Order a birth, marriage, or death certificate

Before making a request for a vital record, you will need:

• The subject’s name
• Date of the event
• Place of the event
• Proof of your identification (ID)
  • Acceptable forms of ID: Preferably a driver’s license (even expired) or Government issued Photo ID

You may also be required to provide documentation showing how your relation to the subject of the record, if you're a legal guardian or representative.

Years available

Records of Births, Marriages, and Deaths that occurred in Massachusetts from 1931 through 1935 have recently been transferred to Massachusetts State Archives. Please check this webpage for updates and contact the Archives Reference Staff for more information: archives@sec.state.ma.us or 617-727-2816.

Pre-1936 Birth and Death records may also be available at the City/Town where the event occurred. Pre-1936 Marriage records may also be available at the City/Town where the Marriage intentions were filed.

Only certified copies of records are issued by the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, regardless of intended use. 

The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics maintains indexes and records on site at the Registry offices. There is no specific records information or index online. 

If you are looking for Vital Record information but do not need or want a certified copy we have genealogical research hours available.

Access to records of births to unwed parents is restricted to the:

• Child
• Parents
• Father not listed on the record (this requires documentation supporting paternity)
• Legal guardian (this requires documentation supporting guardianship)
• Legal representative (this requires documentation supporting representation)

Access to marriage records of a person born to unwed parents is restricted to the:

• Bride
• Groom
• Legal representative (this requires documentation supporting representation)
• Parents
• Legal guardians (this requires documentation supporting guardianship)

Access to birth records prior to adoption is restricted to the:

• An adult adoptee (18 years or older) who was born in Massachusetts.
• An adult child (18 years or older) of a deceased parent who was an adoptee born in Massachusetts.
• The parent or legal guardian of a child (under 18 years of age) whose deceased parent was an adoptee born in Massachusetts.
• The adoptive parent of a child (under 18 years of age) born in Massachusetts.