District of Columbia Vital Records

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United States

District of Columbia

Vital Records

District of Columbia Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Introduction to Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records.

Vital Records Reference Dates

The District of Columbia's civil records start the following years:

	Birth	Marriage	Death
Earliest	1872	1811	1855
Statewide Registration	1874	1811	1855*

• Death records do not exist for the Civil War years 1861-1865.

District of Columbia Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online

The following is a list of online resources useful for locating District of Columbia Vital Records which consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. Most online resources for District of Columbia Vital Records are indexes. After locating a person in an index always consult the original record to confirm the information in the index.

Births

• 1830-1955: District of Columbia Births and Christenings, 1830-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, index
• 1830-1955: District of Columbia, Select Births and Christenings, 1830-1955 at Ancestry ($)

Marriages

• 1802-1964: United States Marriages – District of Columbia, 1802-1964 ($) index
• 1810-1953: District of Columbia, Marriage Records, 1810-1953 at Ancestry ($)
• 1811-1950: District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, index
• 1830-1921: District of Columbia Marriages, 1830-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, index; also at Ancestry ($) and MyHeritage ($)

Deaths

• 1769-1960: District of Columbia, Select Deaths and Burials Index, 1769-1960 at Ancestry ($)
• 1840-1964: District of Columbia Deaths and Burials, 1840-1964at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, index; also at MyHeritage ($)
• 1874-1959: District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1959 - Free, courtesy: FamilySearch. Description

• Where to write for District of Columbia Vital Records ($)

Courtesy of the Gallaudet University Library Deaf Collections and Archives: 19 indexes of birth, marriage, and death records derived from various Deaf publications:

• Alumni Cards: 1866-1961
• Columbia Institution Statistics: 1857-1897
• Columbia Institution Statistics: 1898-1950
• Faculty/Staff Cards: 1910-1944
• Fay Marriage Index
• Pennsylvania School for the Deaf Applications: 1824-1938
• Vital Records

Birth and Death Records

Registration of vital statistics began in 1874 for the District of Columbia and was generally complied with by 1915 for births and 1880 for deaths. You can obtain copies of these records by writing to:

Department of Human Services

Vital Records Division

800 9th Street S.W.

Washington, DC 20024

Telephone: 202-645-5962

Internet: Department of Health

Birth records more than 125 years old and death records more than 75 years old are considered public record and no approval is needed for requested records. A law passed in 2018 now requires that requests for records that are too recent to be open to the public must go through the DC Superior Court. The current fees for obtaining copies of the District's birth and death records are found at the DC Dept. of Health online.

Some earlier records of deaths exist from 1855-1860, and 1865-1949. They can be obtained from the above address. The Family History Library has copies of some of the District's births, 1874-1897 starting on (FHL Collection Film 2020343). Deaths for 1855-1949 begin on ( FHL Collection Film 1994618).

To request birth certificates from 1874-1895 and/or death certificates from 1874-1945, email the District of Columbia Archives at archives@dc.gov.

• Birth certificates
  • Are only publicly available from 1874 to 1895
  • First and last name of child
  • Complete date of birth
  • First and last names of parents
• Death certificates
  • Are only publicly available from 1874 to 1945
  • First and last name
  • Date of death

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:

• District of Columbia Births and Christenings - FamilySearch Historical Records
• District of Columbia Birth Returns - FamilySearch Historical Records
• District of Columbia Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records
• District of Columbia Deaths and Burials - FamilySearch Historical Records

Marriage Records

Registration of marriages began in 1811. Some of the early marriages for the years 1811 to 1858 have been transcribed by the DAR and are on microfilm at the Family History Library, see: FHL Film 845766. Easier-to-use versions of these records include:

• DC marriage records 1811-1950; indexes, 1811-1986 FHL Film 2079252.
• Alexandria (DC) marriage certificates returned 1801-1850 FHL Film 1902941 item 3.
• DC marriage registers 1811-1870 FHL Book 975.3 V28p. Early registers only contain the name of the bride and groom and the date of marriage.
• DC marriage returns, 1874-1902, 1907-1923; consents, 1896-Dec. 1950 FHL Film 2070925. These records may provide the name of the bride and groom, and their age, residence, color, occupation, birthplace and number of marriages.
• DC newspaper marriage notices 1800-1850 FHL Film 929472.
• Fay Marriage Index (Marriages of the Deaf) courtesy of the Gallaudet University Library of Deaf Collections and Archives

You can obtain marriage records from 1811 to the present by writing to:

Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Marriage License Bureau
500 Indiana Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: 202-879-4840

Marriages more than 100 years old are considered public record and no approval is needed to apply for a record copy.

To request marriage records from 1870 to 1920, email the District of Columbia Archives at archives@dc.gov.

Online Databases

• 1802-1964 - District of Columbia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:

• District of Columbia Marriages 1830-1921 (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Divorce Records

An index to divorce proceedings prior to September 1956 are available from:

Clerk of the U.S. District Court
3rd and Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: 202-273-0555

Old divorce records 1803-1863 are housed at the National Archived in Record Group 21 (Entries 16 and 23). Records after 1863 and previous to September 16, 1956 are maintained at the Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland. Reseachers must know the divorce case number found in the index housed at the U.S. District Court as listed above. To access divorce cases, an appointment must be made with the Washington National Records Center at least 24 hours prior to the review appointment. Personal identification is required to enter the Washington National Records Center. Please see Researching and Accessing Court Records at the Washington National Records Center.

Divorce documents filed since September 16, 1956 are at:

Clerk of the Superior Court
Family Division
500 Indiana Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: 202-879-1418

The Family History Library has no District of Columbia divorce records.

Additional Helps

Tips

• Information listed on vital records is given by an informant.  Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of the record.  The closer the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) and whether or not the informant was present at the time of the event can help determine the accuracy of the information found on the record.
• If you are unable to locate vital records recorded by governments, search for church records of christening, marriage, death or burial.  A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages and deaths.
• Search for Vital Records in the FamilySearch Catalog by using a Place Search and then choosing Vital Records.  Search for District of Columbia to locate records filed by the State and then search the name of the county to locate records kept by the county.

Research Guides

Washington National Records Center, Suitland, MD Services for the Public

Lost and Missing Records

Death records 1861-1865, the Civil War years, are missing.

Substitute Records

These links will take you to wiki pages describing alternate sources for birth, marriage and death records.

• Church Records: Depending on the denomination, church records may contain information about birth, marriage and death.
• Cemetery Records: Cemetery records are a rich source of birth and death information.  These records may also reveal family relationships.
• Census: Census records are a valuable source for birth and marriage information. You may also determine approximate time of death when the individual disappear from the census. This is a good place to begin a search.
• Newspapers: Besides obituaries, local newspapers may contain birth and marriage announcements and death notices.  Also check newspaper social columns for additional information. 
• Periodicals: Local genealogical and historical societies often publish periodicals which may contain abstracted early birth, marriage and death information.
• Military Records: Military pension records can give birth, marriage and death information,  In addtion, soldiers' homes records can included this same information.
• Probate Records: If no death record exists, probate records may be helpful in estimating when an individual has died. Probate records in the 20th Century often contain the exact death date.
• History: Local histories, family histories and biographies can all be sources of birth, marriage and death information. Often this information is found in county-level records or in surname searches of the FamilySearch Catalog.

More District of Columbia Vital Records Online Links

• District of Columbia Databases listed on Rootsweb.org Free

• USGenweb.org site for Washington D.C. or District of Columbia - Free

• Vitalcheck.com ($) Express ordering of vital record certificates

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.