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Mailing Address:
NJ State Archives
P.O. Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307

Office Address:
225 West State Street - 2nd Floor
Trenton, NJ

Contact Information

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County Marriage Records


Counties were required by law to file marriage returns beginning in 1795. Consult the Secretary of State page linked below for colonial marriage bonds.

Consult the Department of Health page linked below for post-1848 marriage records filed at the state level.

The State Archives' holdings vary from county to county. Consult the Collecting Policy for additional information about our accessioning guidelines.


See also: Secretary of State - Genealogical and Colonial Records (including state censuses)
Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics (Birth, Marriage and Death Records)


Series:
Atlantic County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Books, 1837-1885 and Indexes, 1837-1910
Control #:
CATCL007
Format:
0.5 c.f. (1 vol.); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
By date of filing
Notes:
Book A is still held by the Atlantic Co. Clerk's Office; State Archives holds Book 2 and film of Books A, 2 and the index.
Index includes references to non-resident marriages 1897-1910.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Bergen County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Books, 1795-1877
Control #:
CBECL007
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Burlington County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Returns, 1795-1920
Control #:
CBUCL003
Format:
7 c.f. (11 boxes, 7 vols.); 2 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Alpha. by officiant; semi-chrono.
Notes:
Includes loose marriage returns and marriage books.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Burlington County
Clerk's Office
Non-Resident Marriage License Applications, 1897-1898
Control #:
CBUCL004
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 box)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1795-1878
Control #:
CCPCL005
Format:
3 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cumberland County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1789-1949 (bulk dates 1795-1878)
Control #:
CCUCL001
Format:
3 c.f. (6 boxes); 6 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
By officiant/chronological
Notes:
Use indexed marriage volumes to determine officiant. Volume B includes some post-1878 records.
Loose returns arranged by officiant, but filmed by date recorded.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Essex County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1795-1893 (recorded 1795-1940)
Control #:
CESCL004
Format:
6 c.f. (11 vols., 5 boxes); 9 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Returns are numbered by recording date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Essex County
Clerk's Office
Non-Resident Marriage License Applications, 1897-1910
Control #:
CESCL020
Format:
1 c.f. (2 boxes); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Notes:
Applications are numbered continuing from loose marriage returns included in series Marriage Records, 1795-1920.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Gloucester County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1783-1907
Control #:
CGLCL010
Format:
5 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Notes:
Bound volumes cover 1795 to 1907; loose marriage returns cover 1783 to 1880.
Each bound volume includes an index.

Series:
Hudson County
Clerk's Office
Non-Resident Marriage License Applications, 1897-1910
Control #:
CHDCL002
Format:
5 c.f. (10 boxes)
Arrangement:
By number (roughly chronological)

Series:
Hunterdon County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1795-1900
Control #:
CHNCL017
Format:
10 reels (35-mm)
Notes:
Loose marriage returns organized by surname of officiant.

Series:
Mercer County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Returns, 1815, 1832, & 1841-1887
Control #:
CMECL002
Format:
1 c.f. (2 boxes); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Alphabetical by officiant
Notes:
For post-1848 records, see Dept. of Health vital statistics (available in the search room) which are more complete.

Series:
Mercer County
Clerk's Office
Non-Resident Marriage License Applications, 1897-1910
Control #:
CMECL007
Format:
0.75 c.f. (2 boxes); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date

Series:
Middlesex County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1795-1928
Control #:
CMICL007
Format:
4 reels (35-mm)

Series:
Monmouth County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1789-1880
Control #:
CMNCL002
Format:
3 reels (35-mm)

Series:
Morris County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1795-1919
Control #:
CMRCL005
Format:
7 reels (35-mm)

Series:
Ocean County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1850-1908
Control #:
COCCL003
Format:
2 reels (35-mm)

Series:
Passaic County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1837-1902
Control #:
CPACL008
Format:
0.75 c.f. (3 vols.); 1 reel (35-mm)

Series:
Salem County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1680-1956 and Indexes, 1680-1945
Control #:
CSACL006
Format:
7 reels (35-mm)

Series:
Somerset County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Returns, 1778-1887
Control #:
CSOCL001
Format:
2 c.f. (2 boxes and 3 vols.); 2 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Various
Notes:
Includes original returns for marriages dating from 1778 to 1887, and three bound volumes of marrriages recorded from 1795 to 1880.
Loose returns alphabetical by officiant; filmed books are chrono.

Series:
Somerset County
Clerk's Office
Non-resident Marriage License Applications, 1897-1910
Control #:
CSOCL005
Format:
0.25 c.f. (1 box [part]); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
Somerset County
Surrogate's Office
Miscellaneous Estate Papers [Unrecorded], ca. 1770-1987
Control #:
CSOSU001
Format:
3 c.f. (6 boxes); 84 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Numbered within surname first letter
Notes:
Includes material from un-probated estates, along with some early marriage bonds; filmed records cover 1804-1900.

Series:
Sussex County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1795-1878
Control #:
CSUCL002
Format:
3.5 c.f. (7 boxes); 6 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Alphabetical by officiant/chrono.
Notes:
Consult the indexed Marriage Books for the name of the officiant.

Series:
Sussex County
Clerk's Office
Non-Resident Marriage License Applications, 1898-1910
Control #:
CSUCL010
Format:
0.1 c.f. (5 folders); 0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
Union County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1850-1878
Control #:
CUNCL001
Format:
1.25 c.f. (5 boxes); 3 reels (1 16-mm, 2 35-mm)
Arrangement:
Alphabetical by officiant
Notes:
Consult indexed Union County marriage book [#1] for name of officiant.

Series:
Union County
Clerk's Office
Non-Resident Marriage Licenses, Applications and Certificates, 1901-1910
Control #:
CUNCL002
Format:
0.25 c.f. (1 box); 0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Numerical/chronological
Notes:
Licenses #11 and #13 are not on the GSU film.

Series:
Warren County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1825-1902
Control #:
CWACL003
Format:
5 reels (35-mm)


~ The collections listed on this page represent 35.45 c.f. of paper records and 166 reels of microfilm ~

To contact the New Jersey State Archives about research, reference services, records transfers or donations, please email us at njarchives@sos.nj.gov


This page last updated 05/17/2006