Order a document or search from the archives

• Find a document or information for me
• Order a copy of a document
• Certified copies and transcripts  
• Reuse an image from the archives
• Look at a document from our collection 
• View a document at the archives
• Access restrictions – rules about the records you can see

Find a document or information for me

If you're short of time or need help with your research, we can help.

Enquiry service

We can answer simple enquiries about our collections which only require a quick check of the indexes or catalogue, for example, whether we hold parish records for St Albans. This is a free service.

Email us your enquiry 

Research Service

We can search original documents held in our collections to help you find the information you're looking for.

That includes family history and house history, or a detailed search of the catalogues. We also provide a transcription and translation service of documents.

Upon finishing your search, we'll let you know the documents we find and give you an opportunity to order a copy or come to the archives and view the documents.

If your request is urgent, we can fast track it for an additional fee. Expedited search and copy fees are £36 (in addition to the usual cost of copies or certified entries).

Order a copy of a document

If you’d like a copy of a document, you can buy it from us

All you need is:

• a document reference e.g. name of parish, newspaper title or document name
• a document date
• specific entry details such as names or places.

If you don't have these details, a search is required to check the item is suitable for copying, and to identify the costs. A search fee will apply.

If you would like your copy certified, please let us know in the enquiry form.

If your request is urgent, we can fast track it for an additional fee. Expedited search and copy fees are £39.60 (in addition to the usual cost of copies or certified entries). See our  fees and charges for more information.

Certified copies and transcripts  

A certified copy is a signed copy of the original entry in a document. Certified copies are usually requested for legal purposes. For parish register entries, we provide a transcript of an entry. For other records, we provide a copy.

If you require us to certify a document as a true and accurate copy of an original entry in a document in our collections you can request a certified copy or transcript of:

• parish register entries, including baptism, marriage and burials
• vehicle registration records
• certification of your own information, including magistrates court records, other institution records and subject access requests.

Reuse an image from the archives

Contact us about reproduction rights if you want to publish a document we hold at the archives. That might be in your own publication, website, exhibition or TV programme.

Give us as much information as possible (including the document's reference number) so we can check if the items can be reproduced. This may take us some time so please do give us as much notice as possible.

Look at a document from our collection 

When you find a record that you want to view in person, you can pre-order the document so it's ready when you arrive. You don't need to book a seat ahead of your visit.

You can also pre-order documents we hold off-site (PDF 153KB). Order by 11am or 2.30pm and they'll be ready to view within an hour.

View a document at the archives

To view documents at the archives you will need a Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies Readers ticket (HART). To get one of these on the day of your visit you will need to bring a proof of identity and address with a signature, such as:

• driving licence
• passport
• recent utility bill.

Access restrictions – rules about the records you can see

Sometimes there are documents in the archives that you can't view.  These are 'access restrictions'.

Read more about access restrictions – Access to Records – Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies.