marriage certificates of relatives?

Question:

Is it possible to get copies of birth/death/marriage certificates of relatives?

I'm starting to work on my family's genealogy, and was wondering if it's possible for me to get copies of birth/death/and or marriage certificates of my relatives who have died? and if so how would I get them?

Any other hints for genealogy are welcome too!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Contrary to an above statement, states are considering but have not closed records to 100 years. Some counties are doing it on their own, but the state still releases records. And even if they do change the standard (which is a federal standard, not written on the state level), it does not count for direct descendents doing genealogy work if you can prove your lineage to the individual...and it only counts for birth records, not marriage or death records.

The answer is you can get birth records for your parents, siblings, grandparents, great grandparents, etc. with proper ID and a copy of your own birth certificate. If your parents names match the parents of the sibling, you can get the record. If neither parents' name is on there, you get no record. If you're requesting your parents' information, then you need to have their name on your birth certificate or else provide a copy of their death certificate. The first one is much easier. But if they're dead, you can get a copy of any of their records.

For your grandparents, you can get any information that is more than 72 years old without providing proof of descendency. If the record you want is less than 72 years old, then you have to either provide their death certificate (because the records are open to you if you prove they're dead) and provide your own ID or if you have the documentation (like a bunch of records on your parent who was their child) proving you are a descendent. This works regardless of state and regardless of privacy laws. It classifies you as a "true heir" and makes their records open to YOU...maybe not your spouse or your cousin. But you have the proof so you can have copies of their records.

The other side to it is that anything over 72 years is open to public review. You need to show ID to get a copy of any records from 1925 onward if you can't show the person is dead. But it's a formality.

Once you're back far enough, the records are open to you. The one thing to learn is that you can pick up the phone and call to make sure they have the record before you send away for it. Ask questions while you have them on the phone. If it's a birth record, ask if it lists the place of birth for each of the parents. If you think they were born in the same county, ask to see if they have the birth and marriage records for the parents, too...and even the death records. Don't get too pushy, but definitely ask. Then you can ask if they make uncertified "genealogy copies". It saves a load of money. I requested a marriage license and application for someone from this board a few weeks ago. They sent it to me with a bill for $1. I didn't even need to send the request with the money first. Their normal fee for a certified copy was $20. We didn't need the seal, just the information.

Also know, though, that once you get back before 1930, you may not find a birth certificate on someone. They weren't required. People born in rural areas are likely not to have their births recorded by the county. Grandma was the midwife and the baby was born on the kitchen table.

In the same way, there aren't many death certificates before 1872. Some states started keeping them in 1868, but weren't consistent about it until the early 1870s. And if the person died out in the Plains and no one witnessed their death and reported it...no death certificate.

When you can't find birth, marriage or death records, the preferred alternative is to find church records. Even though the government didn't record things, ministers and priests were very good at recordkeeping. Catholic records go back to nearly 1400.