Crawford County Marriage Records Search

Crawford County marriage records are stored on microfiche at the Clerk of Courts Office in Meadville. Records run from 1885 to the present, with a small set from 1852 to 1854. There is no online database for searching Crawford County marriage records. You must visit or contact the office directly. The records are indexed in bound volumes at the courthouse. This guide explains how to access marriage records, what they cost, and what historical sources are available in Crawford County.

Crawford County Clerk of Courts Office

The Crawford County Clerk of Courts handles marriage records through the Orphans' Court division. The office is at the Crawford County Judicial Center, 903 Diamond Square, in Meadville. Call (814) 333-7442 to reach the office.

Marriage records in Crawford County exist on microfiche only. They are not in a computer system. The records are indexed in several sets of bound volumes. Staff use these volumes to find the docket or license number, then pull the microfiche. This takes more time than a digital search, so plan for that when you visit.

Crawford County also holds birth records from 1893 to 1905 and death records from the same period. These are unindexed and sorted alphabetically by the first letter of the surname, then by date. After 1905, birth and death records moved to the state Division of Vital Records in New Castle.

Crawford County Marriage Record Fees

Fees for Crawford County marriage records depend on what you know. If you have the docket or license number, a typed abstract costs $5.00. If you want the certificate plus a photocopy of the marriage license application, the fee is $7.00. If you do not know the docket number, add a $10.00 search fee. That search fee is not refundable even if no record is found.

Payment must be by money order or cashier's check. The office does not accept personal checks or cash by mail. Make the payment out to Crawford County. Under Section 1309, marriage license applications are filed as public records. Anyone can request a copy.

• Marriage certificate (docket known): $5.00
• Certificate plus license application copy: $7.00
• Search fee (docket unknown): $10.00, non-refundable
• Payment: money order or cashier's check only

Note: Birth certificates from 1893 to 1905 cost $10.00 but may be free for veterans, their spouses, and minor children.

How to Search Marriage Records in Crawford County

There is no online database for Crawford County marriage records. You must contact the Clerk of Courts Office by phone, mail, or in person. Provide the full names of both parties and an approximate date of marriage. The more details you give, the faster the search goes.

The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Portal covers some court records but not the marriage docket records at the county level. For certified copies, you can download a Transcript Request Form from the Crawford County court website, fill it out, and mail or deliver it to the Prothonotary's Office with the right fee.

Crawford County court records are also discussed in this general guide to the county.

The guide explains how to access different types of court records in Crawford County.

Couples did not have to get their license in the same county where they married. Many families near Titusville in Crawford County got their license in Venango County instead. Keep that in mind when searching. If you cannot find a record in Crawford County, check the neighboring counties.

Crawford County Historical Marriage Records

Crawford County marriage records have two periods. A small group of records exists from 1852 to 1854, when a short-lived state law required county recording. Abstracts of those records are available on the Crawford County website. The main body of records starts on October 1, 1885, when Section 1301 of Title 23 took effect.

Before October 1885, the best sources for Crawford County marriages are church records and newspaper notices. The Crawford County Historical Society keeps a card index of thousands of marriage notices from local papers. Only two Justice of the Peace marriage ledgers from the 19th century are known to survive. One of them is the ledger of Ebenezer R. Hall.

FamilySearch has digitized Crawford County marriage dockets from 1885 to 1916. You can view them for free with an account. The Church of Latter Day Saints also microfilmed the county's birth and death records. The Pennsylvania State Archives holds additional records for researchers.

The Meadville City Health Department kept separate birth records from 1880 to 1927. Those are at City Hall. Dr. Elizabeth Ongley-Jennings published abstracts of Meadville births from 1880 to 1891 in three volumes. Delayed Birth Records from the 1940s to 1970s fill gaps for people whose births were never recorded at all.

Note: Crawford County marriage records are on microfiche only and have not been digitized beyond the 1885-1916 dockets on FamilySearch.

Crawford County Marriage Record Details

A marriage record in Crawford County shows the names and ages of both parties. It includes their residences, birthplaces, and occupations. Parents' names typically appear on the application. The date the license was issued and the date of the marriage are on the returned certificate.

Under Section 1307, each license comes with an original and a duplicate certificate. The officiant fills out one and sends it back to the county. The Clerk of Courts files the returned form as part of the permanent record. Only typed abstracts are provided when you request a copy. The original documents stay in the office.

Nearby Counties

Crawford County is in northwest Pennsylvania. Check neighboring counties if you cannot find a record here. Couples often obtained licenses in a different county from where they married.

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