Promotional material

Family tree: guide to marriage certificates

How to use the General Register Office to find marriage certificates when researching your family tree and family history.

• From: HM Passport Office
• Published: 22 January 2016
• Last updated: 16 February 2019 — See all updates

Documents

Guide to marriage certificates

HTML

Guide to marriage certificates

PDF, 422 KB, 3 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This guide explains:

• how to find your ancestors’ marriage certificates
• how much it costs to order a marriage certificate
• what information you’ll find on a marriage certificate
• how to order marriage certificates online, by phone or by post

The guide also includes tips on what to do if you can’t find your ancestors in the General Register Office’s public index of every marriage recorded in England and Wales since 1837.

Published 22 January 2016
Last updated 16 February 2019 + show all updates

1. 16 February 2019

   New marriage certificates leaflet.

2. 22 January 2016

   First published.