One of the main goals for genealogists is finding marriage information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists, a great number of indexes to marriage collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific marriage license, bond, and certificate information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual marriage documents themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include marriage information that are not included in the lists below. These different types can be found in 22 Ways to Find Ancestors Marriage Information.
The lists below are specific marriage indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state of California.
Note 1: Many of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. In many cases there is a link to the digital collection in the middle of the page, but also 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. Please also note that I have listed below only databases that are accessible digitally from your computer (or tablet/phone)
Note 2: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription, you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated May 2021; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Alpine County, Marriages
- Antioch Ledger Newspaper Vital Records, 2 Apr 1870-17, Mar 1877
- Butte County, Marriage Indexes
- Butte County Marriage Index, 1949-1959
- Butte County Vital Records 1854-1897
- Butte County, Coroners Inquests, 1851-1963
- Butte County, Marriage Index, ca. 1853-1950
- Butte County, Marriages
- Calaveras County, Newspaper File Index, 1860-1950
- California County Marriages, 1843-1918
- California Marriage Index, 1960-1985
- California Marriages, 1850-1945
- California State Library, Vital Statistics Index ca. 1800’s-1920
- California, County Marriages, 1850-1952
- California, Indexes for Brides and Grooms, 1949-1959
- El Dorado County Marriage Indexes
- El Dorado County, Births, 1902-1982, Marriages, 1859-1932, Deaths, 1909-1928; and Indexes, 1904-1987
- El Dorado County, Marriages
- Fresno County Marriage Records (, California), 1856-1920; Indexes, 1856-1919
- Humboldt County Church Marriage Indexes
- Kern County Marriage Records
- Lake County Newspaper Marriage Index
- Lompoc Vital Records 1915-1919
- Los Angeles County Index to Marriages 1951-1957 and Marriage Records 1951-1958
- Los Angeles County Marriage Records, 1871-1950 ; Indexes, 1856-1950
- Los Angeles Daily Times Births, Marriages and Deaths 1881-1886
- Madera County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Marin County Marriages
- Mariposa County Births, Marriages, and Transcribed Obituaries
- Mendocino County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Mendocino County Index Marriages 1861-1924
- Mendocino County Marriage Records, 1859-1924
- Merced County Early Marriages, 1855-1905
- Merced County Vital Records Indexes
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Monterey County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Nevada County Marriages
- Nevada County, Marriage Records, 1895-1950 ; Indexes, 1856-1958
- Oakland Births, Marriages, Deaths and Obituary Clippings 1985-2011
- Oakland Family History Center Newspaper Record Collection, 1980-2011
- Orange County Miscellaneous Newspaper Birth, Marriage, and Death Announcements
- Placer County, Marriages
- Placer County, St. Josephs Catholic Church Marriages and Death Index
- Placer, Shasta and Yuba Counties Early California Wills and Vital Statistics 1849-1900
- Sacramento County, Marriages
- San Andreas, Groom and Bride Index 1854-1905; Marriage, Death and Birth Indexes 1856-1994
- San Bernardino County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Diego County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Diego County, Earliest Marriage Papers, 1850-1866
- San Francisco Call Index
- San Francisco County Marriage Records, 1904-1975
- San Francisco County Records, 1824-1997
- San Francisco Vital Indexes and Records
- San Francisco Vital Records from the Daily Alta California Newspaper 1854
- San Francisco Vital Records from the Daily Evening Bulletin Newspaper 1856, 1857
- San Francisco Vital Records Indexes
- San Joaquin County, Certificates of Marriages, 1905-1915; Indexes, 1850-1949
- San Luis Obispo County Birth. Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Luis Obispo County Marriage Records 1850-1913
- San Mateo County Birth, Death, and Marriages Indexes, 1853-1948
- San Mateo County Records, 1851-1991
- San Mateo County, Marriage Records, 1927-1943
- San Mateo Times Gazette Vital Records Index : 1859-1899
- Santa Barbara County Marriage Index
- Santa Barbara County Marriages
- Santa Barbara County Marriages 1850 to 1910
- Santa Barbara County, Marriage Records of Thomas Poole Justice of the Peace 1928 to 1935
- Santa Clara County Early Vitals Indexes
- Santa Clara County Marriage Licenses Card Index, ca. 1846-1946
- Santa Cruz County, Marriages from Early Newspapers
- Shasta County, Marriages
- Solano County, Marriages
- Sonoma County, Marriages
- Stanislaus County Courthouse Records, Marriages, 1854-1906 and Wills, 1872-1908
- Stanislaus County Marriages
- Stockton Vital Records from Newspapers, 1850-1852
- Trinity County Marriage Indexes
- Tulare County Marriages
- Tulare County Vital Records Indexes
- United States Marriages, 1733-1990
- United States, Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
- Ventura County Marriage and Death Indexes
- Ventura County Marriage Indexes
- Western States Historical Marriage Records Index
- Yolo County, Marriages
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free California Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
