Rhode Island Marriage Records

Enter a first and/or last name to search Rhode Island marriage records. This website was created to provide genealogists with access to the Rhode Island marriage records from a single place. Additional information on how to obtain Rhode Island marriage certificates is available below.

Search marriage records for other states.

Rhode Island marriage records

Marriage records contain information about the marriage of two people, including the date of marriage, place of marriage, sometimes the names of the mothers and fathers, and even the people who witnessed the marriage. Marriage certificates issued by state and local governments will often include the place of residences, and perhaps even the maiden names of the mothers.

This webpage gives you access to all of the online databases containing Rhode Island marriage records, Rhode Island marriage licenses, Rhode Island marriage indexes, Rhode Island marriage announcements, and other related Rhode Island genealogy records.

Marriage records have long been used to help with genealogy research. They are considered to be "primary source" records, because the information is recorded by an eye witness, at the time the marriage takes place. The Internet has allowed people to store marriage records into various online archives. This has brought access to online marriage records much more easier for genealogy researchers.

Newspapers frequently publish notices of marriages, and in addition to marriage certificates, are a popular source of research by genealogists.

On this page you will find the most comprehensive databases containing marriage records of Rhode Island. We also suggest searching for "Rhode Island marriage records" using Google.com, which will yield all such databases.

Search the Rhode Island Marriage Records Database

Enter a person's name to search the Rhode Island marriage records database

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How to Obtain Rhode Island Marriage Certificates

Though earlier vital records have been gathered and abstracted in James N. Arnold's Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636–1850, 21 vols. (Providence, R.I.: Narragansett Historical Publishing Co., 1891–1912), statewide reporting did not begin until 1853. From that time, copies of vital events recorded in towns were sent to what is now the Rhode Island Division of Vital Statistics. Many records prior to 1894 are now in the state archive. Towns, for the most part, still hold originals in the clerk's office.

For birth and marriage records from 1 January 1894 and death records from 1 January 1948, write:

State of Rhode Island
Dept. of Health, Division of Vital Records
Cannon Building
Room 101
75 Davis Street
Providence, RI 02908

For earlier records, write:

Rhode Island State Archives
337 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903

For prior records, write to the clerk of the county in question.

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