Kentucky Vital Records

United States   Kentucky    Vital Records

Introduction to Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Kentucky Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Kentucky Statewide Indexes and Collections at the Family History Library.

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Vital Records Reference Dates
Kentucky's civil records start the following years:


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Kentucky Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online
The following is a list of online resources useful for locating Kentucky Vital Records which consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. Most online resources for Kentucky Vital Records are indexes. After locating a person in an index always consult the original record to confirm the information in the index.


 * Kentucky Links from fhlfavorites.info - Free
 * Kentucky Databases listed on Rootsweb.com - Free
 * USGenWeb.org Kentucky Site - Free
 * Search for Kentucky Collections on FamilySearch Record Search under Canada, USA, and Mexico - Free
 * The Vital Records Search and Information Directory for Kentucky - Free/$
 * Wee Monster Links for Kentucky Birth &amp; Marriage and Death Records - Free/$
 * Linkpendium Links for Kentucky Genealogy and History, including individual Counties - Free/$
 * Progenealogists Links for the United States. Press Ctrl + F on the keyboard to search for Kentucky or IA - Free/$
 * Search the Kentucky Birth, Marriage &amp; Death Records at Ancestry.com - $
 * Order Kentucky Certificates online - $
 * The Kentucky Department of Public Health has copies of marriage records from July 1880. They have an index to records after 1916.

Birth Records
Birth and Death Records Prior to 1852

No births or deaths were recorded by civil authorities before 1852. You may find some information on pre-1852 births and deaths in genealogies, histories, church and Bible records, and collections of personal papers.

There are many collections, books, etc. that have been created to fill this gap in the civil records. One such book is "Kentucky Obituaries 1787-1854"

Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1852–1910

Kentucky law required counties to record births, marriages, and deaths as early as 1852. Unfortunately, this law was repealed in 1862. Registration was again attempted from 1874 to 1879 and sporadically from 1892 to 1910. Although compliance with the early registration laws was inconsistent, the existing records are a good resource for genealogists.

The Department for Libraries and Archives has the records for 1852 to 1910. The Family History Library, Kentucky Historical Society, Filson Club, and other Kentucky repositories have copies of many of these records. Some of these have been extracted, and the names appear on the FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index. Records at the Family History Library include:


 * Kentucky Vital Records: 1852–1914. The records are arranged alphabetically by county.


 * Kentucky Vital Records. This includes Kentucky Births 1874-1878, 1907–1910; Marriages 1874–1878, 1906–1914; Deaths 1874–1876, 1905–1910.

The Kentucky Historical Society has an incomplete index to the 1852 to 1862 records. For an index to deaths occurring during the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census years, see:


 * Index, Kentucky Mortality Records, for the Year ending June, 1850, 1860, 1870. These records are arranged by year and list the name of the deceased and the page number in the original records.

Ancestry.com a subscription web site has Kentucky Birth, Marriage and Death Records 1852-1910 indexed with images available online.

Birth and Death Records, 1911–Present

Beginning 1 January 1911, Kentucky again required the registration of births and deaths. Registration was generally complied with by 1917. The Family History Library has birth and death indexes and death records covering this period:


 * Birth Index, 1911–1995 The index lists the child’s name, birth date and county, and mother’s maiden name.

The University of Kentucky provides indexes to selected Kentucky vital records from data acquired from Kentucky's state Office of Vital Statistics (for noncommercial use only). These include Kentucky Death Index for 1911-1986 and 1987-1992.

For copies of records kept since 1911, write to:

Cabinet For Health Services Office of Vital Statistics Department for Health Services 275 East Main Street Frankfort, KY 40621-0001 Telephone: 1-502-564-4212 Fax: 1-502-227-0032 Internet: Kentucky Vital Statistics

State your relationship to the individual and the reason you want the information.

Application forms and instructions for birth, death, and marriage certificates can be acquired from the Office of Vital Statistics’ web page, listed above.

Kentucky death certificates are also on microfilm at the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives, beginning with 1911. Another resource for researching Kentucky birth and death indexes from 1911 to 1988 can be found at the Kentucky Room of the Lexington Central Public Library, the Louisville Free Public Library, the Kenton County Public Library, and many other libraries across Kentucky. See the "Archives and Libraries" section of this outline for their addresses. The Kentucky Room contains 130 bound volumes of birth and death indexes for 1911 to 1969 that were created by the Office of Vital Statistics. Microfiche is available for 1911 to 1988 (only to 1986 for deaths). The births are indexed by name of the child and name of the mother.

You can also search indexes to selected Kentucky vital records through the University of Kentucky’s web page:


 * Kentucky Vital Records Index. This contains indexes to selected vital records including: Death Index for 1911–1986, Death Index for 1987–1992, Marriage Index for 1973–1993, and Divorce Index for 1973–1993.

Ancestry.com a subscription website has Kentucky Birth, Marriage, and Death Records 1911-1953 indexed with images.

Birth and Death Records Kept by Cities before 1911

Before 1911, several major cities kept separate records of births and deaths. The most complete collection of pre-1911 city births is at the Office of Vital Statistics. It has records for the following cities. Records for Louisville and Newport are also at the Family History Library.

