Divorce records from all over the U.S are sometimes difficult to find online. They are another hidden gem of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
What can you find in these records? Obviously the dates and location of the divorce proceeding, the date and location of the marriage, the woman’s maiden name, names of minor children, and the reason for the divorce. The reason can not only provide another part of your ancestor’s story, but also may lead to more clues, especially in the case of desertion, where you may be able to find the location that the “deserting” party moved to.
WARNING: Some of the information in the Divorce Petitions may be difficult to read. There may be shocking claims, especially related to your ancestors’ physical and emotional cruelty, or other behavior. Be prepared.
In most cases, I did not include the links to County Courts, where most divorce records are now processed and the documents held. But these divorce documents for most states are partially held in either state archives or county clerk records. So you may wish to avail yourself of these county clerk an court archives, especially those that can be searched online.
Note: Please be aware that if you find a desired divorce record in an index, that the holder of the actual materials (e.g., archive, county court, etc.) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the material itself.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. 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.
Below, listed by state are links to divorce records and indexes available for free online.
(Updated March, 2021; recently added links are in BOLD)
Illinois
- Adams County Chancery Case Files, 1827-1854
- Adams County Chancery Records, 1837-1935
- Adams County Divorce Case Files, 1851-1922
- Adams County Divorce Case Files,, ca. 1846-1922
- DeWitt County Miscellaneous Divorces
- Effingham County, Divorces, 1858-1873
- Galena Newspapers, Divorce Articles, 1846-1850
- Jasper County Divorce Index, pre-1892
- Jefferson County Divorce Records Index 1835-1894
- Johnson County Circuit Court Record, 1829-1835
- Lee County, Miscellaneous Divorces
- Macon County Divorce and Marriage Records as reported in the Decatur Review
- Macon County Miscellaneous Divorce Records Index
- Madison County Divorces, 1919-1922
- Massac County, Order Book, A, 1843-1849
- Richland County. Miscellaneous Divorces, 1887-1915
- Saline County Divorce Record, vol. A, 1897-1912
- Saline County Early Court Records, Divorce abstracts
- Saline County Order book, vol. A, 1848-1858
- Union County Divorces, 1828-1879
- Union County Divorces, 1880-1899
- Union County Order book, 1818-1848
- Union County, Divorce Index, 1818-1918
- Washington County, Divorce Records 1819-1861
- Wayne County, Miscellaneous Divorces
Indiana
- Allen County Divorces (1820s-1920s)
- Allen County, Civil and Criminal Case Files, 1820-1940
- Boone County Divorces 1830-1879
- Boone County Divorces, 1830-1879
- DeKalb County Divorce Index 1856-1902
- DeKalb County Divorce Records Index 1904-1909
- DeKalb County Divorce Records Index 1908-1909
- DeKalb County Divorce Records Index 1909-1910
- Evansville Courier and Press Divorces Database 2007-
- Floyd County, Miscellaneous Divorces
- Fountain County, Miscellaneous Divorces
- Hamilton County, Miscellaneous Divorces, 1870’s
- Harrison County, Newspaper clippings collection : obituaries, divorce announcements, 1845-2005
- Hendricks County Divorce cases 1824-1989
- Hendricks County Divorce cases 1912-1992
- Hendricks County Divorce Records and Indexes
- Hendricks County, Divorces (1891-1960)
- Hendricks County, Divorces, 1953-1975
- Howard County Indiana Divorce Newspaper Announcements Index
- Indiana Divorce Index 1819-1870
- Indiana State Library VINE – Divorce Records Index
- Kosciusko County Divorce Indexes 1908-1933
