Virginia birth, death, marriage and divorce records: where to look
Virginia's Office of Vital Records issues births and deaths for 1853 to 1896 and June 1912 on, marriages from 1853 and divorces from 1918, at $15 per copy since July 1, 2026. Only immediate family can order. The Library of Virginia has older registers on microfilm and a free (for Virginians) Ancestry portal.
At a glance
| Record | Years at the state | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | 1853 to 1896 and June 1912 to present. Statewide registration stopped in 1898 and restarted in 1912, so most births 1897 to 1911 were not recorded. [2][6] | $15 per certificate or search, effective July 1, 2026; no refund if the record is not found. [1][4] |
| Death | 1853 to 1896 and June 1912 to present. [2] | $15 per copy or search. [1][4] |
| Marriage | Marriage: 1853 to present. The Library of Virginia has marriage registers on microfilm for 1853 to 1935. [2][6] | $15 per copy or search. [1][4] |
| Divorce | Divorce: 1918 to present. [2][6] | $15 per copy or search. [1][4] |
| Older records (Library of Virginia) | Birth and death registers 1853 to 1896, marriage registers 1853 to 1935, death certificates 1912 to 1939, on microfilm; some city births and deaths 1897 to 1911; many pre-1853 marriage records. [6] | Microfilm can be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Ancestry for Virginians gives Virginia residents free access to selected Ancestry collections (an Ancestry account is required). [6][7] |
Superscript numbers point to the official page each fact came from, listed at the bottom of this page.
Birth records
- Where it is kept
- Office of Vital Records, 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond (walk-in Mon to Fri 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.), online or by mail. [1]
- Years covered
- 1853 to 1896 and June 1912 to present. Statewide registration stopped in 1898 and restarted in 1912, so most births 1897 to 1911 were not recorded. [2][6]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Immediate family only: mother, father, current spouse, child, brother, sister, grandparents, and a legal guardian with proof of custody, with valid ID. Aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws cannot order. The state also says birth records become public 100 years after the event. [1][2]
- Fee
- $15 per certificate or search, effective July 1, 2026; no refund if the record is not found. [1][4]
- Processing time
- Standard processing is about 2 weeks by USPS (state home page). The FAQ says up to 4 weeks for births needing no amendments. [1][2]
The state's FAQ and home page give different time estimates; use the longer one when planning.
Death records
- Where it is kept
- Office of Vital Records. [1]
- Years covered
- 1853 to 1896 and June 1912 to present. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Only immediate family get full certified copies; non-immediate requesters with a direct and tangible interest can get a Verification of Death. Death records become public information 25 years after the event. [1][2]
- Fee
- $15 per copy or search. [1][4]
- Processing time
- Same as births. [1][2]
Marriage records
- Where it is kept
- Office of Vital Records; the FAQ also says marriage and divorce records are available at the Circuit Court where the event took place. [2]
- Years covered
- Marriage: 1853 to present. The Library of Virginia has marriage registers on microfilm for 1853 to 1935. [2][6]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Immediate family only; marriage records become public information 25 years after the event. [1]
- Fee
- $15 per copy or search. [1][4]
- Processing time
- Same as births. [1]
Divorce records
- Where it is kept
- Office of Vital Records, or the Circuit Court where the divorce was granted. [2]
- Years covered
- Divorce: 1918 to present. [2][6]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Immediate family only; public 25 years after the event. [1]
- Fee
- $15 per copy or search. [1][4]
- Processing time
- Same as births. [1]
Older records (Library of Virginia)
- Where it is kept
- Library of Virginia, Archives Reference Services, 800 E. Broad St., Richmond. [6]
- Years covered
- Birth and death registers 1853 to 1896, marriage registers 1853 to 1935, death certificates 1912 to 1939, on microfilm; some city births and deaths 1897 to 1911; many pre-1853 marriage records. [6]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Open to researchers. The Library says it cannot copy or search the microfilm registers for you. [6]
- Fee
- Microfilm can be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Ancestry for Virginians gives Virginia residents free access to selected Ancestry collections (an Ancestry account is required). [6][7]
- Processing time
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
The Library says certified copies for 1853 to 1896 and 1912 on must come from the Office of Vital Records.
About ordering online
The state's express page describes VitalChek as an independent company that VDH partners with, with a 2 to 5 day service and extra fees. That page still lists a $20.80 state fee and was last updated April 16, 2026, before the July 1, 2026 fee change, so we did not use its prices. [1][5]
Archives and other places to look
- Library of Virginia: Ancestry for Virginians gives Virginia residents free access (location checked by GeoIP) to select Ancestry vital-records collections. The Library also lists FamilySearch as having select Virginia records, free with registration. [6][7] Ancestry for Virginians
The National Archives describes FamilySearch.org as free with account creation (see our census page), but we could not open FamilySearch's own pages, so we do not describe what it holds for Virginia.
Historical newspapers
The Library of Congress's Chronicling America lists 124 digitized newspaper titles published in Virginia, with issues dated from September 3, 1736 to December 31, 1963. Coverage is uneven inside that span: it is a list of titles, not a promise that every town or year is there. Chronicling America includes select digitized newspapers through 1963.
Browse Virginia titles at the Library of Congress
New to newspaper research? See our guide to finding old newspapers (obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements).
Counts come from the Library of Congress's "All Digitized Titles" list, read October 27, 2026. The Library of Congress says it believes these newspapers are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions.
How we verified this page
Last verified October 27, 2026. Offices change fees and rules without notice. If something here no longer matches the official page, trust the official page.
Confirmed on official pages
- Fee is $15 per certificate or search since July 1, 2026 (Chapter 616, 2026 Acts of Assembly), no refund if not found.
- State holds births and deaths 1853-1896 and June 1912 on, marriages 1853 on, divorces 1918 on.
- Only immediate family can order; the state names mother, father, spouse, child, brother, sister and grandparents.
- Library of Virginia has microfilm registers (births and deaths 1853-1896, marriages 1853-1935).
Could not verify
- Processing time for marriage and divorce. The FAQ gives times only for births.
- Whether the "public database" the state mentions for 1912 on has free images. We did not open it.
- Current VitalChek fees. The state's express page is dated before the fee change.
- The home page says marriage records since 1936 are in a public database; the FAQ says the state office holds marriages from 1853. We report both.
Pages read 2026-10-27.
Sources
- VDH Office of Vital Records home Official state page read 2026-10-27
- VDH: Vital Records FAQ Official state page read 2026-10-27
- VDH: ID requirements Official state page read 2026-10-27
- VDH: Applications Official state page read 2026-10-27
- VDH: Express delivery through VitalChek Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Library of Virginia: Birth, Marriage and Death Records (1853 to present) guide Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Library of Virginia: Ancestry for Virginians Official state page read 2026-10-27