Divorce records from all over the U.S are sometimes difficult to find online. They are another hidden gem of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
What can you find in these records? Obviously the dates and location of the divorce proceeding, the date and location of the marriage, the woman's maiden name, names of minor children, and the reason for the divorce. The reason can not only provide another part of your ancestor's story, but also may lead to more clues, especially in the case of desertion, where you may be able to find the location that the "deserting" party moved to.
WARNING: Some of the information in the Divorce Petitions may be difficult to read. There may be shocking claims, especially related to your ancestors' physical and emotional cruelty, or other behavior. Be prepared.
In most cases, I did not include the links to County Courts, where most divorce records are now processed and the documents held. But these divorce documents for most states are partially held in either state archives or county clerk records. So you may wish to avail yourself of these county clerk an court archives, especially those that can be searched online.
Note: Please be aware that if you find a desired divorce record in an index, that the holder of the actual materials (e.g., archive, county court, etc.) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the material itself.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
Below, listed by state are links to divorce records and indexes available for free online.
(Updated October, 2019; recently added links are in BOLD)
Illinois
- Adams County Chancery Case Files, 1827-1854
- Adams County Chancery Records, 1837-1935
- Adams County Divorce Case Files, 1851-1922
- Adams County Divorce Case Files,, ca. 1846-1922
- DeWitt County Miscellaneous Divorces
- Jefferson County Divorce Records Index 1835-1894
- Johnson County Circuit Court Record, 1829-1835
- Macon County Miscellaneous Divorce Records Index
- Saline County Divorce Record, vol. A, 1897-1912
- Saline County Early Court Records, Divorce abstracts
- Saline County Order book, vol. A, 1848-1858
- Union County Order book, 1818-1848
- Washington County, Divorce Records 1819-1861
Indiana
- Allen County Divorces (1820's-1920's)
- Allen County, Civil and criminal Case Files, 1820-1940
- Boone County Divorces 1830-1879
- Boone County Divorces, 1830-1879
- DeKalb County Divorce Index
- DeKalb County Divorce Records Index 1909-1910
- Evansville Courier and Press Divorces Database 2007-
- Harrison County, Newspaper clippings collection : obituaries, divorce announcements, 1845-2005
- Hendricks County Divorce cases 1824-1989
- Hendricks County Divorce cases 1912-1992
- Hendricks County Divorce Records and Indexes
- Howard County Indiana Divorce Newspaper Announcements Index
- Indiana State Library VINE - Divorce Records Index
- Kosciusko County Divorce Indexes 1908-1933
- Logansport Abstracts from the Logansport Weekly Journal, 1849-1870
- Montgomery County Divorce Indexes
- Porter County, Divorce Records Index 1914-1963
- Saint Joseph County Divorce Records Index 1832-1997
Iowa
- Benton County Divorce Index 1906-1925
- Carroll County Decree of Divorces and attachments, 1891-1908
- Cedar County Divorce Record Indexes
- Clayton County Divorce Index 1906-1914
- Clayton County Divorce Index 1914-1920
- Des Moines County Chancery Record, v. A-C, 1839-1855
- Des Moines County Divorce Records, 1835-1950
- Fayette County Records of Divorce, 1906-1980
- Grundy County Divorce Records Index 1904-1946
- Hancock County Divorce Record Index (1901-1986)
- Henry County Record of Divorces, 1907-1992
- Iowa County Miscellaneous Records, 1877-1932
- Iowa State Divorce Records, 1906-1937
- Jackson County Divorce Records, 1848-1865; Index, 1906-1984
- Johnson County Divorce Records, 1851-1953
- Johnson County Probate Records, 1851-1914
- Madison County Divorce Indexes
- Madison County, Divorce Records, 1855-1938
- Muscatine County Divorce Records, 1907-1950
- Muscatine County, Divorce Applications Index 1840-1907
- Page County Divorce Indexes 1900-1921
- Pocahontas County Record of Divorces, 1907-2001
- Polk County Probate Records (includes divorces), 1852-1967
- Pottawattamie County Divorces
- Pottawattamie County Divorce Records, 1906-1956
- Ringgold County Divorce Records, 1893-1911
- Story County Divorce Index 1854-1924
- Vinton Eagle Divorce Notices 1855 - 1880
- Wapello County Divorces, 1906-1951