The Department of Archives and Libraries and the Kentucky Historical Society have copies of some of these city records. The Lexington Public Library also has copies of the Lexington records. The Filson Club and the Family History Library have copies of the Louisville and Newport records.


 * Registrar. Births and Index, 1898–1910; Deaths and Index, 1866–1910.

Marriage Records
County marriage records are the earliest and most complete vital records for Kentucky. The records that have survived usually begin within a few years of each county’s organization. Lincoln, Fayette, and Jefferson Counties have marriage records dating from the 1780s.

Marriage records from the earliest dates to the present are kept by the county clerk for each county. Since 1958, duplicates have been sent to the Office of Vital Statistics.

The most complete collection of early marriage record is in the Department of Libraries and Archives. Major archives such as the University of Kentucky Library have microfilm copies of marriage records for many Kentucky counties. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of most of the existing county marriage records from the beginning dates to about 1925. Many of these have been extracted and appear on the International Genealogical Index (IGI).

Many published marriage records that are available include:


 * Kentucky Records: Early Wills and Marriages Copied from Court House Records by Regents, Historians and the State Historian, Old Bible Records and Tombstone Inscriptions, Records from Barren, Bath, Bourbon, Clark, Daviess, Fayette, Harrison, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Mason, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Scott, and Shelby Counties. 1926, 1932. An index is included with this record.


 * Kentucky Marriages, 1797–1865. This record includes marriage notices from Lexington newspapers reprinted in The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society.


 * Kentucky Marriage Records. An index is included with this record.


 * Kentucky Marriages, Early to 1800: A Research Tool. The names are arranged in alphabetical order.


 * Marriage Records. This does not circulate to Family History Centers. It contains marriage records for many Kentucky counties from the late 1700s to the early 1900s as well as marriage records from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee. Dates vary with the county. It is also indexed in FamilyFinder Index and Viewer (see the "Census" section of this outline).


 * Kentucky, 1851–1900. This does not circulate to Family History Centers. These are images of the original records. It contains approximately 318,000 names. It is also indexed in FamilyFinder Index and Viewer (see the "Census" page).

Beginning in 1958, Kentucky again required statewide registration of marriages. These records have been indexed and are found at the Office of Vital Statistics. The Family History Library does not have copies of these records. They do, however, have an statewide index to marriages covering 1973 to 1995 in Kentucky.


 * Marriage Indexes, 1973–1995. This record has separate bride and groom indexes.

Many eloping couples went to Maysville, Mason County and Pike County, Kentucky to be married avoiding the waiting period between the time of issuing a license and the performance of the marriage.

Death Records

 * Kentucky Death Index, 1911–1995. The index contains the deceased’s name, death date and place, age, and place of residence as well as the volume and certificate number.


 * Kentucky Death Certificates, 1911–1947. The death certificates are arranged by year, by month, and then alphabetically by county. The certificate numbers are continuous for each year.

Adoption Records
open / closed/ state statues

Tips

 * Information listed on vital records is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of the record.  The closer the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) and whether or not the informant was present at the time of the event can help determine the accuracy of the information found on the record.
 * If you are unable to locate vital records recorded by govenrments, search for church records of christening, marraige, death or burial, A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages and deaths.
 * Records for African American may be recoreded in separate files with separate indexes.
 * Privacy laws may restrict your access to some vital records. Copies of some vital records recorded in the last 100 years may be unavailable to anyone except a direct relative.
 * Search for Vital Records in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search and then choosing Vital Records. Search for Kentucky to locate records filed by the State and then search the name of the county to locate records kept by the county.

Research Guides
You can learn more about Kentucky vital records in:


 * A Guide to Kentucky Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1852–1910 This book shows the birth, marriage, and death records available for each county and the years they were recorded.

See United States Vital Records for more detailed information on the value and content of vital records. For divorce records, see the "Divorce Records" section.

To find vital records, consult the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:


 * KENTUCKY- VITAL RECORDS
 * KENTUCKY, [COUNTY]- VITAL RECORDS
 * KENTUCKY, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- VITAL RECORDS

Lost or Missing Records
Counties with record loss:

Ballard (1880)

Substitute Records
These links will take you to wiki pages describing alternate sources for birth, marriage and death records.


 * Church Records: Depending on the denomination, church records may contain information about birth, marriage and death.


 * Cemetery Records: Cemetery records are a rich source of birth and death information. These records may also reveal family relationships.


 * Census Records: Census records are a valuable source for birth and marriage information. You may also determine approximate time of death when the individual disappear from the census. This is a good place to begin a search.


 * Newspapers: Besides obituaries, local newspapers may contain birth and marriage announcements and death notices. Also check newspaper social columns for additional information.


 * Periodicals: Local genealogical and historical societies often publish periodicals which may contain abstracted early birth, marriage and death information.


 * Military Records: Military pension records can give birth, marriage and death information,  In addtion, soldiers' homes records can included this same information.


 * Probate Records: If no death record exists, probate records may be helpful in estimating when an individual has died. Probate records in the 20th Century often contain the exact death date.


 * History: Local histories, family histories and biographies can all be sources of birth, marriage and death information. Often this information is found in county-level records or in surname searches of the Family History Library catalog.