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How to Search and Obtain Marriage Records in Wisconsin
Marriage Records in Wisconsin
Marriage records contain certain pieces of
information about the married couple such as the names of the two
individuals, the date of the marriage, and the place of marriage. Some
marriage records will also include the names of the married couple�s
mothers and fathers. Additionally, some records contain the names of
the official witnesses to the marriage. Some governmental marriage
records contain the maiden names of the mothers of the bride and groom
as well as the place of residence of the married couple.
A marriage record should not be confused with any
of the following documents: a marriage license, a marriage announcement,
or a marriage index. The marriage license is the legal document that
was issued to the couple that was married. The marriage announcement is
the public listing of the wedding such as a published notice in a public
newspaper.
A marriage index is simply a list of the marriages
within a specific location. Typically, such an index includes the names
of the bride and groom, the date of the marriage, the name of the county
in which the marriage occurred, and either the file number of the
license or the volume and page name for a register listing as well as
the location of the marriage record.
In Wisconsin, marriage records can be obtained in
one of three ways: in person, by mail, or by fax. A fee is required for
the search and if the results are productive, it will cover the cost of
one copy. Payment is by check or money order and must be written out to
the State of Wisconsin Vital Records. Marriage records prior to 1907
may not be available.
To apply for a copy of a marriage record in person,
it is necessary to visit the Department of Health and Family Services
located at 1 West Wilson Street, room 158, Madison, Wisconsin during the
hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:15 P.M. on Mondays through Fridays. You must
complete an application that you can obtain in the office or online
using the following link:
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/forms/dph/dph05281.pdf.
To complete the form, you will need the following
information: your contact information, your relationship to the persons
named on the marriage record, and specific information about the couple
named on the record. In particular, you must be able to provide the
full name of the groom, the full maiden name of the bride, the city,
village, or township of the marriage, the county of marriage, and the
date of the marriage. Additionally, you must sign and date the
application.
Unless the marriage record is mailed to you, you
will be required to show proof of your identity at the time you pick up
the record. Such proof must show your current name and address, and it
must be current. Acceptable forms of identification are one of the
following: Wisconsin driver�s license, Wisconsin photo ID card, or
government issued employee ID card with photograph.
To obtain a copy of a marriage record by mail, you
must complete the same application that is completed for in person
requests. You may obtain it online by following the same link:
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/forms/dph/dph05281.pdf. Additionally, you
can request the form by sending a request for the marriage certificate
application form to the following address:
- Marriage Record Application
- P.O. Box 309
- Madison, WI 53701-0309
Once you have completed the application, it should
be mailed to the following address:
- State of Wisconsin Vital Records
- P.O. Box 309
- Madison, WI 53701-0309
To obtain a copy of a marriage record by fax, you
must complete a fax marriage application form that can be obtained using
the following link:
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/forms/dph/dph05294.pdf. Additionally, you
may call 608-266-1373 to request an application. Once you have
completed the application, you should fax it to the number listed at the
top of the form.
Any
requests that are received by fax will be charged an additional fee of
$10.00 per record in addition to the initial charge of $7.00 for the
search. Additional copies of marriage records requested at the same
time, by any method of request, are available at a fee of $3.00. Fax
requests must be paid by credit card.Order right now and get Unlimited Access to
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