Rhode Island genealogy records

Births, marriages, and deaths at the State Archives

The State Archives keeps the open state vital records. Its pages put the cutoff at about 100 years for births and marriages and about 50 years for deaths (the main vital records page says more than 101 and more than 51); as of 2026 that means births and marriages from 1853 to 1925 and deaths from 1853 to 1975. All open records and their indexes are in the Archives' Digital Archive, free to print or download, and the Archives points out that general family history research does not need a certified copy.

If you need a record for legal reasons, or one that is not yet online, the Archives can certify open state records. Requests go through the Vital Records Request Form; responsive records are prepared for shipping within 10 business days and sent by mail.

To search well, come with the ancestor's full name and date of birth or death. Names of parents, siblings, or a spouse, and the city of birth, also help.

Before 1853: city and town records

For records before 1853, the State Archives has microfilm copies of the municipal records, but certified copies must come from the city or town clerk of record.

The Rhode Island Historical Society library also has Rhode Island vital records from 1636 to 1920: births to 1898, marriages to 1900, and deaths to 1920. Records earlier than 1853 have to be searched town by town. State indexes cover 1853 to 1900 for births and marriages and 1853 to 1920 for deaths. The library also has delayed birth records from 1846 to 1895, for births not recorded at the time, and an index to out-of-state deaths from 1900 to 1948.

Recent records

Births and marriages less than 100 years old and deaths less than 50 years old are closed at the State Archives. Requests for these go to the Rhode Island Department of Health, Center of Vital Records, in Cranston.

Federal and state censuses

Rhode Island ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790, and Congress passed a separate act that year to include it in the first federal census, so the state has a 1790 census. The Historical Society library has the Rhode Island federal census on microfilm for 1790 to 1880 and 1900 to 1930; the 1890 population census was destroyed by fire.

Rhode Island also took its own census every ten years on the half decade, from 1865 to 1935. The complete set is at the State Archives, where these records have not been digitized. The Historical Society has 1865, 1875, and 1885 on microfilm, with a card index for 1865. For earlier families, the Society has the freemen census of 1747 and military censuses taken in 1774, 1777, and 1782, all in print.

Courts, divorce, and naturalization

The Judicial Records Center in Pawtucket holds the pre-1900 court records of Rhode Island's five judicial counties: Newport, Providence, Kings or Washington, Bristol, and Kent. It has civil, criminal, and divorce cases from 1671 to 1900 and naturalization papers from 1671 to 1982. There are gaps for some counties, so the center suggests contacting staff before a systematic search, and it gives instructions by phone for requesting documents.

If your ancestor was naturalized in a Rhode Island state court, the papers are at the Judicial Records Center. If the naturalization took place in a federal court, look to the National Archives at Waltham, Massachusetts. The Historical Society library has a Soundex naturalization index for 1790 to 1906.

Wills and probate

The Historical Society library has microfilmed probate records or wills for many Rhode Island cities and towns. A good first step for wills before 1850 is the Rhode Island Genealogical Register, which contains Rhode Island will abstracts from the 1600s to the mid-1800s and is kept in the library's first floor reading room.

Military records and directories

The State Archives has military records dating to the mid-1700s, and some digitized material can be found by searching its catalog. It also holds city and town directories dating back to 1824, for use on site only. Requests for records other than vital records can be sent to the Archives by email.