Arizona Marriage Records

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Arizona Marriage Certificates
Arizona Marriage Records Links

Arizona Marriages and How to Find Them

Unlike birth and death records which can be obtained from County Vital Records Offices, marriage records in Arizona are maintained by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the event occurred. (This also applies to Arizona divorce records.) For official copies of Arizona marriage certificates, contact the Clerk of the Superior Court where the license was issued. Early Arizona marriage records are public records.

In Arizona official recording of vital records was not required until 1909, but many records of marriage exist from earlier dates in each county. Arizona Court Clerks have marriage records starting at these dates:

Apache - 1879
Cochise - 1881
Coconino - 1891
Gila - 1889
Graham - 1881
Greenlee - 1911
La Paz - 1983
Maricopa - 1871
Mohave - 1887
Navajo - 1895
Pima - 1872
Pinal - 1875
Santa Cruz - 1889
Yavapai - 1865
Yuma - 1864

Check with the county of interest to see what records they have and fees associated with ordering copies of records. Arizona Superior Court Clerks

Of Interest to future genealogists:

Arizona now has two types of marriage licenses available - a standard marriage license and a covenant marriage license.

A couple who intend to enter a covenant marriage will have to have premarital counseling, then get a notarized statement that confirms the parties were counseled as to the nature and purpose of the marriage. When applying for a marriage license they must advise the clerk that they want a covenant license, sign a declaration of intent and present the notarized statement. If the marriage does not work out, the couple must have counseling to try to solve conflicts before a divorce is granted. No-fault divorces are not permitted. There are specific guidelines for granting a divorce: such as a lengthy separation, adultery, abuse, or felony conviction.

Several states are considering making covenant marriages available but as of 2011 only four states have covenant marriage legislation: Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, and Louisiana. A married couple may convert their marriage to a covenant marriage by applying to the clerk of the superior court and filling out the necessary documents. They are already married and do not require premarital counseling.

Keep Your Arizona Marriage Record Safe

Have you ever seen shows on television where you're able to view a person breaking into someone else's house? The person in question breaks into the house and steals everything that they possibly can, and the things they steal that you may not notice are your checkbooks, social security cards and other personal records, including marriage records. It is very easy for someone to steal your identity with access to these records.

If you've never been married before, or your nuptials were a long time ago, then you may not know exactly what is on your marriage records. These records contain a great deal of very specific information that someone could use to harm you.

Information on a modern Arizona marriage license include

• the date and county where the wedding took place
• name of groom
• maiden name of bride
• bride and groom's age and birthdates
• residence and parents names
• previous marriages
• divorce status
• the name of the officiate, such as a minister or justice of the peace
• names of witnesses.

That's why it is recommended, if you have a copy of your marriage record in your home that you keep it locked up in a safe box with the key hidden in another room.

Getting a Copy of Your Records

What happens if you do not have a copy of your Arizona marriage records and you need to get one? The first thing that you should do is to remember where you were married. Believe it or not, quite a few people actually forget where they were married! Remember which county you were married in and then locate the addresses of the Arizona Clerks of the Superior Court. Information regarding licenses issued since 1995 is currently available through the Arizona Supreme Court's Public Access.

(Archives.com Searches)

Arizona Genealogy Resources:

• Arizona Birth Records 1855-1935 -Archives.com
• Arizona Census Records -CensusFinder
• Arizona Databases at Ancestry.com
• Arizona Death Records 1844-1960 -Archives.com
• Arizona Genealogy Forum
• Arizona Genealogy Search
• Arizona Genealogy Societies
• Arizona GenWeb Archives
• Arizona Mailing List
• Arizona USGenWeb
• Arizona Vital Records

General Resources:

• Find a County
• GenForum Surname Boards
• RootsWeb General Search
• Social Security Death Index

Add or Search Marriage Records.
Connect with others researching your genealogy roots!

Arizona Genealogy Indexes

• Arizona Birth Records 1855-1935 $
• Arizona Death Records 1844-1960 $
• Maricopa County Marriage Records, 1905-present $

Sites of Interest:

• Ancestry Arizona Databases $
• Arizona Birth & Death Records
• Black Oak Cemetery, Canelo, Arizona Pioneer Cemetery
• Civil War Rosters
• Clifton Cemetery at Clifton, Arizona
• Franklin Cemetery
• Ghost Towns of Arizona
• Hayden Pioneer Biographies Collection
• Tribes and Villages of Arizona
• Ward's Cemetery

Other Records:

• Mormon settlement in Arizona $
• The District courts of the territory of Arizona, 1864-1912 $
• Directory of churches and religious organizations in Arizona $
• Who's Who in Arizona
• Biographies of Early Arizonians
  Gain an insight into the lives of early settlers. Many biographies include marriage records, dates, and children of the marriage.
• Arizona Census, 1831-80 $
• Arizona Territory Census, 1864 $
• Arizona and New Mexico Territories Census, Late 1800s $

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Records and links are added daily.