by Vital records include such information as birth records, marriage records, divorce records and death records. This guide will help on how to find birth records, another part of vital records. A birthday lookup free search is possible on the internet.
Local authorities create these records and are available for the public to access. In order for you to be able to access them, you will need to know where to find them. Fortunately, there are source of vital records online that offer searches on them for free. This article will discuss those sources. A simple search on search engines like Google might not give you the result you need so let’s have a look at the sources that keep these records.
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Local Counties or State
The first step in finding your local birth record is to determine which county or state has it. The county or state will have a vital records office that maintains this information. You can contact them by phone or mail. If they do not answer their telephone, leave a message with the receptionist. They should return your call within 24 hours.
The next thing you want to do is make an appointment to visit the office. It is best if you go during regular business hours. When you arrive at the office, ask to speak to the person who handles births. He or she will give you the location of the birth certificate. A copy of the birth certificate may also be available for you to take home.
If you cannot locate the birth certificate, then you will need to obtain a copy from the court house. There is usually a fee for this service. However, some counties charge nothing for copies of birth certificates.
If you are unable to locate the birth certificate, you may be able to obtain a copy from a private genealogical library. Some libraries have microfilmed records. These records are often very expensive.
Birth Records Online
You can also use the Internet to search for birth records. Many websites provide free searches.
American Fact Finder
American Fact Finder is a website that allows users to search for genealogical facts. It contains over 2 million genealogy resources including census records, church records, immigration records, military records, naturalization records, probate records, voter registration records, wills, deeds, land patents and much more.
The American Fact Finder database includes birth records, death records, marriage records, census records, obituaries, passenger lists, naturalization records, military service records, emigration and immigration records, family histories, biographies, newspapers, maps, censuses, military records, court records, deed records, land records, cemetery records, tax records, vital records, ship passenger lists, prison records, adoption records, church records, obituary indexes, cemetery index cards, and other sources.
Ancestry
This site can help you find birth records, death records and marriage records. Ancestry also has a large collection of genealogy databases.
One of the largest databases available on this site is called NewspaperArchive.com. This database contains millions of articles published in thousands of newspapers dating back to 1836. Another popular database is Archives.com which offers free access to millions of images, documents and videos.
FamilySearch
FamilySearch is another good resource for finding birth records, death records or marriage records. The Family History Library houses microfilmed copies of original records. There are over 35 million indexed records available at the library. Other than original records, the library also holds digitized versions of many records.
Other Birth Records Sources
Another way to search for birth records is through the Social Security Administration website.
You can also request a copy of your birth certificate directly from the Social Security Administration. The SSA website provides instructions on how to do so.
Once you have located the birth certificate, you can begin searching for other important documents pertaining to your family history. For instance, you may want to look for marriage licenses, death certificates and obituaries.
Finding Your Local Cemetery
Cemeteries are places where people are buried. Most cemeteries are owned and operated by religious organizations. Others are privately owned.
Cemetery records are kept by the cemetery itself. Each cemetery keeps its own records. Some cemeteries keep records in-house while others allow outside agencies to store records for them.
In most cases, when a person dies, his or her body is taken to a funeral home. Afterward, the funeral home sends the body to the cemetery. The cemetery records show the date of the burial, the name of the deceased, the cause of death and any special instructions given to the cemetery regarding the burial site.
In addition to the above information, each cemetery may maintain additional records such as tombstone inscriptions, grave markers and photographs.
Most cemeteries are open to the public. You can visit them without paying admission fees. However, there are many cemeteries that are restricted access. This means that only certain individuals (such as relatives) are allowed to enter. In order to gain access to these cemeteries, you must first obtain permission from the cemetery owner.
These are some of the options you have on how to find birth records. Birth records have been kept for centuries in the US so finding them from these sources won’t be too hard.
