Idaho, County Marriages, 1864-1962

What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of a name index & images of Idaho county marriages acquired from local courthouses for the years 1864 to 1962. Currently the collection includes the following counties:

The collection also includes records for the towns of Ashton and Marysville. Bannock County marriages are not currently apart of this collection.

About half the records are single page records or registers and another half are packet style with packet cover and related documents. Included in this collection are marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. The collection may also include some loose documents. The first laws in Idaho Territory concerning marriages were enacted in 1864. The first Territorial Legislative Assembly made provisions for books in which to record certificates issued by the person performing the marriage ceremony, as well as contracts made by individuals. Although some early Idaho Territorial marriage contracts were recorded, most were not. Pre-1895 records located in the county courthouses of Idaho are certificates issued by the person performing the marriage ceremony. County recorders have records of marriages since the date each county was organized. In addition to the register, most counties will also have the original marriage applications. These are especially valuable if one or both marriage parties are under legal age as permission from the parent or guardian is included. No licenses were required before 11 March 1895. Civil marriage records were created to legalize marital relationships and to safeguard the interests of the wife and other heirs. The date and place of marriage and the name of the presiding official are quite reliable. Other information depends upon the knowledge and reliability of the informants, usually the bride and groom.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample Image

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  1924 Marriage

Digital Folder Number List

This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. The list does not contain any description of the DGS folder's content. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at Idaho, County Marriages Digital Folder Number List.