Kentucky Genealogy Records

To begin, add a genealogy record or view a list of locations and resources for Kentucky genealogy records.

Kentucky is one of four U.S. states to be officially known as a commonwealth. Originally, Kentucky was part of Virginia. In 1792 it became the 15th state to join the Union. Reaching out to establish your family history is a wonderful way to preserve all of the color of your ancestry for future generations. Everyone likes to hear family stories and genealogical research is a great way to locate some stories that have been lost.

For genealogy records in Kentucky, the place to look is the Cabinet for Health and Family Services which oversees the Office of Vital Statistics. It maintains a record of all births, deaths, marriages, and divorces throughout the state. There is, however, no record of these events prior to 1911. Marriage and divorces were initially recorded in June of 1958, so if you need these records before then, some searching is in order. If you're looking for pre-1958 marriage or divorce records, you'll need to visit with the individual county clerks. You can get divorce records from local circuit court clerks. You can obtain Kentucky genealogy records online, via mail, via fax, or by walking into an office.