Oklahoma Vital Records
This entry was originally written by Wendy Bebout Elliott Ph.D., FUGA for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
Statewide recording of births and deaths began in October 1908, although compliance was incomplete for several years in most counties and for as much as two decades or longer in others. Registration was mandated in 1917, but it was another decade before 90 percent compliance was attained. Although county clerks record births and deaths and provide information on request, certificates are available only from the Vital Records Section, State Department of Health, 1000 N.E. Tenth St., P.O. Box 53551, Oklahoma City, OK 73152 www.health.state.ok.us/program/vital/brec.html. Purpose and relationship statements are required. Early birth certificates contain much less information than those recorded currently.
Since statehood, marriage and divorce records are maintained by the clerk of the court in the county in which the license was issued or divorce granted. Some marriage records are also available at the county level for Oklahoma Territory before statehood. Some of these have been published, such as Frances Murphy Bode, Oklahoma Territory Weddings (Geary, Okla.: Blaine County People and Places, Pioneer Book Committee, 1983), based on newspaper notices and county records for Blaine, Caddo, and Kingfisher counties. Numerous publications for marriage records are included in Laura Martin, Oklahoma Marriages: A Bibliography (Oklahoma City: Library Resources Division, 1996).
Tribal records at the Oklahoma Historical Society (see Oklahoma Archives, Libraries, and Societies) contain some earlier birth records in relationship to land allotments (see Oklahoma Land Records) as well as death records. Children of mixed marriages may be included in the births.
Some Native American and county vital records have been published by individuals and organizations. Several examples follow:
Ashton, Sharron Standifer. Indians and Intruders. 5 vols. Norman, Okla.: Ashton Books, 1996'2002. These publications include birth, marriage, and death records as well as numerous other abstracted records.
Bogle, Dixie. Cherokee Nation Births and Deaths, 1884'1901. Utica, Ky.: Cook and McDowell Publishers, 1980. Available at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City as well as numerous other libraries.
Oklahoma Genealogical Society. Index to Marriage Records, Oklahoma County, O. T., 1889 to 1907. Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Genealogical Society, 1993.
Talkington, N. Dale. Birth and Death Notices in Oklahoma and Indian Territories from 1871. Houston, Tex.: the author, 1999. Abstracts of nearly 2000 records.
Tiffee, Ellen, and Gloryann Hankins Young. Oklahoma Marriage Records, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. 10 vols. Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1969'78. Individually indexed, the data was abstracted from U.S. court records, second division for the period 1890 to 1907. Area covered includes today's counties of McCurtain, Latimer, Hughes (part), LeFlore, Bryan (part), Pittsburg, Choctaw, Atoka, Haskell, Pushmataha, and Coal (part). This set is available at the FHL as well as numerous other libraries.
Some marriage records for the Five Civilized Tribes and some other tribes are also at the Oklahoma Historical Society. Others are at the National Archives-Southwest Region (see page 12). Nonnative settlers whose marriages were recorded in U.S. Federal District Court records for Indian Territory are included. Marriage records (June 1890'1907) in Indian Territory may be located in the office of the court clerk in either Muskogee or Pittsburg counties. After 1895, marriage records may be found in county court clerk offices in Carter or Craig. Still others may be found in Atoka, Bryan, Latimore, and LeFlore counties. Creek County marriages may have been recorded in the cities of Bristow, Drumright, Sapulpa, or Muskogee, the latter now in Muskogee County. There is no centralized index for these marriages.
Some indexes to marriage records are available online, such as those in the Chickasaw Nation at www.chickasawhistory.com/m_index.htm; and more than 2000 marriage notices taken from newspapers (1898'1906) for Old Greer County, Oklahoma Territory (today's Greer, Harmon, and Jackson counties) at okgenweb.org/~okgreer/olgrmarr.html.
