Missouri Marriage Records Search

Missouri marriage records are in high demand for people who need to change their legal names or want to immigrate together as a couple after getting married. 

Sometimes relatives request to run a Missouri marriage records search for genealogical or personal reasons. 

Therefore this article will explain how to find marriage records online in Missouri and what are the ways to run a free marriage records search.

Missouri Marriage Records

Marriage licenses and marriage certificates represent Missouri marriage records. Both of these Missouri marriage records are kept at the state's health or other vital records offices. 

The marriage license is obtained no later than 60 days before the marriage authorizing the couple to get married. To get the marriage license, both fiancés must appear in person at the Deputy recorder or Recorder of Deed's offices. 

A marriage certificate can be issued if the marriage license was obtained and the marriage took place. 

As a rule, a marriage certificate is required by all legal institutions as a legal confirmation of marriage. Every marriage certificate must contain the following information:

- Names of the Spouses
- Birth Dates of the Spouses
- Addresses (Residence)
- Occupation of the Spouses
- Parent's Full Names
- Witnesses' Names
- Name of Officiating Minister of Registrar
- Religious Denomination of the Spouses
- Place and Date of the Ceremony

Who is Eligible to Run a Missouri Marriage Records Search?

Marriage records in Missouri are considered public information. In other words, only people older than 18 years can run a Missouri marriage records search. 

Since couples can apply for a marriage license from 18 years of age, the same goes for all those who want to find any of the Missouri marriage records online.

However, complying with the age requirements does not free a potential Missouri marriage records requestor from the following two conditions:

1. A fee charged per download of Missouri marriage records
2. The potential requestor of the Missouri marriage records must complete a written request to run a Missouri marriage records search, which must contain the following information:

• Personal and contact information of the requestor
• Personal data of the party whose name is on the record
• Relationship between the requestor and the party on the record (e.g., father, mother, son, daughter, husband, sibling, aunt, uncle, grandparent, legal guardian, etc.)
• The reason for the request (e.g., insurance proceeds, authentication, death benefits, private purposes, etc.)
• The date of marriage
• The place of marriage
• Scope of search required (statewide or county limited)
 

Additionally, you will need to attach an ID photo to your application request.

How to Find Marriage Records Online in Missouri?

Marriage records in Missouri can be requested online, via phone, email, or in person. There are multiple ways how to find marriage records online in Missouri. 

The four websites we have listed below should enable you to find the marriage records in Missouri or run a free marriage records search:

Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Website | (cdc.gov)

CDC website is one of the tools that enables free marriage records to search. It provides you with all the information related to the sources and working hours of institutions, allowing you to run a Missouri marriage records search.

Official Missouri State Website | (www.mo.gov)

Practically, the official Missouri state website is another tool that enables free marriage records to search in Missouri. The website provides all the relevant information about marriage licenses and certificates for couples to have an overview of their eligibility. 

Additionally, as mentioned on the website, people who apply for Missouri marriage records searches must not be Missouri residents. 

Another vital information on the website is that the fee for Missouri marriage records varies depending on the county.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Website | (health.mo.gov)

The official Missouri State website will redirect you to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website, where you will be able to run a Missouri marriage records search for a small fee.

You can check the number of costs you need to pay per county on the website. 

Once the payment and application to run a Missouri marriage records search are complete, you can amend or download any of the Missouri marriage records of your choice.

Independent Platform | (backgroundcheck.co)

If you still inquire about more background information on the spouses whose names were mentioned on the Missouri marriage records, make sure to run an independent search on backgroundcheck.co. Using this website will give you access to the following information:

- Employment and Education History
- Contact Information
- Civil and Criminal Court Records (if applicable)

This article has explained how to find marriage records online in Missouri. If you have more questions about finding marriage records online in Missouri, contact any of the state offices or websites that we have mentioned above.