Vital Records

Vital records (births/deaths) were not kept in North Carolina on a statewide basis before October 1913. For most counties, microfilm indexes of births and deaths (1913+) are available to researchers who visit the State Archives of North Carolina.

Quick guide to Birth and Death Records

State Archives of North Carolina

Holdings include:

• Bible records (online)
• death certificates, 1913-1979 [statewide Index: 1913-1979]
• microfilmed Indexes to births and deaths [except Wake, Durham]
• marriage bonds, 1741-1868 [not required by law]
• cohabitation records, 1866-1867 (online)
• microfilmed marriage registers and indexes
• microfilmed marriage licenses for many counties

Detailed information about holdings may be found in the County Records Box Lists of the State Archives of North Carolina.

County Register of Deeds Offices

County Register of Deeds offices house birth and death records and marriage licenses for their counties.

• Check with the county register of deeds office to learn if deeds are available online.
• Contact information for all offices is available through the North Carolina Directory of State and County Officials

Ancestry Databases

North Carolina Birth, Marriage & Death Databases are available to Ancestry.com subscribers or for free at libraries that provide access to Ancestry Library Edition. Included are:

• North Carolina, U.S., Birth Index, 1800-2000 – Includes Delayed Birth registrations extending back into 18th century; these require documentary proof of birthdate or age, birthplace, and parentage from other records and must identify contemporary owner of family Bible if presented for proof. Durham, Wake, Forsyth, and Dare counties are not covered.
• North Carolina, U.S., Death Indexes, 1908-2004 – Index; some entries include Index Images from microfilm copies of county death indexes.
• North Carolina, U.S., Death Certificates, 1909-1976 – Images of certificates, including stillborn and fetal deaths.
• North Carolina, U.S., Index to Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868 – Index; bonds were not required by law.
• North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Records, 1741-20011 – Index, some images. All counties included.
• North Carolina, U.S., Divorce Index, 1958-2004 - Index of over 33,000 divorces

Learn More:

• See our research guide on North Carolina Vital Records
• Vital Records webinar recording
• Printable version of this article (pdf)
• Vital Records Substitutes (pdf)
• How to find records about enslaved people
• Tracking Back to North Carolina (pdf)