Connecticut - How to obtain a Death Certificate

ProcedureEdit

In Person or By Mail

Verify that you are eligible to receive the certificate that you are requesting.
Complete the application and send it, along with a postal money order for the fee amount for each copy of the requested death certificate to the town or to the State Vital Records Office.
Pay the processing fee.

Please note that no searches for vital record information will be conducted by the State office except in response to a submitted application and applicable payment for a vital record. If unsure about any detail of a requested record, such as the exact date or town where the event occurred, complete the application for the record as best as possible and submit it and the necessary payment to the State or town office. If no record of the requested event is found, the submitted payment will be returned to the sender.

Note: The State Vital Records Office does not accept credit cards or online orders for vital records.

Applying Online - VitalCheck

Go online and simply follow the steps to place an order. An additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service and all major credit cards are accepted.

Vitalchek allows its customers to pay for certificates with a credit card and to track the status of ordered certificates that are sent by UPS overnight mail.

Required DocumentsEdit

Completed application form
Laws of Connecticut allows the spouse, child or parent of a deceased veteran to obtain one (1) free copy of the deceaseds death certificate provided the requesting family member presents a copy of their valid Government issued photo I.D. and proof of their relationship to the deceased. Examples of acceptable proof of relationship include a marriage certificate for a spouse, ones own birth certificate, if a child of the deceased, or the deceaseds birth certificate, if a parent of the deceased.

Office Locations & ContactsEdit

Connecticut Department of Public Health

Mailing Address:
Vital Records Office
410 Capitol Ave. MS#11VRS
Hartford, CT 06134-0308

State Vital Records Customer Service Hours of Operation:

Customer Service Window - Hours of Operation

410 Capitol Ave, 8:15AM to 3:45PM Monday - Friday

Telephone Customer Service - for birth, death and marriage certificates

Phone: (860) 509-7700 between the hours of 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm

Telephone Customer Service - for Paternity related questions

Phone (860) 509-7958 between the hours of 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm

Vital Records Fax: (860) 509-7964

Website

Certificates may also be obtained from your local county. Use the contact information below to inquire.

Fairfield County : Town Hall/Independence Hall 611/725 Old Post Road Fairfield, CT 06824
Phone: 203-256-3000

Hartford County : 95 Washington Street Hartford, CT 06103
Phone: 203-566-3170

Litchfield County : PO Box 247 Litchfield, CT 06759
Phone: 203-567-0885

Middlesex County : 265 DeKoven Drive Middletown, CT 06457
Phone: 860-344-2966

New Haven County : 235 Church Street New Haven, CT 06510
Phone: 203-787-7908

New London County : 181 State Street New London, CT 06320
Phone: 860-447-5204

Tolland County : 69 Brooklyn Street Rockville, CT 06066-3643
Phone: 860-875-6294

Windham County : 155 Church Street Putman, CT 06260
Phone: 860-928-2779

EligibilityEdit

A certified copy of a Connecticut death certificate may be purchased for a fee by anyone over the age of 18 years.

Connecticut law states that for deaths occurring on or after July 1, 1997, only the Funeral Director, the surviving spouse, next of kin or federal or state agencies authorized by federal law may receive a copy of a death certificate with the decedents Social Security number or the complete administrative purposes section included on the certificate. Eligible parties must indicate on the Application for a Copy of the Death Certificate form whether they are the spouse or next of kin and whether they want a copy of the certificate with the deceaseds Social Security number. The requester does not need to submit a copy of their photo identification or any proof of relationship to the deceased if they are purchasing the certificate, but such proof is needed if requesting the fee waiver for a copy of a veterans death certificate.

All other requesters will receive a copy of the certificate without the decedents Social Security number. Researchers may request a copy of a death certificate that includes all of the information in the Administrative purposes section of the death certificate except the Social Security number. The other Administrative purposes information includes the occupation, business/industry, race, and educational level of the deceased.

FeesEdit

In Person/Mail

Death Certificate: $20.00 each copy

ValidityEdit

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to UseEdit

Application For Copy of Death Certificate:

Sample DocumentsEdit

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.

Processing TimeEdit

Requests submitted in person: you may obtain your certificate immediately.

The State Vital Records Office, current processing time is approximately six (6) to eight (8) weeks for requests that are received through the mail.

For faster processing, you may also obtain an official, certified copy of the certificate from the town where the event occurred, if a "State" certified copy of a vital record is not needed.

Expedited processing service is available on-line via VitalChek.

InstructionsEdit

A copy of a certified Connecticut vital record may be obtained directly from: the town where the event occurred, or from the state Vital Records Office.

The vital records registrar in each town is responsible for maintaining a registry of all births, marriages, civil unions, deaths and fetal deaths that occur within its town.

The State Vital Records Office at the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) maintains a statewide registry of all births, marriages, civil unions, deaths and fetal deaths that have occurred in CT since July 1, 1897.

Expedited service is also available for an additional fee for requests ordered on-line via VitalChek, itis the only third party vendor approved by Connecticut DPH to accept vital record orders.

Required InformationEdit

Full name of the diseased person
Full name of the applicant
Date of death
Place of death
Age at death
State of birth
Fathers full name
Mothers full name, to include her maiden name
Day time phone number
Requesters relationship to the person named on the certificate
Requesters reason for requesting the certificate
Applicants must submit proof of their relationship or documentation to establish their legal interest in obtaining vital records.

Need for the DocumentEdit

A Death Certificate is a document issued by a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death.

A copy of the death certificate is often necessary when you apply for administrative procedures, such as execution of the will or making funeral arrangements.

Following are procedures on how you can obtain a certified copy of a death certificate.

Information which might helpEdit

Enter other informations which might help

External LinksEdit

Connecticut Department of Public Website:

http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3132&q=388130&dphNav=%7C46940%7C

OthersEdit

The City of Hartford Vital Records Office and the State Vital Records Office are both located in the city of Hartford. If you intend to send a request to the City of Hartford for a vital event that took place in Hartford, you must send it to: 550 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103.
Do NOT send it to the address for the State Vital Records Office (also located in Hartford) unless you intend to purchase a state certified copy of your vital record.