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
Alabama
- Alabama Births and Christenings, 1881-1930
- Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950
- Alabama County Marriages, 1818-1936
- Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952
- Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974
- Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957
- African-American Marriage Records, Alabama Talladega and Macon Counties, 1865 - 1939
- Lawrence County Marriage Records
- Madison County Marriages
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Arkansas
- Arkansas Births and Christenings, 1812-1965
- Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976
- Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
- Arkansas Deaths and Burials, 1882-1929; 1945-1963
- Arkansas Marriage Index, 1933-1939
- Arkansas Marriages, 1837-1944
- Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957
- Arkansas, Sebastian County Births and Deaths, 1877-1963
- Craighead County Marriages
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Pulaski County Marriage Licenses
- Washington County Marriages
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Florida
- Alachua County Clerk of the Court Marriage Licenses 1837-1973
- Brevard County Marriage Licenses
- Dade County Marriage Records1905-1911
- Florida Births and Christenings, 1880-1935
- Florida Death Index, 1877-1998
- Florida Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921
- Florida Deaths, 1877-1939
- Florida Marriage Index, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001
- Florida Marriages, 1830-1993
- Florida Marriages, 1837-1974
- Florida, County Marriages, 1830-1957
- Leon County Marriage Licenses
- Miami-Dade County Online Marriage Licenses
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Georgia
- Georgia Births and Christenings, 1754-1960
- Georgia Church Marriages, 1754-1960
- Georgia Death Index, 1933-1998
- Georgia Deaths, 1914-1927
- Georgia Deaths, 1928-1940
- Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967
- Georgia, Church Marriages, 1787-1962
- Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950
- Georgia, Hall County Marriages, 1950-2005
- Marriage Records from Microfilm - Georgia's Virtual Vault (Images by County)
- Baldwin County, Georgia Marriages 1826-1850
- Bibb County, Georgia Marriage 1824-1850
- Bulloch County, Georgia Marriages 1796-1850
- Butts County, Georgia Marriages 1826-1850
- Coweta County, Georgia Marriages 1832-1850
- Effingham County, Georgia Marriages 1754-1850
- Gilmer County, Georgia Marriages 1834-1850
- Morgan County Marriage Records
- Pulaski County, Georgia Marriages to the year 1930
- Troup County, Georgia Marriages 1826-1850
- Georgia Archives - Georgia Non-Indexed Death Certificates
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Kentucky
- Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960
- Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1963
- Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970
- Kentucky Deaths Search
- Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979
- Kentucky, Church Marriages, 1824-1995
- Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954
- Kentucky Vital Records Index
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Louisiana
- Louisiana Births and Christenings, 1811-1830; 1854-1934
- Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960
- Louisiana Marriages, 1816-1906
- Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957
- Louisiana Secretary of State Birth Records Index
- Louisiana Secretary of State Marriage Records Index
- Louisiana Secretary of State Death Records Index
- New Orleans Daily Picayune Newspaper Marriage Index 1837-1857
- New Orleans Marriage Records 1846-1880
- Orleans Parish Vital Records, 1905-1963
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Mississippi
- Hancock County Marriage Index (1849 - 1956)
- Harrison County Marriages Index
- Lauderdale County Marriage Archives
- Lawrence County Marriage Records
- Mississippi Marriages, 1800-1911
- Mississippi, Tippah County Marriages, 1858-1979
- Mississippi Marriage Search
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Neshoba County, Marriage Records
- Pike County Marriage License Index
- Rankin County Marriages
- Black Marriages of Tate County, 1873-1900
- 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
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
North Carolina
- Brunswick County Births, Marriages, and Deaths Index
- Caldwell County Marriage Licenses
- Haywood County Marriage Licences
- Mecklenburg County Births, Marriages, and Deaths Indexes
- North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000
- North Carolina Births and Christenings, 1866-1964
- North Carolina Deaths and Burials, 1898-1994
- North Carolina Deaths, 1906-1930
- North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994
- North Carolina Marriages, 1759-1979
- North Carolina, Civil Marriages, 1763-1868
- North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979
- 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 Carolina
- Greenville County - Marriage License Search
- Horry County Marriages (1861-1912)
- South Carolina Births and Christenings, 1681-1935
- South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1965
- South Carolina Death Indexes 1915-1967
- South Carolina Marriages, 1709-1913
- South Carolina Marriage records
- South Carolina, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1766-1900
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Tennessee
- Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912
- Index to Tennessee Death Records (1914 - 1933)
- Tennessee Births and Christenings, 1828-1939
- Tennessee Church Marriages, 1810-1965
- Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888
- Tennessee Death Records, 1914-1963
- Tennessee Deaths and Burials, 1874-1955
- Tennessee Marriages, 1796-1950
- Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002
- Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912
- Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950
- Hamilton County Marriage Licenses
- Knox County Marriages
- Montgomery County Marriage Index
- Putnam County Marriages, 1930-1961
- Shelby County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Sullivan County Marriage Licenses
- Williamson County Marriage Records
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Texas
- Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935
- Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997
- Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981
- Texas Death Index, 1903-2000
- Texas Death Index, 1964-1998
- Texas Deaths and Burials, 1903-1973
- Texas Deaths, 1890-1976
- Texas Deaths, 1977-1986
- Texas Marriages, 1837-1973
- Texas Marriages, 1966-2010
- Texas Marriage Index 1966-2005
- Texas, Church Marriages, 1839-1982
- Texas, Church Marriages, 1845-1957
- Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977
- Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965
- Texas Marriages, 1966-2014
- Colorado County Marriage Index 1837-1886
- El Paso County Marriage Records
- Fort Bend County Search Databases
- Gonzales County, Death records, 1863-1970
- Gregg County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Liberty County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- McLennan County Birth, Marriage, Death Index
- Orange County, Texas Online Records Search
- Travis County Marriages
- Williamson County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Virginia
- Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917
- Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912
- Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940
- Library of Virginia Marriage Index 1719-1898
- Dinwiddie County Marriage Records 1863-2000
- Loudoun County Marriage Records
- Orange County Marriage Records, 1757-1938
- Richmond City Birth Index, 1870-1912
- Rockingham County Marriage Index
- Surry County Marriage Records, 1735-1950
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
West Virginia
- West Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1928
- West Virginia Births, 1853-1930
- West Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1854-1932
- West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999
- West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970
- West Virginia Marriages, 1854-1932
- West Virginia Vital Records Indexes
- West Virginia, Berkeley County, Church Marriages, 1819-1889
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Happy Hunting!