Map | County | County Address | Date Formed | Parent County(ies) | Recording District | Birth | Marriage | Death | Land | Probate | Court |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
K3 | Adair | P.O. Box 169 Stilwell 74960-0169 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | Recording Dist. #6 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 |
F2 | Alfalfa | 300 S. Grand Cherokee 73728 | 1907 | Woods | 1908 | 1894 | 1908 | 1895 | 1892 | 1982 | |
J5 | Atoka | 201 E. Court Atoka 74525 | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | 1908 | 1892 | 1908 | 1907 | 1897 | 1913 | |
C1 | Beaver | P.O. Box 237 Beaver 73932-0237 | 1890 | original | 1908 | 1890 | 1908 | 1891 | 1890 | 1880 | |
D4 | Beckham | P.O. Box 67 Sayre 73662-0067 | 1907 | Roger Mills/Greer | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1900 | 1907 | 1895 | |
F3 | Blaine | P.O. Box 138 Watonga 73772-0138 | 1892 | original | 1908 | 1892 | 1908 | 1893 | 1892 | 1887 | |
H6 | Bryan | 402 W. Evergreen Durant 74701 | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | Recording Dist. # 25 | 1908 | 1902 | 1908 | 1903 | 1902 | 1902 |
F4 | Caddo | P.O. Box 68 Anadarko 73005-0068 | 1901 | original | 1908 | 1901 | 1908 | 1902 | 1891 | 1901 | |
F3 | Canadian | P.O. Box 458 El Reno 73036-0458 | 1889 | original | 1908 | 1890 | 1908 | 1890 | 1890 | 1890 | |
G5 | Carter | 1st and B St. SW/P.O. Box 1236 Ardmore 73402-1236 | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | 1930 | 1895 | 1930 | 1907 | 1908 | 1895 | |
K3 | Cherokee | 213 W. Delaware Tahlequah 74464 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | Recording Dist. #6 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1906 | 1907 | 1907 |
J6 | Choctaw | 300 E. Duke Hugo 74743 | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 | |
A1 | Cimarron | P.O. Box 145 Boise City 73933-0145 | 1907 | Beaver | 1908 | 1908 | 1908 | 1904 | 1908 | 1908 | |
G4 | Cleveland | 201 S. Jones Norman 73069 | 1889 | unassigned lands | 1908 | 1867 | 1893 | 1890 | 1889 | 1891 | |
H5 | Coal | 4 N. Main St. Coalgate 74538 | 1907 | Tobucksy County of Cherokee Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1904 | 1907 | 1907 | |
F5 | Comanche | 315 SW 5th St. Lawton 73501 | 1901 | Kiowa/Comanche/Apache lands | Witcha-Caddo lands | 1906 | 1901 | 1906 | 1893 | 1901 | 1901 |
F5 | Cotton | 201 N. Broadway St. Walters 73572 | 1912 | Comanche | 1917 | 1912 | 1918 | 1912 | 1912 | 1912 | |
K1 | Craig | 301 W. Canadian Vinita 74301 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | Recording Dist. #3 | 1908 | 1902 | 1908 | 1907 | 1895 | 1907 |
H3 | Creek | 371 E. Lee Sapulpa 74067 | 1907 | Creek Nation | Recording Dists. #8 and #9 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1898 | 1907 | 1917 |
E3 | Custer | P.O. Box 300 Arapaho 73620-0300 | 1892 | Cheyenne/Arapaho lands | 1908 | 1894 | 1908 | 1899 | 1895 | 1896 | |
Day | 1892 (abolished 1907; now Ellis County area) | Cheyenne/Arapaho lands | |||||||||
K2 | Delaware | P.O. Box 309 Jay 74346-0309 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | 1908 | 1911 | 1908 | 1905 | 1867 | 1868 | |
E3 | Dewey | P.O. Box 268 Taloga 73667-0268 | 1892 | Cheyenne/Arapaho | 1908 | 1893 | 1908 | 1892 | 1894 | 1894 | |
D3 | Ellis | 100 S. Washington/P.O. Box 197 Arnett 73832-0197 | 1907 | Day/Woodward | 1908 | 1892 | 1908 | 1889 | 1893 | 1900 | |
F2 | Garfield | 114 W. Broadway Enid 73701 | 1893 | Cherokee Outlet | 1908 | 1893 | 1908 | 1893 | 1894 | 1907 | |
G5 | Garvin | P.O. Box 926 Pauls Valley 73075-0926 | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | Recording Dist. #17 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1906 | 1907 | 1893 |
F4 | Grady | 4th and Choctaw Ave. P.O. Box 1009 Chickasha 73018-1009 | 1907 | Caddo/Comanche/Chickasaw Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1903 | 1907 | 1907 | |
F2 | Grant | P.O. Box 167 Medford 73759-0167 | 1893 | Cherokee Outlet | 1908 | 1893 | 1908 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | |
