Source: freeworldmaps.net
One of the main goals for genealogists is finding birth, marriage, and death (BMD) information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists (as well as the largest of them all - FamilySearch), a great number of indexes to birth, marriage, and death collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific BMD information, and often scanned images of the actual birth, marriage, and death certificates themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include birth, marriage, and death information that are not included in the lists below. For example, newspapers, draft registration files, naturalization records, etc. have BMD info. To find out which types of other records may include BMD information, please see:
- 27 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information
- 22 Ways to Find Ancestors Marriage Information
- 21 Ways to Find Ancestors Death Information
The lists below are specific birth, marriage, and death indexes and record collections that are available for free online:
General U.S.
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
- United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
- United States Marriages, 1733-1990
- United States Social Security Death Index
- United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Illinois
- Illinois Births and Christenings, 1824-1940
- Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947
- Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935
- Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985
- Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889
- Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940
- Illinois Statewide Death Certificates (1916–1950)
- Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre–1916
- Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900
- Adams County, Card Index to Deaths, 1877-1990
- Arthur Local Registrar's Birth Certificates Index (1868–1925)
- Carroll County Birth Certificates Index (1877–1913)
- Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915
- Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994
- Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920
- Cook County Birth Certificates, 1871-1940
- Cook County Vital Records - Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates (index free; certificates pay)
- DeKalb County - Genealogy Online
- Kane County Genealogy Indexes Online
- Lake County Births, Marriages, and Death Index
- McLean County Birth index search
- Montgomery County - Genealogical Indexes
- Wheaton Public Library - Vital Records Index
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Indiana
- Indiana Births and Christenings, 1773-1933
- Indiana Death Index, 1882-1920
- Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992
- Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007
- Indiana, Church Marriages, 1780-1993
- Indiana, Civil Marriages, 1828-1957
- Indiana State Library Marriages through 1850
- Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup, 1993-present
- Indiana Legacy Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Indiana Genealogy Search - Miscellaneous BMD records by county
- Boone Co, Indiana Marriages 1921-1923
- Knox County Death Indexes
- Index to Birth Records, LaGrange County, 1882-1920
- Index to Death Records, LaGrange County, 1882-1924
- Index to Marriage Records, LaGrange County, 1880-1920
- Sullivan County Death Records Index (1921-1931)
- Sullivan County Marriage Returns (1882-1899)
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Iowa
- Iowa Births and Christenings, 1830-1950
- Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990
- Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992
- Iowa, Church and Civil Marriages, 1837-1989
- Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935
- Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992
- Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934
- Iowa, Death Records, 1921-1940
- Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939
- Historical Society - Vital Records Indexes
- Vital Records of Counties in Iowa
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Kansas
- Kansas Births and Christenings, 1818-1936
- Kansas County Birth Records, 1885-1911
- Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911
- Kansas Deaths and Burials, 1885-1930
- Kansas Marriages, 1840-1935
- Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911
- Kansas Historical Society Marriage Index, 1854-1861
- Kansas, Fraternal Order Death Index, 1873-1969
- Kansas Marriage Records - miscellaneous by county
- Johnson County - Marriage Records
- McPherson County Birth-Death-Marriage Index
- Miami County, Genealogy Records
- Wichita Death Certificates
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Michigan
- Michigan Births and Christenings, 1775-1995
- Michigan Births, 1867-1902
- Michigan Church Marriages, 1865-1931
- Michigan Civil Marriages, 1834-1974
- Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952
- Michigan Death Index, 1971-1996
- Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995
- Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897
- Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995
- Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925
- Michigan, County Marriages Index, 1820-1937
- Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1940
- Michigan Historical Death Records
- Seeking Michigan Death Records, 1897-1920
- Seeking Michigan Death Records, 1921-1952
- Dibean Michigan Marriage Index
- Kalamazoo County Vital Records
- Oakland County Death and Marriage Index
- Tuscola County Death Index
- Van Buren County Birth and Death Index
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Minnesota
- Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002
- Minnesota Births and Christenings, 1840-1980
- Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002
- Minnesota Death Records, 1866-1916
- Minnesota Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990
- Minnesota Marriage Index, 1958-2001
- Minnesota Marriages, 1849-1950
- Minnesota, County Birth Records, 1863-1983
- Minnesota, County Deaths, 1850-2001
- Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949
- Minnesota Historical Society Birth Records Index, Pre-1900-1934
- Minnesota Historical Society Death Records Index, 1904-2001
- Minnesota Official Marriage System
- Fillmore County Vital Records
- Iron Range Research Center Genealogy Records
- Sherburne County Vital Records Indexes
- Yellow Medicine County Death Records_1872-1910
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Missouri
- Boone County Marriage Licenses
- Callaway County Marriage Licenses
- Cass County: Marriage Licenses
- Cedar County Marriage Licenses
- Christian County Marriage Licenses
- Clay County: Marriage License Index
- Gasconade County Marriage Index
- Greene County Marriages
- Jackson County Marriage Index
- Lincoln County Marriages
- McDonald County: Marriage Index
- Missouri Births and Christenings, 1827-1935
- Missouri Birth & Death Records Database, Pre-1910 (births);1910-1966 (deaths)
- Missouri Deaths and Burials, 1867-1976
- Missouri Deaths, 1883-1930
- Missouri Marriages, 1750-1920
- Missouri, Civil Marriages, 1820-1874
- Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991
- Newton County Marriage Index
- Platte County: Marriage Licenses
- St. Louis County Index to Births
- St. Louis County Marriages
- Texas County Marriages
Nebraska
- Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995
- Nebraska Marriage Records by county - index
- Box Butte County Marriages, 1887-2015
- Douglas County Marriage Licenses 1988-present
- Lancaster County Marriage License Index 1964-present
- Sarpy County Marriage License Index 1987-present
- Greater Omaha Genealogical Society County Birth and Marriage Records
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
North Dakota
- North Dakota, County Marriages, 1882-1925
- North Dakota Department of Health Public Death Index, 1892-present
- Cass County, North Dakota Marriage License Index, 1872-1944
- Grand Forks County Marriage Licenses, 1875-1925
- Stutsman County Marriage Index 1884-1925
- State Historical Society of North Dakota - Marriage Index - pre-1925
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Ohio
- Ohio Births and Christenings, 1821-1962
- Ohio County Births, 1841-2003
- Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007
- Ohio Death Record Index Search
- Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997
- Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953
- Ohio County Death Records, 1840-2001
- Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958
- Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013
- Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942
- Ohio County Delayed Births
- Ohio County Deaths 1882-1970
- Cincinnati Birth and Death Records 1865-1912
- Cuyahoga County Marriage License Index 1810-1998
- Darke County Ohio Marriages 1817-1850
- Dearborn County Births, 1882-1907
- Fayette County Births and Deaths
- Franklin County Marriage Index 1995-
- Greene County Vital Records Indexes
- Lucas County Marriages
- Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004
- Hamilton County Births
- Hamilton County Deaths
- Preble County Genealogical Database
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Historical Society - Marriage Records
- Oklahoma State Vital Records Index
- Oklahoma Marriages, 1870-1930
- Oklahoma, Church Marriages, 1852-1948
- Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
South Dakota
- South Dakota, Department of Health, Index to Births 1843-1914 and Marriages 1950-2016
- South Dakota Birth Records
- South Dakota County Marriage Records
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Birth Index, 1820-1907
- Wisconsin Births and Christenings, 1826-1926
- Wisconsin Death Index, 1820-1907
- Wisconsin Death Index, 1959-1997
- Wisconsin Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968
- Wisconsin Marriage Index, 1973-1997
- Wisconsin Marriages, 1836-1930
- Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911
- Wisconsin, Death Records, 1867-1907
- Wisconsin Historical Society Vitals Index, 1852-1907
- Fond du Lac Public Library Records, 1848-1980
- LaCrosse Genealogy Database
- Milwaukee County Marriages
- Milwaukee County Marriage certificates
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Happy Hunting!
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