Learn How to Find Idaho Marriage Certificate Records

Vital records, including those of marriages, are becoming important to Idaho only of late. Idaho as a territory has been around long enough for Britain to have contended with the USA for its dominion. Since its original Native American population, it has seen new communities, such as the Mormons, become the dominant religious grouping though not without its own tribulations.

If you’re looking for an Idaho marriage marriage today, you have more than a couple of options. A search for marriage data from earlier than the 20th century may be difficult to find. The only vital records up to that point in time were birth and death records as maintained by churches, physicians, midwives and mortuaries.

Official records were pretty close to impossible to find because the Idaho territory was loosely governed first by the British (as part of their Canadian colonies) and later, by the shifting tides of politics in USA. Even the entry of the State of Idaho in mid-19th century was not without incident.

All the same, new waves of immigrants, mainly from northern Europe and Scandinavia, found this state of snows and long winters congenial to their souls, and settled in. Their vital records, however, had to be kept within their communities.

Today, vital records of Idaho from those times are being steadily mopped up by various academic or other groups devoted to the study of genealogy – the familial backdrop of various immigrant communities that make up America today. For instance, Ricks College in Rexburg has an index to all pre-1900 marriages recorded in Idaho.

Officially, Idaho’s county level registration of vital records, including births and deaths, was started in 1907. Though neither was directly related to marriage certificates, you probably could interpolate some marriage data from them.

Idaho’s law governing the registration of births and deaths was changed in 1911, at which time county recorders were relieved of this responsibility. After 1911, the state registered all births and deaths, but records of marriages were often incomplete.

As of now, for births and deaths from 1911 and marriage records from 1947, you have to write to State of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Vital Statistics Unit, 450 West State Street, Boise, ID 83720-9990.

What Makes an Effective Request

Your request letter should be brief and topical. It is always advisable not to make more than two requests in one letter. Otherwise it may simply bounce back and forth between departments, causing avoidable delay.

Submit all possible data about the marriage when you are sending over that application. If a person goes by more than one name, mention all of them, including the nicknames and alternate spellings. Be accurate about the marriage date. If unsure, specify a time span for searching. Keep it narrow – the wider the search, the more it will cost you.

Don’t pay in advance, unless you know for sure how much the document/s will cost. Guesswork could leave you out of unnecessary funds. Consider sending a signed blank check: with "Not to exceed $__.00" (the maximum likely amount) written preferably in red ink, under the check’s  "$____" line.

Your safest option is writing two letters. In the first letter you will need to state your requirements, provide all relevant information and ask about the charges payable. The second letter should carry your check. Always remember to enclose a stamped and self-addressed envelope with your application.

For good measure, be gracious to the state or county office: it’s under-staffed, and genealogical research is not really part of their job!

Details to Include in Your Request

If you request a copy of a marriage certificate, make sure to include the following:
 
•    Husband’s full name (last name in caps)
•    Wife’s full maiden name (last name in caps)
•    Marriage date 
•    Marriage location 
•    Relationship to you 
•    Why the record is needed
•    Your name & address
•    Your driver's license number & state (some counties require it)
•    Your signature

Online Options Abound

You can also submit a request to receive your Idaho marriage certificate online. On the Internet, there is no need for that extensive application – you can do this with just a few clicks. Not only do you save on hassles, but you save a lot of time too because your application can be sent and processed instantly.