at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Getting Started in Family History – 5 – Vital Records at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- 50 Websites To Find Vital Records at Legacy Family Tree Webinars