About the Wisconsin Historical Society Marriage Records | Wisconsin Historical Society

Resource Description

About Our Marriage Records

Pre-1907 Vital Records Collection

About the Wisconsin Historical Society Marriage Records | Wisconsin Historical Society

The Society has over 1 million Wisconsin marriage records. There are generally entries for both the bride and groom.

After a marriage was recorded at the county level, local officials normally forwarded that information to the state. Wisconsin law required counties to register marriage events with state officials starting in 1852, but the law was not strictly enforced until roughly 1880.  Most records date from 1880 or later.

We do not have marriage records after September 30, 1907. No single statewide index exists for vital records created after September 30, 1907.

How Marriage Records are Organized

Online

Marriage index records are online as a part of our Pre-1907 Vital Records Collection, which can be searched from any computer with internet access. The index provides the information necessary to locate the specific microfilm reel containing full marriage record in the Library. The full record will include details not found in the index. Search for your ancestor by name or year of the event on the Research Your Family History page.

Physical

The Society's Library has microfilm of full marriage records organized by county and date of registration; not by name or date of the event.

Purchasing Copies

You can buy vital records through the Wisconsin Historical Society. On the individual record, click the orange "Buy" button and proceed through the Online Store purchasing process.

Due to Wisconsin state law, we can only issue uncertified copies of the records. 

Each record costs $15. Orders are usually mailed or emailed within two weeks of receipt. Wisconsin Historical Society Members receive a 10-percent discount. Learn how to become a member.

How to Cite

For the purposes of a bibliography entry or footnote, follow this model.

Wisconsin Genealogy Index Citation
Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Genealogy Index: Marriage Record Entry for Kenosha County, Volume 2, Page 166; viewed online at //www.wisconsinhistory.org/ on [insert today's date here]
Marriage Record Citation
John Alvin Doe marriage record, Jackson County, Wisconsin, Volume 4, Page 67, Wisconsin Historical Society Library Archives

Locating Marriage Records After 1907

Contact one of the following agencies:

Wisconsin Vital Records Office
Department of Health Services
P.O. Box 309
Madison, Wisconsin 53701-0309

or

Register of Deeds at the appropriate county courthouse. View a list of addresses (PDF, 125 KB).

Learn More

See more articles about researching your family history.

Have Questions?

Contact our Library and Archives staff by email.