Pulaski County Genealogy Records

Pulaski County genealogy records go back to the county's founding in 1839, with marriage, court, and land records available at the Circuit Court Clerk's office in Pulaski, Virginia. Researchers searching for family history in this southwest Virginia county can access records on site or through the county's Secure Remote Access subscription service for land records and other documents. Marriage records begin in 1882, and court and land records date from 1839. This guide explains what is available, how to access it, and where to find supplemental resources for Pulaski County genealogy research.

Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk

The Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk's office is the main source for genealogy records in the county. The office holds marriage records from 1882, divorce and probate records from 1839, court records from 1839, and land records from 1839. There is no known history of courthouse fires or major record losses in Pulaski County, which means the record set from the county's founding year is largely intact. That is a real advantage for researchers compared to many Virginia counties that lost records to disasters.

Pulaski County was created from Montgomery and Wythe Counties on March 30, 1839. It was named for Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish general who served in the American Revolutionary War. The county's location in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia made it part of a migration corridor, and many families passed through or settled here during the 19th century. Researchers tracing ancestors from Montgomery and Wythe should check both parent counties for records before 1839.

Customer support at the clerk's office is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. For specific questions about what records are available or how to access them, calling ahead before a visit can save time.

Note: Marriage records in Pulaski County begin in 1882, not 1839. If you need earlier marriage records, check the parent counties of Montgomery and Wythe.

Genealogy Records Available in Pulaski

The Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk's office has Real Estate Records available online through the Secure Remote Access system, commonly called SRA. Available record types include deeds and land records from 1966 to current, financing statements from 1995 to current, general miscellaneous records from 1980 to current, judgments from 1989 to current, marriage licenses from 1941 to current, and wills and fiduciaries from 1999 to current.

To get remote access, you need to submit both an SRA Application and an SRA Agreement for approval by the Clerk. The fees are $600 for one year, $300 for six months, or $150 for three months. The subscription gives you online search access from any computer. This is useful if you are doing extended research and want to search across a range of record types without multiple courthouse visits.

For records that fall outside the SRA date ranges, an in-person visit or written request to the clerk's office is required. Court records and older land records from 1839 through the 1960s are held at the courthouse but are not currently part of the remote access system.

How to Search Pulaski County Records

For land and marriage records after the SRA start dates, the subscription service is the most convenient option if you are doing extended research. You search by name, document type, or date range. For older records, visit the clerk's office in person during business hours and ask staff to show you the available indexes and deed books.

The Library of Virginia holds supplementary Pulaski County records on microfilm and in digital collections. Their online catalog shows what is available before you travel. The Virginia Memory digital archive has some county materials available for free online search.

FamilySearch is also useful for Pulaski County genealogy. Their database includes indexed records from many Virginia counties, including some Pulaski County documents. The FamilySearch wiki page for Pulaski County, Virginia summarizes what record types exist, where they are held, and what years are covered. This is a good planning tool before you commit to a courthouse visit or library trip.

For vital records from 1912 forward, the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records holds statewide birth and death certificates. Older pre-1912 vital records for Pulaski County are held at the clerk's office and through the Library of Virginia's microfilm collection.

Libraries and Research Resources

The Pulaski County Public Library system serves the county and has local history and genealogy collections. Library staff familiar with the area can point you to family files, local newspapers, and county histories that supplement courthouse records. Local libraries often hold materials that are not available anywhere else, including donated family papers and photographs.

The Virginia Genealogical Society is a statewide resource with publications, a research library in Richmond, and databases covering Virginia counties including Pulaski. Their publications include compiled genealogies, abstracts of court records, and surname indexes that can speed up your search significantly.

For cemetery research, Find A Grave has documented many Pulaski County burials. Volunteers have photographed headstones across the county, including graves in small rural and church cemeteries. The Virginia Courts website allows case lookups for more recent court records and is a useful tool if you are searching for court documents from the past several decades.

The Library of Virginia is the best single source for Pulaski County records that predate the SRA system's coverage. Plan a visit to Richmond or use their online catalog to identify specific microfilm reels before traveling.

Pulaski County Record History

Pulaski County was carved from Montgomery and Wythe in 1839. Because it is a relatively young county by Virginia standards, its records do not extend into the colonial era the way older eastern Virginia counties do. But the absence of courthouse fires or major disasters means what does exist is largely intact from 1839 forward.

Marriage records start in 1882, which is about 43 years after the county was formed. For marriages between 1839 and 1882, researchers should check the parent counties and state-level collections. The Library of Virginia may hold records from that gap period that are not formally indexed at the county level.

Southwest Virginia saw significant migration during the 19th century as families moved through the New River Valley. Pulaski County records can be useful for finding branches of families whose main records are in other counties, because some members settled here even if the broader family lived elsewhere. Census records from 1840 forward are a good supplement to the clerk's records for tracing Pulaski County families across time.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Pulaski. Each holds its own genealogy records at the Circuit Court Clerk's office.