There are many things of vital importance to a hunter. They may be the foundation to his success. For example, a hunter needs knowledge about the terrain and weather. He should also have a good sense of direction and know the best location for the objective. Once the hunter has found a location, knowledge of the resources that are available is also important.

In genealogical research, vital records are the foundation to our success. Vital records pertain to birth, marriage and death. Divorce records are sometimes classified as vital records, but more often as court records.

The order in which vital records are obtained can speed up successful searches. By first searching the last vital event in a person's life (his or her death), you will find clues to earlier events and can often save time and money. Ordering copies of vital records offers extraordinary advantages to the ancestral hunter.

Hunting Laws

To protect the rights of others, there are standard laws which govern vital records. Although the Federal Government mandated that the states should maintain vital records at the end of the 1800s, compliance was not achieved in all the states until much later. In addition, some states did not mandate that birth, marriage, death, or divorce records be centralized at the same time or in the same manner.

For example, Alabama's birth and death records were centralized at the state level in 1908 while marriage records were not centralized until 1936.

As you might imagine, access to birth records is more difficult than other vital records because they are sometimes used fraudulently, or they may contain confidential information such as illegitimacy. Marriage and death records are more available. Some states open their restricted records only to the parties involved, such as divorce records in the state of New York.

If you desire to contact state or government offices for vital information, you may wish to contact a private company specializing in this service. At VitalChek Network, Inc. (800-255-2414), you will be given the correct telephone number to over 100 state and local government offices in forty-seven states. These government offices can process your telephone orders for vital certificates and you can pay with most credit cards. Your billing statement will include the cost of the certificate ordered, the overnight fee (if requested), and a service fee.

Another way to order a copy of a vital record is to use the International Vital Records Handbook, 3rd ed. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994), which provides copies of applications that may be photocopied and used to request vital records from every state. Since prices are constantly changing, it is a good idea to telephone for correct prices to avoid delays. It is less expensive, but takes longer, to order by mail.