Division of Vital Records Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, 6550 Reisterstown Rd., Baltimore, MD 21215; (410) 764-3069 or (800) 832-3277, Fax: (410) 358-0738

• Maryland births from April 1898, with City of Baltimore births from January 1875
• Maryland deaths occurring less than twenty years ago
• Maryland marriages from June 1951

Make check or money order payable to Division of Vital Records. Or recieve your certificate within 2-5 days by Ordering Online through Vital Chek

.The Division of Vital Records office will not do research for genealogical studies. Must apply to State of Maryland Archives, 350 Rowe Blvd., Annapolis, MD 21401; Ph: (410) 260-6400 or (800) 235-4045, FAX: (410) 974-2525

In 1640 the Maryland Assembly provided for the recording of births, marriages, and burials by the clerk of "Every Court," and banns were to be posted three days before the marriage, but very few of these records exist. Those that do are indexed at the Maryland State Archives. When the Anglican church became the official church of the colony in 1692, the parishes were instructed to register the births, marriages, and deaths of all residents except blacks. Every county formed by 1770 has at least one pre-Revolution parish register and many of these include blacks.

Birth and death records, but not corresponding indexes, are restricted-births for one hundred years and deaths for twenty years; however, "pertinent genealogical information" abstracted from a restricted record can be provided by the archives for a fee. County civil marriage records from 1914 through 1950 are at the state archives but are indexed only to 1930.

At the Maryland State Archives are films of early county vital records and a card file indexing some pre-state records kept in the counties, from the 1600s for Charles, Kent, Somerset, and Talbot counties; births, 1804-1877, and deaths, 1865-1880, for Anne Arundel County; births, 1898-1923, and deaths, 1898-1916, for Calvert County; births, 1865-1873, for Kent County; and deaths, 1898-1916, for Annapolis. Another state archives index covers implied marriages from court, land, and probate records for the period about 1674 to 1851, and other indexes cover vital records substitutes for various time periods from Bible, cemetery, and church records. Evidence of marriages found in Revolutionary War pension files was included in Newman's Maryland Revolutionary Records.

Facts on Birth Records

   Most early birth records contain very little biographical information. Typical early New England town and church records, for example, give little information beyond the name of the child, date and place of birth, and parents’ names. Some localities listed only the name of the father.

While early birth records can be discouragingly lacking in information, by the mid-nineteenth century birth records in the United States began to include more information. Even though births were not widely recorded during the early years of America’s existence, the records that do exist may be the only source of a birth date for an individual and should always be consulted.

Delayed births are also important vital registrations that you should consider for obtaining biographical information. When Social Security benefits were instituted in 1937, individuals claiming benefits had to document their birth even if the state of their birth did not require registration when they were born. Individuals who were not registered with state or county agencies at the time of their birth often applied for a delayed birth registration. Obtaining passports, insurance, and other benefits also required proof of age.

Applications were accompanied with full name, address, and date and place of birth; father’s name, race, and place of birth; and evidence to support the facts presented. The evidence could be in the form of a baptismal certificate, Bible record, school record, affidavit from the attending physician or midwife, application for an insurance policy, birth certificate of a child, or an affidavit from a person having definite knowledge of the facts. Delayed birth records are usually filed and indexed separately from regular birth registrations, and it may be necessary to request a separate search for them.

• Search All U.S and Foriegn Birth, Marriage and Death Records

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Facts on Marriage Records

   Because of the importance of the legal distribution and control of property, most states and counties began to record marriages before births and deaths. The recording of a marriage is a two-step process. Traditionally, couples apply for a license to marry, and the applications are usually filed loose among other applications or in bound volumes. Marriage returns are filed once the marriage has taken place. The latter document is the proof of a marriage (not the license application).

Marriage applications are often filled out by both the bride and groom and typically contain a significant amount of genealogical information. They may list full names of the bride and groom, their residences, races, ages, dates and places of birth, previous marriages, occupations, and their parents’ names, places of birth, and occupations.

Marriage certificates are issued by counties after the marriage ceremony is completed, and these are usually found among family items. While the certificates tend to have less biographical data than the application, the name of the individual officiating at the wedding may lead you to religious records by revealing the denomination. The religious records, in turn, may reveal the names of witnesses and other useful information.
Early American records sometimes include marriage bonds, which served as a protection for the future children of the marriage. A bond obligated a prospective groom to pay the bond if he were discovered to be a bigamist or imposter or otherwise ineligible to contract a valid marriage. As long as the marriage was legal, the bond was void. Bonds generally include the groom’s name, name of the surety, the sum, and the date of the agreement.

• Search U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
• Maryland Marriages, 1655-1850: This database contains marriage information from selected areas of Maryland for over 250,000 individuals from 1655-1850.
• Maryland Marriages, 1667-1899: This database of Maryland marriage records previously contained only marriage records for Harford, Kent, Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George's, Washington, Cecil, Somerset, Queen Anne's, Worcester, Caroline, Anne Arundel, and Talbot counties.

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Facts on Death Records

   Early death records in the United States provide little more than the name of the deceased, the date of death, and the place of death. Obituaries and cemetery, court, and other records often provide more information about the deceased than do most official death records created before the last quarter of the 1800s.

By 1900 death records included more details. They often include the name of the deceased; date, place, and cause of death; age at the time of death; place of birth; parents’ names; occupation; name of spouse; name of the person giving the information; the informant’s relationship to the deceased; the name and address of the funeral director; and the place of burial. Race is listed in some records, and modern death certificates generally include a Social Security number.

• Social Security Death Index
• Obituary Collection

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