Birth and Death Records
Pennsylvania counties began recording births and deaths in 1893.
Birth and death records before 1893
- For births 1893, church baptismal records and census records will be the main sources of information for births and parents’ names
- The John T. Humphrey Pennsylvania Births Books series includes information extracted from church baptismal records in several counties
- For deaths before 1893, cemetery and funeral home records will be the main sources of information
- For a brief period (1852-1854) Pennsylvania had birth and death registrations. Birth records for 39 counties and death records for 49 counties are viewable on Ancestry.com and the full set is viewable on FamilySearch:
- Some locations have earlier records
- Philadelphia (1860-1903)
- Pittsburgh (1870-1905)
- Reading: Births 1876-1906, deaths 1873-1905, marriages 1876-1884 – indexes on Berks County website.
- Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Records on Ancestry includes marriage records from GSP collections and microfilm now at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Other sources for pre-1893 family relationships
- Wills and deeds are available at the county level
- See county guides on the Pennsylvania Resources page for county websites and contact information
- Wills and deeds for many Pennsylvania counties are available online through FamilySearch
- On the FamilySearch Pennsylvania Collections page, select the link for a county and then scroll down and select Probate records for wills or Land Records for deeds
- Previously, these records required searching through indexes for the book and page number of original documents
- You can now use FamilySearch Full-Text Search to search for names, locations, and other keywords in probate records, land records, and other records:
- Pennsylvania, U.S. Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, fully searchable with images, are also available to subscribers at Ancestry.com
- Bible records and family histories may be found in catalogs of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and at county and local historical and genealogical societies
- Soldiers’ and widows’ pension applications – National Archives
- See the FamilySearch Pennsylvania Collections for links to county records online
- Search the GSP website
Birth and death records 1893-1905
- Pennsylvania counties recorded births and deaths from 1893-1905
- See county guides on the Pennsylvania Resources page for county websites and contact information
- Birth and death records for many Pennsylvania counties are available online through FamilySearch
- On the FamilySearch Pennsylvania Collections page, select the link for a county and then scroll down and select Vital Records for a list of records
Birth records (1906-1920) and death records (1906-1975)
The state of Pennsylvania recorded births and deaths beginning in 1906. Birth records are available to the public after 105 years and death records after 50 years, with indexes for the records released on the Pennsylvania State Archives website after the end of the year.
- Indexes for birth records from 1906-1920 and death records from 1906-1975 are available on the Pennsylvania State Archives website, with original records viewable at the State Archives in Harrisburg
- Pennsylvania birth records from 1906-1917 and death records from 1906-1973 are available on Ancestry.com and are free for Pennsylvania residents by entering a Pennsylvania zip code at the free Ancestry.com Pennsylvania site
Birth records after 1920 and death records after 1975
Birth records less than 105 years old and death records less than 50 years old may be requested only for yourself or for ancestors or relatives as listed on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website below.
- Birth records after 1920 and death records after 1975 are held by the Pennsylvania Department of Health
- Pennsylvania Adoptees – Original Birth Certificates
Marriage Records
Marriage and divorce records are usually held at the county level. Most Pennsylvania counties recorded these beginning in 1885. Records from the 20th century often include parents’ names.
See the Pennsylvania Resources page for county guides with contact information for county
- Pennsylvania County Marriage Records 1885-1950 FamilySearch searchable database of Pennsylvania marriages with links to original records
- See county guides on the Pennsylvania Resources page for county websites and contact information
- Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Records on Ancestry includes marriage records from GSP collections now at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Microfilm collections may be researched at HSP