D4 | Greer | P.O. Box 2077 Mangum 73554-2077 | (organized by Texas, 1886;became part of Oklahoma,1896) | 1912 | 1901 | 1912 | 1886 | 1901 | 1886 | ||
D5 | Harmon | 114 W. Hollis Hollis 73550 | 1909 | Greer | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 | |
D1 | Harper | P.O. Box 369 Buffalo 73834-0369 | 1907 | Woodward | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1900 | 1907 | 1903 | |
K4 | Haskell | 202 E. Main St. Stigler 74462 | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | Recording Dists. #12 and #14 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1905 | 1907 | 1909 |
H4 | Hughes | 200 N. Broadway Holdenville 74848 | 1907 | Creek Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 | |
D5 | Jackson | P.O. Box 515 Altus 73521-0515 | 1907 | Greer | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1898 | 1907 | 1907 | |
F6 | Jefferson | 220 N. Main St. Waurika 73573 | 1907 | Comanche County/Chickasaw Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 | |
H5 | Johnston | 403 W. Main Tishomingo 73460 | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | Recording Dist. #22 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 |
G1 | Kay | P.O. Box 450 Newkirk 74647-0450 | 1895 | Cherokee Outlet | 1908 | 1893 | 1908 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | |
F3 | Kingfisher | 100 S. Main/P.O. Box 118 Kingfisher 73750 | 1890 | original | 1908 | 1900 | 1908 | 1890 | 1900 | 1896 | |
E4 | Kiowa | P.O. Box 73 Hobart 73651-0073 | 1901 | Kiowa/Comanche/Apache/Caddo/Wichita | 1908 | 1901 | 1908 | 1901 | 1901 | 1901 | |
K4 | Latimer | 109 N. Central St. Wilburton 74578 | 1902 | Choctaw Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1890 | 1906 | 1923 | |
K4 | Le Flore | P.O. Box 218 Poteau 74953-0218 | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | Recording Dist. #14 | 1908 | 1897 | 1908 | 1908 | 1908 | 1908 |
H3 | Lincoln | P.O. Box 126 Chandler 74834-0126 | 1891 | Iowa/PottawatomieShawnee/Sac-Fox lands | 1908 | 1891 | 1900 | 1891 | 1893 | 1891 | |
G3 | Logan | 301 E. Harrison Guthrie 73044 | 1889 | original | 1908 | 1890 | 1908 | 1894 | 1890 | 1890 | |
G6 | Love | 405 W. Main St. Marietta 73448 | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1903 | 1907 | 1907 | |
Lovely | 1827 | ||||||||||
By Arkansas Legislature. Abolished 1828. | |||||||||||
F2 | Major | E. Broadway/P.O. Box 379 Fairview 73737-0379 | 1907 | Woods | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1894 | 1894 | 1894 | |
H6 | Marshall | Rm. 101 Madill 73446 | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | Recording Dist. #22 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1905 | 1907 |
K2 | Mayes | P.O. Box 97 Pryor 74361-0097 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | 1908 | 1902 | 1908 | 1903 | 1907 | 1907 | |
G4 | McClain | P.O. Box 629 Purcell 73080-0629 | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | Recording Dist. #18 | 1908 | 1895 | 1883 | 1903 | 1895 | 1895 |
K6 | McCurtain | P.O. Box 1078 Idabel 74745-1078 | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | Recording Dist. #24 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1917 | 1907 |
J4 | McIntosh | P.O. Box 110 Eufaula 74432-110 | 1907 | Creek Nation | 1905 | 1907 | 1905 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 | |
G5 | Murray | P.O. Box 442 Sulphur 73086-0442 | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1906 | 1907 | 1907 | |
K3 | Muskogee | P.O. Box 1008 Muskogee 74401-1008 | 1907 | Creek Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1913 | 1907 | 1907 | |
G2 | Noble | 300 Courthouse Dr./P.O. Box 409 Perry 73077-0409 | 1893 | Cherokee Outlet | 1908 | 1893 | 1908 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | |
J1 | Nowata | 229 N. Maple St. Nowata 74048 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | Recording Dist. #3 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 | 1908 | 1907 |
H3 | Okfuskee | P.O. Box 108 Okemah 74859-0108 | 1907 | Creek Nation | 1909 | 1907 | 1909 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 | |
