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| New Orleans (Orleans Parish) Louisiana Civil Marriage Records In the19th century, New Orleans was one of the largest cities in the United States. As such, it had a sophisticated system of recording vital records, including births, marriages, and deaths. Fortunately for historians and genealogists, these records have been preserved. In Louisiana, all marriage records are public documents; there are no time restrictions. The marriage license system in Orleans Parish has changed a few times over the years. Information on the marriage record systems used can be found on the website of the NOPL's City Archives & Special Collections. See: https://nolacityarchives.org/guide-to-genealogical-materials/vital-records-2/marriage-records/ 1846-1880 The Justice of the Peace license system was in use from 1846 to 1880. For this time period, the only records that are available are the licenses and some certificates. These rarely include the names of the parents, but occasionally the father is included, especially if the bride was under age. The originals of these records are today held by the City Archives in New Orleans. Read more about this system here: Justice of the Peace Marriage Records. The best index to the Justice of the Peace marriage records is in FamilySearch.org. They are included in a marriage index titled "Louisiana Marriages, 1816-1906." See: https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1674881 Note: This index is especially useful since it allows the use of wildcards (*). Also, images are online for most licenses between 1846-1880. Another index is a card file at the NOPL. See "Indexing" on this page. A digital version of the index appears to be online, but as of the date of this revision (February 2024), it does not appear to be working properly. Note: As would be expected, the NOPL card index and the FamilySearch index often interpret the same name in quite different ways, so it is important to check both indexes. 1870-1974 Marriage Records from the New Orleans Board of Health was the system in use from 1870 to 1974. An explanation of this system can be found here. Note: Between 1870 and 1880, both systems were apparently in use, as some marriages are recorded in both systems. For the “Board of Health” period (1870-1974), three different records may be available: License (front and back), Certification recorded in the Register, and Certificate. See examples of these three records here: Three marriage records 1 (front). The contracting parties would be granted a marriage license by the Recorder of Births, Marriages and Deaths, which gave permission to a clergyman, justice of the peace, etc. to perform the marriage. A typical marriage license front and reverse from the 1930s can be seen in the link above. 1 (reverse side). Either during or immediately after performing the marriage, the officiant would complete the reverse side of the license and have the parties and witnesses sign it. This completed license would be returned to the Recorder’s office within ten days after the marriage. This is sometimes referred to as a “return.” The completed reverse side of a license can be seen in the record linked above. 2. After the license was returned, the Recorder’s office would record the information in a register, certifying that the marriage had indeed taken place. A sample of this certification is the second document at the above link. 3. The contracting parties received a certificate. These would have been kept by the married individuals, but many were lost over the years. A sample of a certificate is the third document at the above link. After 1870, the register generally shows the names of the parents. Occasionally, however, the names were misspelled. Researchers often stop at just the Register entry. However, from the sample posted, it can be seen how much more information is available on the returned license: names of parents and signatures of the parties and witnesses. Indexes -- There are several indexes to these marriage records, both free and fee-based: (Free) Louisiana State Archives (1870 through current year minus about 50 years) See: http://goo.gl/hcLJ2P (Free) USGenWeb Archives Project, Orleans Parish, Louisiana (1870-1914) Search grooms by year: http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/orleans/marriage-gi.htm Search brides: http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/orleans/marriage-bi.htm (Fee-based) Ancestry.com (1870-1964) Note: 1920 may be incomplete. http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6500 Copies of the original records from the Louisiana State Archives can be ordered by mail for $5.00. When a record is found, click on "Print Form." Copies can be made in person at the Louisiana State Archives or the City Archives of the NOPL. 1974-present Per the City Archives: "In 1974, responsibility for registering marriages in Orleans Parish was assumed by the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Resources." In Louisiana, marriage records are public records. Recent marriage records (less than 50 years old) can be ordered from the Vital Records Registry: http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/643 Note: Occasionally New Orleans residents were married in one of the adjacent Louisiana parishes or nearby Mississippi: Jefferson Parish St. Bernard Parish Hancock County, Mississippi Return to previous page |
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