- Lebanon Patriot & Weekly Patriot, Index of Divorces, 1870
- Logansport Abstracts from the Logansport Weekly Journal, 1849-1870
- Montgomery County Divorce Indexes
- Porter County, Divorce Records Index 1914-1963
- Porter County, Divorces, 1855-1899
- Putnam County, Miscellaneous Divorces
- Saint Joseph County Divorce Records Index 1832-1997
- Vanderburgh County, Miscellaneous Divorces
- Vigo County, Divorces & Misc Court Records, 1819-1937
Iowa
- Adair County, Divorce Cards, 1917-1919
- Benton County Divorce Index 1906-1925
- Benton County, Divorce Records, 1906-1925
- Carroll County Decree of Divorces and attachments, 1891-1908
- Cedar County Divorce Record Indexes
- Clayton County Divorce Index 1906-1914
- Clayton County Divorce Index 1914-1920
- Des Moines County Chancery Record, v. A-C, 1839-1855
- Des Moines County Divorce Records, 1835-1950
- Fayette County Records of Divorce, 1906-1980
- Grundy County Divorce Records Index 1904-1946
- Hancock County Divorce Record Index (1901-1986)
- Henry County Record of Divorces, 1907-1992
- Ida County Newspaper Index (Divorce references)
- Iowa County Miscellaneous Records, 1877-1932
- Iowa State Divorce Records, 1906-1937
- Iowa, Divorce Records, 1938-1952
- Jackson County Divorces
- Jackson County Divorce Records, 1848-1865; Index, 1906-1984
- Johnson County Divorce Records, 1851-1953
- Johnson County Probate Records, 1851-1914
- Madison County Divorce Indexes
- Madison County, Divorce Records, 1855-1938
- Muscatine County Divorce Records, 1907-1950
- Muscatine County, Divorce Applications Index 1840-1907
- Page County Divorce Indexes 1900-1921
- Plymouth County Divorces
- Pocahontas County Record of Divorces, 1907-2001
- Polk County Probate Records (includes divorces), 1852-1967
- Pottawattamie County Divorces
- Pottawattamie County Divorce Records, 1906-1956
- Ringgold County Divorce Records, 1893-1911
- Story County Divorce Index 1854-1924
- Vinton Eagle Divorce Notices 1855 – 1880
- Wapello County Divorces, 1906-1951
- Wayne County Divorce Records, 1907-2012
- Webster County Divorces, 1856-1924
Kansas
- Atchison County Civil Appearance Dockets 1861-1919 ; Court Journals 1886-1918; Case Files (Divorce only) 1859-1917
- Barber County, Divorces
- Bourbon County, Divorces
- Cherokee County, Divorces
- Coffey County, Divorce Packets, 1861-1917
- Crawford County Divorce Cases, 1867-1917 ; Indexes 1867-1985
- Douglas County District Court Journals, 1863-1920
- Douglas County, Divorce Packets, 1864-1917
- Elk County Divorce Files, var. 1875-1917
- Franklin County Divorce Index, 1858-1917
- Franklin County Divorce Case Packets, 1860-1917
- Geary County Court Records, 1861-1921
- Greenwood County Divorce Case Files, 1857-1914
- Harvey County Divorces, 1877- 1917; Index to Divorces 1877-1917
- Jackson County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1858-1919; Divorce Case Files, 1859-1917
- Jackson County District Court Journals, 1861-1919
- Jefferson County Court Records, 1858-1982
- Jefferson County, Divorces
- Johnson County, Divorce Packets, 1860-1917
- Leavenworth Court Records, 1855-1918
- Marshall County Civil Court Case Files (only Divorces), 1863-1917
- McPherson County Divorces Index 1871 – 1917
- McPherson County Divorce Case Files, 1871-1917
- Miami County Divorce Announcements
- Miami County Civil and Domestic Case Packets, 1857-1917
- Nemaha County Divorce Case Files, ca. 1857-1917
- Norton County, Civil Case Files, 1886-1941
- Norton County, Probate Case Files, 1877-1935
- Osage County Divorce Case Packets, 1861-1917
- Pottawatomie County Civil Case Files (only Divorces), 1862-1882
- Reno County Miscellaneous Divorces
- Reno County, Divorces
- Riley County Divorce Case Files, 1859-1917
- Rush County Divorce Records,1877-1915
- Saline County Divorce Records, 1866-1916
- Sedgwick County Divorces Index 1871 – February 1888
- Sedgwick County Divorce Records, 1871-1917