- Wayne County Divorce Records, 1907-2012
Kansas
- Atchison County Civil Appearance Dockets 1861-1919 ; Court Journals 1886-1918; Case Files (Divorce only) 1859-1917
- Crawford County Divorce Cases, 1867-1917 ; Indexes 1867-1985
- Douglas County District Court Journals, 1863-1920
- Elk County Divorce Files, var. 1875-1917
- Franklin County Divorce Index, 1858-1917
- Franklin County Divorce Case Packets, 1860-1917
- Geary County Court Records, 1861-1921
- Greenwood County Divorce Case Files, 1857-1914
- Harvey County Divorces, 1877- 1917; Index to Divorces 1877-1917
- Jackson County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1858-1919; Divorce Case Files, 1859-1917
- Jackson County District Court Journals, 1861-1919
- Jefferson County Court Records, 1858-1982
- Leavenworth Court Records, 1855-1918
- Marshall County Civil Court Case Files (only Divorces), 1863-1917
- McPherson County Divorces Index 1871 - 1917
- McPherson County Divorce Case Files, 1871-1917
- Miami County Divorce Announcements
- Miami County Civil and Domestic Case Packets, 1857-1917
- Nemaha County Divorce Case Files, ca. 1857-1917
- Norton County, Civil Case Files, 1886-1941
- Osage County Divorce Case Packets, 1861-1917
- Pottawatomie County Civil Case Files (only Divorces), 1862-1882
- Reno County Miscellaneous Divorces
- Riley County Divorce Case Files, 1859-1917
- Rush County Divorce Records,1877-1915
- Saline County Divorce Records, 1866-1916
- Sedgwick County Divorces Index 1871 - February 1888
- Sedgwick County Divorce Records, 1871-1917
- Wabaunsee County Court and Divorce Records, ca. 1857-1923 ; Index, 1876-1927
Michigan
- Alpena County Divorce proceedings, 1897-1927
- Berrien County Divorce Index
- Calhoun County Chancery Dockets, 1915-1951
- Calhoun County Chancery Files, 1847-1951
- Cass County Divorce index
- Cass County Divorce Records, 1848-1931
- Cass County Divorce Records, 1897-1956
- Flint Genealogical Society Vital Record Indexes (1867 - 1930)
- Hillsdale County Chancery calendars, 1847-1930; chancery Index, ca. 1840-1930
- Hillsdale County Divorce Records, 1872-1944
- Ionia County Divorce Index
- Macomb County Chancery Case Files (Divorces), 1833-1855
- Montcalm County Divorce Records Indexes 1851-19015
- Ottawa County Divorce Records Index, 1850-1881
- St. Joseph County Chancery Records, 1879-1942
- St. Joseph County Divorce Records, 1869-1874
- Van Buren County Chancery Records, ca. 1848-1939
Minnesota
- Minnesota Divorce Index, 1970-1995
- Olmsted County, Rochester Public Library Personals Index
- St. Louis County Miscellaneous Divorce Newspaper Abstracts
Missouri
- Christian County, Missouri, Circuit Court Records No. 1
- Cole County Circuit Court Case Files, 1820-1927
- Cole County, Circuit Court Case Files, 1823-1866
- Cole County, Circuit Court Case Files, 1867-1899
- Cole County, Circuit Court Case Files, 1900-1922
- Cole County, Circuit Court Case Files, 1923-1927
- Daviess County Index to Divorces 1842-1896
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1837 - 1899
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1900 - 1910
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1911 - 1920
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1921 - 1928
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1929 - 1935
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1942 - 1946
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1947 - 1950
- Livingston County Court Records, 1837-1886
- Madison County Divorce Records, 1821-1887
- Missouri Court Case File Search
- Morgan County Circuit Court Record Book, 1833-1867
- Pike County Circuit Court Record, 1819-1886
- St. Charles County Record Books, 1808-1887
- St. Louis, Divorces Reported in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat - Index
- Stoddard County Divorce Index 1836-1912
- Warren County Court Records, 1833-1886
Nebraska
North Dakota
Ohio
- Allen County Divorces 1876-1910
- Athens County Divorce Records, 1918-1953
- Cuyahoga County Divorce Records, 1876-1882
- Cuyahoga County Special Files, 1878-1922
- Erie County Common Pleas Journal, 1854-1901
- Erie County Court Records, 1838-1854; General Index, 1840-1887
- Geauga County Supreme Court Divorces 1806-1840
- Knox County Divorce Record, 1906-1951
- Lake County Painesville Telegraph Index to Divorces
- Lake County, Index to Divorces in the Willoughby Independent, 1879-1884
- Lake County, Index to Divorces in the Willoughby Independent, 1885-1888
- Lake County, Ohio Divorce Proceedings
