The records will be located in offices administered by the issuing agency. For example, birth and death records are issued by the state in which the birth or death occurred. Knowing an ancestor's birth or death date, a researcher can contact the state vital records office and request a birth or death certificate for an ancestor. Using local records, a researcher may be able to locate important information on an ancestor. Local records include newspapers, church records, cemetery records and courthouse records.
County courthouses are rich in records of interest to a genealogist.
These include marriage and divorce records, land and tax records, will and probates, and court records. These records will be indexed by name and records can usually be copied. Other sources for local records will be public libraries and genealogical societies. They will have old newspapers, city directories and county histories. Library staff and society members will be able to assist researchers and answer questions.