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Pennsylvania Vital Records


Pennsylvania Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death records, also known as vital records, provide details about important events in your ancestors life. They can include information like the event date and place, parents’ names, occupation and residence. The cause of death is also included in most Pennsylvania death records. Pennsylvania vital records are a cornerstone of Pennsylvania family history research because they were typically recorded at or near the time of the event, making the record more likely to be accurate. This page includes links that can help you request copies from Pennsylvania state and county vital records keepers. Like in most other states, marriage records in Pennsylvania are created at the county level.

There were no Pennsylvania birth “certificates” before 1908. Most counties just registered births in ledgers. Some county court houses may have kept some records, but the best source is the Department of Archives and History, Most of their information comes from census records.

How to Order Pennsylvania Birth , Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

Pennsylvania Vital Records office files, stores, and issues certified copies of vital records including birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates for events that occurred in Pennsylvania.

  • Physical Address: Vital Records, State Department of Health,
    101 South Mercer Street
    New Castle, PA 16101
  • Mailing Address:Vital Records, State Department of Health,
    P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16101
  • Website Address:  www.portal.state.pa.us/
  • Birth & Death Records: since Jan 1906 (records before 1906 ahould be in Register of Wills, Orphans Court, office in county seat of county where event occurred)
  • Marriage Records:  The records are not available from the State office, they should be available from the Marriage License Clerks, County Court House in county where license was issued. Marriage licenses were not required in colonial Pennsylvania. Since 1885 the clerk of the orphans’ court in each county has had the responsibility of recording marriages. Films of some of these records are at the state archives and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
  • Divorce Records:  The records are not available from the State office, they should be available Prothonotary Court House in county seat of county where divorce was granted.
  • Ordering Vital Records Online - get the certificates within 2-5 days with a credit or debit card from USAVital.com or VitalChek.com
  • Ordering Vital Records by Mail: You can download an application online for Pennsylvania  Birth Certificate, Death Certificate Applications
  • Pennsylvania Vital Records Description - from Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
  • Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985  (search.ancestry.com)
  • Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. I  (search.ancestry.com)
  • Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. II  (search.ancestry.com)
  • Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. III  (search.ancestry.com)
Birth, Marriage & Death – Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

Links For Pennsylvania Birth Records

Links For Pennsylvania Marriage Records and Divorce Records

Links For Pennsylvania Death Records

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