G3 | Oklahoma | 320 N.W. Robert S. Kerr Oklahoma City 73102 | 1890 | original | 1908 | 1889 | 1908 | 1889 | 1890 | 1890 | |
J3 | Okmulgee | P.O. Box 904 Okmulgee 74447-0904 | 1907 | Creek Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 | |
H2 | Osage | P.O. Box 87 Pawhuska 74056-0087 | 1907 | Osage Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1906 | 1907 | 1897 | |
K1 | Ottawa | 102 E. Central Miami 74354 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | Recording Dists. #1 and #2 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1895 | 1907 | 1907 |
H2 | Pawnee | 500 Harrison Pawnee 74058 | 1892 | Cherokee Outlet/Pawnee Nation | 1908 | 1897 | 1908 | 1894 | 1897 | 1897 | |
G3 | Payne | 6th and Husband St./P.O. Box 7 Stillwater 74074-007 | 1890 | Cherokee Outlet/unassigned lands | 1876 | 1894 | 1876 | 1884 | 1889 | 1895 | |
J4 | Pittsburg | 115 E. Carl Albert Pkwy. McAlester 74501 | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | 1908 | 1890 | 1908 | 1907 | 1893 | 1901 | |
H5 | Pontotoc | 13th and Broadway P.O. Box 1425 Ada 74820-1425 | 1907 | Chickasaw Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1906 | 1906 | 1907 | |
H4 | Pottawatomie | 325 N. Broadway Shawnee 74801 | 1891 | Pottawatomie-Shawnee Nations | 1908 | 1892 | 1908 | 1895 | 1892 | 1892 | |
K5 | Pushmataha | 302 SW B St. Antlers 74523 | 1907 | Choctaw Nation | Recording Dist. #24 | 1917 | 1907 | 1917 | 1907 | 1904 | 1905 |
D3 | Roger Mills | P.O. Box 708 Cheyenne 73628-0708 | 1892 | Cheyenne-Arapaho Nations | 1908 | 1893 | 1908 | 1892 | 1907 | 1894 | |
J2 | Rogers | 219 S. Missouri/P.O. Box 1210 Claremore 74018-1210 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | 1915 | 1907 | 1915 | 1907 | 1909 | 1907 | |
H4 | Seminole | P.O. Box 1180 Wewoka 74884-1180 | 1907 | Seminole Nation | Recording Dist. #13 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | pre-1907 | 1909 | 1915 |
K3 | Sequoyah | 120 E. Chickasaw St. Sallisaw 74955 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | Recording Dist. #11 | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 |
F5 | Stephens | 101 S. 11th St. Duncan 73533 | 1907 | Comanche County/Chickasaw Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1917 | 1907 | |
B1 | Texas | P.O. Box 197 Guymon 73942-0197 | 1907 | Beaver | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1882 | 1907 | 1907 | |
E5 | Tillman | P.O. Box 992 Frederick 73542-0992 | 1907 | Kiowa Terr./Comanche counties | 1917 | 1907 | 1917 | 1902 | 1907 | 1908 | |
J3 | Tulsa | 500 S. Denver Ave. Tulsa 74103 | 1907 | Creek/Cherokee Nations | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1907 | 1907 | 1907 | |
J3 | Wagoner | 307 E. Cherokee/P.O. Box 156 Wagoner 74467-0156 | 1908 | Cherokee Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1906 | 1907 | 1907 | |
J1 | Washington | 420 S. Johnstone Ave. Bartlesville 74003 | 1907 | Cherokee Nation | 1908 | 1907 | 1908 | 1900 | 1907 | 1907 | |
E4 | Washita | P.O. Box 380 Cordell 73632-0380 | 1892 | Cheyenne-Arapaho Nations | 1908 | 1892 | 1908 | 1907 | 1903 | 1892 | |
E2 | Woods | P.O. Box 386 Alva 73717-0386 | 1893 | Cherokee Outlet | 1908 | 1893 | 1908 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | |
E2 | Woodward | 1600 Main St. Woodward 73801 | 1893 | Cherokee Outlet | 1908 | 1893 | 1908 | 1893 | 1894 | 1893 |
FamilySearch.org has a variety of collections available for free online:
External Links
- Oklahoma Birth, Marriage, and Death Records - free up-to-date guide to accessing Oklahoma birth, marriage, and death records (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Includes links to FamilySearch vital record databases.
- Oklahoma Obituary and Death Notice Archive - free Oklahoma obituary archive that has transcribed obits from across the state.
- Oklahoma Library of Files - free Oklahoma obituary and data files archive from across the state.
- Oklahoma Vital Records - links to Oklahoma vital record sources organized by county