- Lucas County Marriage Records (Lucas County, Ohio), 1835-1985 ; Marriage Index, 1835-1941
- Morrow County Morrow County, Marriage Records, 1951-2017
- Painesville Telegraph Divorce Index 1862-1870
- Pickaway County Divorce Record, 1907-1946
- Richland County, Divorces, and real estate Cases, 1813-1972
- Summit County, Marriage and Divorce Records
- Union County, Divorce Proceedings and Dockets, 1820-1936
- Van Wert County Divorce Records, 1902-1925
- Warren County Divorces Index 1803-1900
- Washington County, Divorce Records, 1894-1960
- Wood County Divorce Cases, ca. 1837- ca. 1875
- Wyandot County Civil Dockets of Crawford Township, 1885-1914
Oklahoma
- Alfalfa County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1892-1955
- Alfalfa County Divorce Case Files, 1907-1950; Index to Divorces, 1907-1950
- Beaver County Divorce Packets, 1894-1928; Index 1894-1928
- Blaine County Divorce Records 1911-1928
- Bryan County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1907-1951; Index to Civil Appearance Dockets, 1907-1925
- Bryan County Divorce Records, ca. 1907-1950; Indexes, ca. 1907-1950
- Caddo County Divorce Index
- Caddo County Divorce Packets, 1901-1957
- Caddo County Index to Civil Court Cases, 1901-1969
- Canadian County Divorce Packets, 1892-1950
- Carter County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1907-1951; General Index to Civil Appearances, 1909-1951
- Cimarron County Civil Court Records, 1908-1950; General Civil Index, 1908-1954
- Cotton County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1912-1930
- Cotton County Divorce Appearance Docket, 1941-1953
- Cotton County Divorce Packets, 1912-1948
- Custer County Divorce Records, 1910-1926
- Delaware County Divorce Records, 1913-1950; General Index to Civil Cases, 1912-1986
- Dewey County Divorce Cases, 1894-1926; Index, 1894-1926
- Ellis County Divorce Records, 1902-1928; Index, 1902-1928
- Greer County District Court Minutes, 1894-1896; cross Index District Court, 1886- 1939
- Greer County Divorce Cases, 1897-1930; Indexes, 1894-1930
- Greer County Journal Records, 1898-1934
- Harmon County Divorce Records 1907-1929
- Kingfisher County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1901-1929
- Kingfisher County Divorce Packets, 1899-1928
- Latimer County Divorce Indexes 1906-1941
- Latimer County Divorce Case Files, 1905-1950; Index, 1905-1950
- Le Flore County Court Records, 1908-1929
- Major County District Court Civil Case Files, 1907-1928; District Court, Civil, General Index, 1907-1991
- Marshall County Divorce Records, 1907-1950
- Marshall County General Index to Civil Court Records, 1907-1975
- McCurtain County Divorce Records 1907-1950
- Muskogee County Divorce Record Indexes
- Muskogee County District Court Cases
- Muskogee County Index to Civil Cases, 1907-1940
- Noble County Divorce Records, 1893-1950
- Oklahoma County Civil Court Case Files including Divorce Records 1890-1925; Index to Divorce Records, 1890-1953
- Oklahoma County Superior Court Case Files, 1909-1914; Index, 1909-1914
- Oklahoma County, Divorce Index, 1923-1942
- Oklahoma County, Divorce Index, 1923-1944
- Oklahoma County, Divorces in The Oklahoman 1901-1906
- Osage County Divorce Records, 1917-2002
- Pottawatomie County Court Records 1909-1930; Indexes, 1892-1938
- Pottawatomie County Divorce District Court Records 1928-1976
- Pottawatomie County Index to Divorce Records
- Pushmataha County Divorce Records Index 1921-1927
- Roger Mills County Divorce Records 1900-1928
- Roger Mills County Index to Civil Cases
- Seminole County Civil Appearance and Divorce Dockets, 1907-1954
- Seminole County General Court Index, 1931-1983
- Texas County General Index to Civil Court Records, 1908-1959
- Washita County General Index to Probate and Divorce; Probate, 1903-1997 and Divorce,1893-1997
- Washita County Probate Packets, 1903-1928; Probate Index, 1903-1996
- Woods County Divorce Packets, 1894-1897
- Woodward County Divorce Packets, 1894-1927; General Index, 1894-1926
South Dakota
- (None yet)
Wisconsin
- Door County Divorces 1861=1886
- Fond Du Lac County, Divorce Card Index, ca. 1848-1950
- Fond du Lac Public Divorce Records, 1848-1980
- Shawano County, Marriage Index, ca. 1845-1909, 1919-1978
- Wisconsin Divorce Index, 1965-1984
For free online divorce records from other states, please visit the Divorce Records page.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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