- Wabaunsee County Court and Divorce Records, ca. 1857-1923 ; Index, 1876-1927
Michigan
- Allegan County, Divorces
- Allegan County, Chancery Records, 1934-1949
- Allegan County, Chancery Records, ca. 1847-1937
- Alpena County Divorce proceedings, 1897-1927
- Barry County, Divorces
- Berrien County Divorce Index
- Berrien County, Divorces
- Calhoun County Chancery Dockets, 1915-1951
- Calhoun County Chancery Files, 1847-1951
- Calhoun County, Divorces
- Cass County Divorce index
- Cass County Divorce Records, 1848-1931
- Cass County Divorce Records, 1897-1956
- Cass County, Divorces
- Cass County, Divorces
- Chippewa County, Chippewa County, Chancery Case Files, 1840-1882
- Flint Genealogical Society Vital Record Indexes (1867 – 1930)
- Hillsdale County Chancery calendars, 1847-1930; chancery Index, ca. 1840-1930
- Hillsdale County Divorce Records, 1872-1944
- Ingham County, Chancery Calendar, 1847-1949 ; Index 1850-1902
- Ingham County, Divorce Proceedings, 1926-1950
- Ionia County Divorce Index
- Ionia County, Divorce Index
- Ionia County, Divorces
- Kalamazoo County, Chancery Docket, ca. 1847-1932 ; Files, ca. 1847-1939 ; Index, ca. 1831-1944
- Lenawee County, Divorces, 1898
- Macomb County Chancery Case Files (Divorces), 1833-1855
- Montcalm County Divorce Records Indexes 1851-19015
- Montcalm County, Divorces
- Ottawa County Divorce Records Index, 1850-1881
- St. Joseph County Chancery Records, 1879-1942
- St. Joseph County Divorce Records, 1869-1874
- Van Buren County Chancery Records, ca. 1848-1939
- Wayne County, Divorces
Minnesota
- Hennepin County, Divorces
- Houston County, Divorces
- Minnesota Divorce Index, 1970-1995
- Olmsted County, Rochester Public Library Personals Index
- Ramsey County, Divorces
- St. Louis County Miscellaneous Divorce Newspaper Abstracts
- St. Louis County, Divorces
Missouri
- Christian County, Missouri, Circuit Court Records No. 1
- Cole County Circuit Court Case Files, 1820-1927
- Cole County, Circuit Court Case Files, 1823-1866
- Cole County, Circuit Court Case Files, 1867-1899
- Cole County, Circuit Court Case Files, 1900-1922
- Cole County, Circuit Court Case Files, 1923-1927
- Daviess County Index to Divorces 1842-1896
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1837 – 1899
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1900 – 1910
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1911 – 1920
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1921 – 1928
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1929 – 1935
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1942 – 1946
- Greene County Index to Divorce Records 1947 – 1950
- Livingston County Court Records, 1837-1886
- Madison County Divorce Records, 1821-1887
- Madison County, Chancery Court Records, 1825-
- Missouri Court Case File Search
- Missouri, Divorces and Separations, 1808-1853
- Morgan County Circuit Court Record Book, 1833-1867
- Pike County Circuit Court Record, 1819-1886
- St. Charles County Record Books, 1808-1887
- St. Louis, Divorces Reported in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat – Index
- Stoddard County Divorce Index 1836-1912
- Warren County Court Records, 1833-1886
Nebraska
North Dakota
- Cass County Divorce and Civil Cases Index
- Cass County, North Dakota, U.S., Divorce Index, 1878-1943
- Fort Totten Agency, Agency Records, 1881-1941
Ohio
- Allen County Divorces 1876-1910
- Allen County, Divorce Petitions and Decrees
- Allen County, Miscellaneous Divorce Announcements
- Athens County Divorce Records, 1918-1953
- Belmont County, Divorce Records, 1909-1923
- Cuyahoga County Divorce Records, 1876-1882
- Cuyahoga County Special Files, 1878-1922
- Cuyahoga County, Probate and Divorce Records, and case file index, 1896-1967
- Erie County Common Pleas Journal, 1854-1901
- Erie County Court Records, 1838-1854; General Index, 1840-1887
