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Connecticut Marriage, Death, Birth Records

Marriages were recorded in Connecticut as early as 1640. In fact registration of births, marriages, and deaths had become the town clerk's responsibility by 1650. Since a fine was assessed for not recording an event, some industrious town clerks have excellent, fairly complete records; however, others do not. Following the Revolution to the mid-nineteenth century, the recording is not as thorough, but by 1870 when the State Board of Health was established, recording in all towns improved.

To the present, recording of vital events is the town clerk's responsibility. After 1 July 1897, copies were sent to the State Department of Health, Vital Records Unit, 150 Washington Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106.

The Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection is well known to the Connecticut researcher. It is not only housed in the Connecticut State Library, but microfilm copies of it are widely available. Begun after establishment of the State Department of Health, Barbour's project was to abstract and collect all town vital records up to about 1850. There are two formats to the material. The first is a state-wide paper slip alphabetical index containing a complete abstract of each vital record taken from the books in each town. The card file holding this index takes up an entire wall at the Connecticut State Library. The second format is the group of separately bound volumes of abstracts of vital records for most towns, prepared from the slips.

A recent microfilming project of Connecticut town records between 1850 and 1897 makes it possible to more easily access vital records after the Barbour collection cut-off and before state-wide recording. The microfilms, held by the Connecticut State Library and the FHL, are of original records and are not indexed across towns as is the Barbour collection. After 1 July 1897, the records at the Vital Records Unit are indexed state-wide. Consequently no state-wide index exists between 1850–97, making it necessary to know the town in which the event occurred to locate a record for those years.

Since not all vital events were recorded in the town office, church and cemetery records need to be consulted as well as other genealogical alternatives to official records.

Divorces are presently granted by the superior court although this was not always the case. Most of the early records for Connecticut divorces are at the Connecticut State Library, including the packets of original documents and the superior court records books. Recently, Grace L. Knox and Barbara Ferris have published through Heritage Books a two-volume index to Connecticut divorce packets. Volume one covers New London, Tolland, and Windham counties; volume two covers Litchfield and Hartford counties. Recent divorce packets remain in the court.

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Connecticut State Vital Records Office, 410 Capitol Ave., 1st Floor, Hartford, CT 06134; (860) 509-7897

Birth Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains birth records that occur in Connecticut since July 1897 to the present. Connecticut birth records that are less than 100 years old are not open to the general public. To be eligible to receive a copy of a birth certificate, you must be able to document that you are related to the registrant.
- Cost: $15.00, Make your bank check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send Personal Checks or cash in the mail. Mail to: STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, VITAL RECORDS SECTION, CUSTOMER SERVICES, 410 CAPITOL AVE, MS# 11VRS, P.O. BOX 340308, HARTFORD, CT 06134-0308
- Processing Time: Pprocessing time could be up to 6 months. when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Death Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains death records that occur in Connecticut since July 1897 to the present.
- Cost: $10.00, Make your bank check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send Personal Checks or cash in the mail. Mail to: STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, VITAL RECORDS SECTION, CUSTOMER SERVICES, 410 CAPITOL AVE, MS# 11VRS, P.O. BOX 340308, HARTFORD, CT 06134-0308
- Processing Time: Pprocessing time could be up to 6 months. when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Marriage Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains marriage records that occur in Connecticut since July 1897 to the present.
- Cost: $10.00, Make your bank check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send Personal Checks or cash in the mail. Mail to: STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, VITAL RECORDS SECTION, CUSTOMER SERVICES, 410 CAPITOL AVE, MS# 11VRS, P.O. BOX 340308, HARTFORD, CT 06134-0308
- Processing Time: Pprocessing time could be up to 6 months. when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY

Event: Divorce (court); Remarks: Applicant must contact Clerk of Superior Court where divorce was granted. State office does not have divorce decrees and cannot issue certified copies.

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Click Here to Search Connecticut Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

Below is a list of online resources for Connecticut Vital Records.