R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Nevada
Research Outline
   

Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Business Records And Commerce
Cemeteries
Census
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Maps
Military Records
Native Races
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Periodicals
Probate Records
Taxation
Vital Records
Voting Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

PROBATE RECORDSLook this term up in the glossary.

Probate court actions before 1861 were recorded in Utah TerritoryLook this term up in the glossary. courts. Most, if not all, of the existing records from this period are now at the Nevada State Library and Archives (see the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline).

Territorial probate courtsLook this term up in the glossary. were established in 1861 but were abolished in 1864 when Nevada became a state. The existing territorial probate records are now at the Nevada State Library and Archives. The state library also has an index to the supporting documents for the 1855 to 1864 probate courts.

The district courts in each county now have jurisdiction over the estates of deceased persons. You can obtain copies of the records, such as judgment rollsLook this term up in the glossary., bondsLook this term up in the glossary., and willsLook this term up in the glossary., by contacting the clerk of the district court in each county. The Family History Library does not have copies of the probate records of Nevada.


Return to top of page


TAXATIONLook this term up in the glossary.

Tax records for Nevada begin in the 1860s. These records are especially helpful for locating miners or other citizens who didn't own land but were required to pay a poll taxLook this term up in the glossary..

Most tax records were kept by the county and can be obtained from the county treasurer or assessor. The University of Nevada Library at Reno has tax records for the territorial period. The Nevada State Library and Archives has tax records for 1890 and 1891. The state library also has the Ormsby County tax records from 1862 to 1950 and the Lander County tax records from 1862 to 1971.

The Family History Library does not have copies of Nevada tax records.


Return to top of page


VITAL RECORDSLook this term up in the glossary.


BirthLook this term up in the glossary. and DeathLook this term up in the glossary. Records

Statewide registration of vital statistics began in 1911. The Family History Library does not have copies of the state records. You can obtain birth and death certificates by writing to:

Nevada Office of Vital Statistics
505 East King Street
Room 102
Carson City, NV 89710
Telephone: 702-687-4481
Fax: 702-687-5161
State your relationship to the individual and the reason you want the information. The records are restricted to immediate family members.

The current fees for obtaining copies of the state's records are listed in Where to Write for Vital Records: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces (Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, August 1987). Copies of this booklet are at the Family History Library and many Family History Centers.

For records prior to 1911 contact the county recorder's office, or in some counties, the county health department. Some county records begin as early as 1887.

The Nevada State Library and Archives has a partial list of birth records in Washoe County for 1887 to 1911 and Lander County birth and death records for 1887 to 1910.


Marriage RecordsLook this term up in the glossary.

Statewide registration of marriages and divorces began in 1968; however, many Nevada counties began keeping records at an earlier date. To obtain a marriage or a divorce record, write to the county recorder of the county where the event took place. Nevada marriage records are open to the public.

The Nevada State Library and Archives has marriage licenses for Washoe County for 1862 to 1872.


Divorce RecordsLook this term up in the glossary.

Divorce cases were handled by the probate courts until 1864 and by the district courts after that date. The Nevada State Library and Archives has the early probate court records.

To obtain a record of a divorce since 1864, write to the clerk of the district court in the county. The documents are open to the public.

Return to top of page

Previous Document   Next Document

©1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
[FamilySearchTM: Research Guidance
Version of Data: 6/9/2001]