- Gallia County, Certified abstract of divorce annulment of marriage, 1949-1952 and certified abstract of marriages
- Geauga County Supreme Court Divorces 1806-1840
- Greene County Divorce index
- Jackson County, Divorce Records 1917-1923
- Knox County Divorce Record, 1906-1951
- Lake County Divorce Indexes
- Lake County Painesville Telegraph Index to Divorces
- Lake County, Court Cases, 1830-1870
- Lake County, Index to Divorces in the Willoughby Independent, 1879-1884
- Lake County, Index to Divorces in the Willoughby Independent, 1885-1888
- Lake County, Ohio Divorce Proceedings
- Loudonville, Ashland County, Newspaper Genealogical abstracts, March 20, 1873 to Sept. 1, 1892
- Lucas County Marriage Records, 1835-1985 ; Marriage Index, 1835-1941
- Morrow County Morrow County, Marriage Records, 1951-2017
- Muskingum County, Divorce Records, 1900-1999
- Muskingum County, Miscellaneous Court Records, 1800-2000
- Noble County, Divorce Files, ca. 1852-1938
- Painesville Telegraph Divorce Index 1862-1870
- Pickaway County Divorce Record, 1907-1946
- Richland County Divorce Records
- Richland County, Divorces, and real estate Cases, 1813-1972
- Summit County, Marriage and Divorce Records
- Union County, Divorce Case Files, 1936-1990
- Union County, Divorce Proceedings and Dockets, 1820-1936
- Van Wert County Divorce Records, 1902-1925
- Washington County, Divorce Records, 1894-1960
- Wood County Divorce Cases, ca. 1837- ca. 1875
- Wyandot County Civil Dockets of Crawford Township, 1885-1914
Oklahoma
- Alfalfa County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1892-1955
- Alfalfa County Divorce Case Files, 1907-1950; Index to Divorces, 1907-1950
- Atoka County, Civil appearance dockets, 1907-1952 ; Court journals, 1907-1935 ; Indexes to District Court Records, 1907-1967
- Atoka County, Divorce Case Files, 1901-1950 ; Divorce Case File Index, 1907-1950
- Beaver County Divorce Packets, 1894-1928; Index 1894-1928
- Beckham County, Divorce Records, 1907-1928; General Index, 1907-1965
- Blaine County Divorce Records 1911-1928
- Bryan County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1907-1951; Index to Civil Appearance Dockets, 1907-1925
- Bryan County Divorce Records, ca. 1907-1950; Indexes, ca. 1907-1950
- Bryan County, Chancery Court Records, Oct 1902 – Nov 1907
- Caddo County Divorce Index
- Caddo County Divorce Packets, 1901-1957
- Caddo County Index to Civil Court Cases, 1901-1969
- Canadian County Divorce Packets, 1892-1950
- Carter County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1907-1951; General Index to Civil Appearances, 1909-1951
- Carter County, Divorce Case Files, 1907-1950
- Choctaw County, Divorces Records, 1908-1928
- Cimarron County Civil Court Records, 1908-1950; General Civil Index, 1908-1954
- Cleveland County, Civil appearance Divorce Dockets, 1935-1952
- Cleveland County, Divorce Case Files, 1890-1950; Divorce Indexes, 1890-1950
- Comanche County, Divorce Index, 1901-1928
- Comanche County, Divorce Packets, 1901-1950
- Cotton County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1912-1930
- Cotton County Divorce Appearance Docket, 1941-1953
- Cotton County Divorce Packets, 1912-1948
- Craig County, Divorce Records, 1927-1957
- Custer County Divorce Records, 1910-1926
- Custer County, Divorce Records, 1893-1930, Index 1893-1930
- Delaware County Divorce Records, 1913-1950; General Index to Civil Cases, 1912-1986
- Dewey County Divorce Cases, 1894-1926; Index, 1894-1926
- Ellis County Divorce Records, 1902-1928; Index, 1902-1928
- Garvin County, Divorce Record, 1900
- Greer County District Court Minutes, 1894-1896; cross Index District Court, 1886- 1939
- Greer County Divorce Cases, 1897-1930; Indexes, 1894-1930
- Greer County Journal Records, 1898-1934
- Harmon County Divorce Records 1907-1929
- Harper County, Divorce Records, 1907-1928; Index, 1907-1990
