New Milford Vital Records
Death records in New Milford are kept by the Town Clerk's office at Town Hall. The clerk maintains vital records for all deaths that occur in New Milford, Connecticut. Any person 18 or older can request a certified copy of a death certificate. The office has records from July 1897 to now. For earlier records, you need to contact the Connecticut State Library, which holds historical vital records in the Barbour Collection. Most in-person requests are filled the same day. Mail requests may take one to two weeks depending on how many requests the office is processing. The town clerk's office is on Main Street in downtown New Milford.
New Milford Quick Facts
Where to Get Death Certificates
The New Milford Town Clerk is the main source for death records. The office issues certified copies for deaths in town. You can visit in person or send a mail request. Walk-in service is faster than mail. Most people get their death certificate the same day when they visit the clerk's office.
| Office | New Milford Town Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 10 Main Street New Milford, CT 06776 |
| Phone | (860) 354-9346 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Fee | $20 per certified copy |
Town Hall is on Main Street in downtown New Milford. Parking is available on the street and in nearby lots. The Town Clerk's office is on the first floor. Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. Staff can help you fill out the request form if needed. Payment is due when you submit your request. The office accepts cash or money order. Call first to ask if credit cards are accepted.
Requesting Death Certificates
Connecticut law allows any adult to ask for a death certificate. You do not have to be related to the deceased. The clerk will ask you to fill out a request form with details about the death and about yourself. For deaths after July 1, 1997, only the spouse or next of kin can get a copy with the social security number shown. All other requesters get a copy with the number redacted.
When you request a death certificate from New Milford, you need to provide:
- Full name of the deceased
- Date of death
- Place of death (New Milford)
- Parents' names if you know them
- Your name and address
- Your relationship to the deceased
- Reason for the request
Use the official death certificate request form from the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Download it at portal.ct.gov/dph/vital-records/applications-and-forms. Fill out all sections before you visit or mail the form. The New Milford clerk's office also has blank forms at the counter. Payment is required when you submit the form. The office accepts cash or money order. Call ahead to confirm which payment methods are accepted.
For mail requests, send the completed form with a copy of your ID and a money order for $20 made payable to the Town of New Milford. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return mail. The mailing address is shown in the table above. Processing time for mail requests is usually one to two weeks. For faster service, visit in person or use online ordering through VitalChek.
State Vital Records Office
The Connecticut Department of Public Health also keeps copies of all New Milford death records. The state office maintains a central registry from July 1897 to the present. You can order from the state if you prefer, but processing takes up to 12 weeks. The town clerk is much faster for most requests.
Contact the state at 410 Capitol Avenue, MS#11VRS, Hartford, CT 06106. Call (860) 509-7700 for questions. Walk-in hours are Monday 9 AM to 1 PM, Wednesday 9 AM to 3:30 PM, and Friday 11 AM to 3:30 PM. The fee is $20 per certified copy. Payment must be cash or money order, or you can use a credit card with a $2.50 fee. The office is closed on observed state holidays.
Most people find the New Milford clerk more convenient. The state office handles requests from all of Connecticut and takes much longer to process each request. Use the state office only if you cannot visit the town clerk during business hours or if you are ordering records from multiple towns and want to send one request to cover all of them.
Note: The state vital records office can take up to 12 weeks to process a request.
Online Ordering with VitalChek
VitalChek is the only third-party vendor approved by Connecticut for online vital records orders. Go to vitalchek.com to place an order. The site is open 24 hours a day. You can pay by credit card. VitalChek charges a service fee on top of the $20 state fee. Shipping costs depend on how fast you need the certificate delivered.
VitalChek orders are filled by the state vital records office, not the town clerk. The state processes the order and mails the certificate. Processing time is faster than a regular mail request to the state but slower than visiting the New Milford clerk in person. Most VitalChek orders are processed within one to two weeks. Rush shipping is available for an extra fee if you need the certificate sooner.
VitalChek is a good choice if you need a death certificate outside normal business hours or if you live far from New Milford and want to avoid mailing documents. The extra cost may be worth it for the convenience of online ordering and faster delivery than regular mail to the state office.
Death Records Law
Connecticut General Statutes set the rules for vital records. Under C.G.S. § 7-51a, any person at least 18 years old can buy a certified copy of a death record. For deaths on or after July 1, 1997, the social security number is given only to the spouse or next of kin. All other requesters get a copy with the number redacted. This protects the privacy of the deceased while keeping death records public.
Veterans and their families have special benefits under C.G.S. § 7-74. The spouse, child, or parent of a deceased veteran can get one free certified copy of the death certificate. You must show proof of your relationship and a valid photo ID. The free copy is only available if the death certificate shows the veteran status. Funeral directors can also get one free copy on behalf of the family if requested within 60 days of the death.
Each town registrar must send copies of death certificates to the state by the 15th of each month. This is required under C.G.S. § 7-36. That is why both the town and the state have the same records. The town usually processes requests faster since it handles fewer requests than the state office does.
Historical Death Records in New Milford
For death records before July 1897, contact the Connecticut State Library. The library has historical vital records in the Barbour Collection. This collection includes pre-1850 vital records for many Connecticut towns, including New Milford. You can search the collection online or visit the library in person. Go to libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/home for more details on historical records research.
The state library also has a death records index from 1897 to 2001. This index lets you find the name, place, and date of death. The index has been moved to Connecticut Open Data. Visit libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hgindexes/DeathRecordsIndex to search the index. Once you find the record you need, you can order a certified copy from the New Milford clerk or the state vital records office.
Other Litchfield County Towns
New Milford is in Litchfield County. Other towns in the county also have their own town clerk offices that handle death records. Each town keeps its own vital records. If the death happened in a different town, you need to contact that town's clerk. New Milford is one of two towns in Litchfield County with a population over 25,000. The other is Torrington.
Towns near New Milford include:
- Torrington - 20 miles northeast
- Danbury - 13 miles south (Fairfield County)
Each of these towns has walk-in hours for vital records. If you need records from multiple towns, you must contact each office separately. Connecticut does not have a single database that covers all town records, though the state office does keep copies from every town in the state.
Litchfield County Death Records
New Milford is in Litchfield County, Connecticut. The county does not maintain vital records, but all towns in the county have their own clerk offices. For more information about death records in Litchfield County and links to other town offices, visit the county page.