Centre County Vital Statistics
BIRTH RECORDS
- Since 1906, civil registration occurred at the state level. Click on Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records for information on obtaining records.
- For 1894-1906, civil registration occurred at the county level. Contact the Register of Wills Office which moved its office location in 1998 from the Courthouse to the Willowbank Building.
- Before 1894, no vital statistics are available. However, delayed birth certificates may exist for persons attempting to prove qualification for Social Security benefits after 1937. These records are usually filed in the county where the individual applied which may not be the county of birth. Again, check the Register of Wills Office. Also, it is helpful to know that some birthdates are noted in church christening records. The best available group of these can be found in the Spangler Collection in the Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte.
- Posting Birth Records Online: This website is also looking for transcribed Birth Records (whether they be from family Bibles or wherever) about persons with a Centre County connection. To submit an Birth Record online, you may use our Centre County Birth Records Board. Please enter your information carefully, and if you make a mistake, contact the website coordinator immediately so that your entry can be edited.
MARRIAGE RECORDS
- Since 1885, civil registration occurred at the county level. Contact the Register of Wills Office which moved its office location in 1998 from the Courthouse to the Willowbank Building. The original Marriage License Docket books (through 1990) are kept in the basement of the Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte.
- Before 1885, no consistently recurring vital statistics are available except for a brief period in the 1850s for which a docket exists. This book can also be found in the basement of the Library.
- A compilation of Centre County Marriages from 1764-2005 has been published on CD-ROM and is available at the Pennsylvania Room or for purchase by the Centre County Genealogical Society.
- Marriage records found in minister's records, newspaper accounts, and justice of the peace dockets have been recorded and indexed in three volumes covering the years 1800 to 1885. The books can be found in the Pennsylvania Room or are available for purchase by the Friends of the Centre County Library and Historical Museum. These records are included in the Centre County Marriage CD-ROM.
- Posting Marriage Records Online: This website is also looking for transcribed Marriage Records (whether they be from family Bibles or wherever) about persons with a Centre County connection. To submit a Marriage Record online, you may use our Centre County Marriage Records Board. Please enter your information carefully, and if you make a mistake, contact the website coordinator immediately so that your entry can be edited.
DEATH RECORDS
- Since 1906, civil registration occurred at the state level. Click on Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records for information on obtaining records.
- For 1894-1906, civil registration occurred at the county level. Contact the Register of Wills Office which moved its office location in 1998 from the Courthouse to the Willowbank Building.
- Before 1894, no consistently recurring vital statistics are available. However, there was a death register maintained in the 1850s that can be found at the Register of Wills Office. Also, it is helpful to know that dates of death are sometimes noted in church burial and cemetery records. The best available group of these can be found in the Spangler Collection in the Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte.
- Posting Death Records Online: This website is also looking for transcribed Death Records (whether they be from family Bibles or wherever) about persons with a Centre County connection. To submit a Death Record online, you may use our Centre County Death Records Board. Please enter your information carefully, and if you make a mistake, contact the web site coordinator immediately so that your entry can be edited.