- Hughes County, Divorce Packets, 1907-1950, General Index to Divorces, 1907-2002
- Indian Territory, Central District, United States District Court Records, Indian Territory, 1895-1907
- Jackson County, Divorce Packets, 1907-1931
- Kay County, Divorce Records, 1894-1990; Divorce Index, 1947-1996
- Kingfisher County Civil Appearance Dockets, 1901-1929
- Kingfisher County Divorce Packets, 1899-1928
- Latimer County Divorce Indexes 1906-1941
- Latimer County Divorce Case Files, 1905-1950; Index, 1905-1950
- Le Flore County Court Records, 1908-1929
- Lincoln County, Divorce Records, 1892-1960
- Major County District Court Civil Case Files, 1907-1928; District Court, Civil, General Index, 1907-1991
- Major County, Civil Cases, 1915-1928
- Marshall County Divorce Records, 1907-1950
- Marshall County General Index to Civil Court Records, 1907-1975
- McClain County, Divorce Records, 1898-1951
- McCurtain County Divorce Records 1907-1950
- Muskogee County Divorce Record Indexes
- Muskogee County District Court Cases
- Muskogee County Index to Civil Cases, 1907-1940
- Muskogee County, Divorce Case Files, 1907-1930
- Muskogee County, General Index to Superior Court, 1908-1938
- Muskogee County, Superior Court Cases
- Noble County Divorce Records, 1893-1950
- Nowata County, Divorce Packets, 1905-1929
- Oklahoma County Civil Court Case Files including Divorce Records 1890-1925; Index to Divorce Records, 1890-1953
- Oklahoma County Superior Court Case Files, 1909-1914; Index, 1909-1914
- Oklahoma County, Divorce Index, 1923-1942
- Oklahoma County, Divorce Index, 1923-1944
- Oklahoma County, Divorces in The Oklahoman 1901-1906
- Osage County Divorce Records, 1917-2002
- Ottawa County, Divorces
- Ottawa County, Divorces, 1900-1956
- Ottawa County, Divorce Packets, Index, 1907-1941
- Pawnee Agency, Tonkawa Tribe Records, 1895-1952
- Pittsburg County, Divorce Index, 1890-1959
- Pittsburg County, Divorce Records, 1909-1915; Index, 1907-1919
- Pottawatomie County Court Records 1909-1930; Indexes, 1892-1938
- Pottawatomie County Divorce District Court Records 1928-1976
- Pottawatomie County, Divorce Records, 1892-1928
- Pottawatomie County, Miscellaneous Records, 1892-1923
- Pottawatomie County Index to Divorce Records
- Pushmataha County Divorce Records Index 1921-1927
- Pushmataha County, Divorce Records, 1917-1921
- Roger Mills County Divorce Records 1900-1928
- Roger Mills County Index to Civil Cases
- Seminole County Civil Appearance and Divorce Dockets, 1907-1954
- Seminole County General Court Index, 1931-1983
- Seminole County, Civil appearance and Divorce dockets, 1945-1954
- Seminole County, Common Court Record, 1907
- Seminole County, Divorce Case Files, 1904-1950; Divorce Indexes, 1909-1950
- Texas County General Index to Civil Court Records, 1908-1959
- Texas County, Divorce Records, 1907-1950
- Tillman County, Divorce Records, 1907-1950; Index to Divorces, 1907-1997
- Tulsa County, Divorce Records, 1926-1950
- Washita County General Index to Probate and Divorce; Probate, 1903-1997 and Divorce,1893-1997
- Washita County Probate Packets, 1903-1928; Probate Index, 1903-1996
- Washita County, Divorce Case Files, 1892-1950
- Woods County Divorce Packets, 1894-1897
- Woodward County Divorce Packets, 1894-1927; General Index, 1894-1926
South Dakota
Wisconsin
- Door County Divorces 1861-1886
- Eau Claire County, Index to Divorce Case Files, 1860-1976
- Fond Du Lac County, Divorce Card Index, ca. 1848-1950
- Fond du Lac Public Library Divorce Records, 1848-1980
- Great Lakes, Indian Census Rolls (includes divorces), 1936-1940
- Shawano County, Marriage Index, ca. 1845-1909, 1919-1978
- Wisconsin Divorce Index, 1965-1984
- Wisconsin, Divorce Records, 1909-2015
For free online divorce records from other states, please visit the Divorce Records page.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!