US Vital Records Begin Dates by State

Here's a table with the US vital records begin dates for civil registrations by state. It can help you determine where to look.

Before that time, there may be other resources available for these vital records, but you have to contact each state to find out the details.

State Birth Records Marriage Records Death Records
Alabama 1908 1936 1908
Alaska 1913 1913 1913
Arizona 1909 1909 1909
Arkansas 1914 1917 1914
California 1905 1905 1905
Colorado 1907 1907 1907
Connecticut 1897 1897 1897
Delaware - note 1 1861 1847 1881
District of Columbia 1874 1811 1874
Florida 1899 1927 1899
Georgia 1919 1952 1919
Hawaii 1842 1842 1859
Idaho 1911 1947 1911
Illinois 1916 1962 1916
Indiana 1907 1958 1899
Iowa 1880 1880 1880
Kansas 1911 1913 1911
Kentucky 1911 1958 1911
Louisiana - note 2 1914 none 1914
Maine 1892 1892 1892
Maryland 1898 1950 1898
Massachusetts 1841 1841 1841
Michigan 1867 1867 1867
Minnesota 1900 1958 1908
Mississippi 1912 1926 1912
Missouri 1910 1881 1910
Montana 1907 1943 1907
Nebraska 1905 1909 1905
Nevada 1911 1968 1911
New Hampshire 1901 1901 1901
New Jersey 1848 1848 1848
New Mexico 1920 1920 1920
New York 1880 1880 1880
North Carolina 1913 1962 1913
North Dakota 1907 1925 1907
Ohio 1908 1949 1908
Oklahoma 1908 1908 1908
Oregon 1903 1906 1903
Pennsylvania 1906 1885 1906
Rhode Island 1853 1853 1853
South Carolina 1915 1950 1915
South Dakota 1905 1905 1905
Tennessee - note 3 1908 1908 1908
Texas 1903 1966 1903
Utah 1905 1887 1905
Vermont 1955 1955 1955
Virginia 1912 1912 1912
Washington 1907 1968 1907
West Virginia 1917 1964 1917
Wisconsin 1907 1907 1907
Wyoming 1909 1941 1909
Notes
1. Delaware births and deaths stopped in 1863, and began again in 1881.
2. All Louisiana birth records are kept in the parish clerk offices.
3. There are no Tennessee statewide birth or death records for 1913.

Be prepared to search beyond these dates if necessary. Just because you did not find your ancestor in this US vital records begin dates search, doesn't mean they are not out there.

Be Persistent And Hunt Wider

Return from US Vital Records Begin Dates to the general Vital Records Seach page

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Family tree pictures are invaluable if you can find them

My mother and her father about 1912 when she was 4 years old