You have two main ways to go if you intend to research Massachusetts marriage records. You’ll learn about both of them here. That way you can choose the one that works best for you. We can begin by taking a look at the way Massachusetts manages vital records.
Birth, Death, and Marriage records are all maintained by the MA vital records system, which can provide you with a certified copy of the records you need. No matter what you need the information for, the state can only provide certified copies of marriage records.
One way to get the records is to actually go to the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and make your request in person. Other methods include phone, fax, or email. The prices vary depending on which method you use and whether or not you want expedited delivery. It will take the state somewhere between 10 and 30 days to process your request. Then of course it will take some time for the documents to arrive through the mail or delivery service.
NOTE: Please understand that there are restrictions on access to marriage records if one of the people who got married was born out of wedlock. You need to follow special procedures in this case. The Vital Records website has all the details about this.
There’s also a third-party service that you can use to order certified copies of MA marriage records. This service generally takes seven to ten business days to process the order. The price of this service is for the first certified copy, plus if you want expedited shipping.
When All You Want is the Facts
For situations where all you need is information rather than a certified copy of a document, there’s a much faster way to go. You can get details about a Massachusetts marriage in minutes if you use a commercial Marriage Records Search service.
These services aren’t a part of the state. They’re indepenedent businesses that use information provided by the states to get you the information you need. It is a much faster way to go since they simply provide the facts about the marriage instead of producing a certified copy of a document.
Clearly there are major differences between these two ways of getting information from Massachusetts marriage records. If you need a certified copy of the marriage documents, you need to start at the state’s website (listed below).
Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics: http://www.mass.gov/dph/rvrs
Remember: If you simply need to get the facts about this marriage, rather than a certified copy of the wedding certificate, you can have your information in minutes if you just Click Here!
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