Vernon Death Certificates

The town of Vernon maintains death records for all deaths that occur within town limits. As one of Hartford County's larger towns with over 30,000 residents, Vernon keeps its own vital records through the Town Clerk's office. Anyone age 18 or older can request a death certificate for a fee. The town clerk handles death certificates for deaths in Vernon going back to 1897 when state record keeping began. You can also get Vernon death records through the state vital records office in Hartford.

How to Get Death Records in Vernon

Death certificates for Vernon are maintained at the Vernon Town Clerk's office. If the death occurred in Vernon or the person was a Vernon resident, you can request the record from the town. The town clerk office is at 228 Hartford Turnpike. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call ahead at (860) 870-3660 if you have questions about what you need to bring or what records are on file.

You need to give info about the deceased when you ask for a death record in Vernon. This helps the clerk find the right file. You should know the full name, date of death, and where the death took place. Parents' names can help too if you have them. The more detail you give, the faster they can find your record.

The cost for a certified death certificate in Vernon is $20 per copy. This is the same fee across all Connecticut towns. Payment must be cash or money order made payable to the Town of Vernon. Personal checks are not accepted. If you want more than one copy, each additional copy costs $20. Town requests usually process faster than state requests since the town office is smaller and has fewer orders to fill.

State Records Office Option

You can also order Vernon death records through the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The state office has copies of all death records from July 1897 to the present. This includes deaths that happened in Vernon or deaths of Vernon residents that took place elsewhere. The state office is at 410 Capitol Avenue in Hartford.

State requests take longer to process than town requests. The state office says it can take up to twelve weeks to get your copy. The fee is still $20 per certificate. You must pay with a money order made out to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut." Credit cards and checks are not accepted for mail orders. If you need a death record from Vernon quickly, the town clerk office is a better choice than the state.

Walk-in service at the state office is limited. The office is open Monday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Friday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You need photo ID to enter the building. Payments at the walk-in counter can be cash, money order, or credit card with a $2.50 fee. For more info, visit portal.ct.gov/dph/vital-records/death-certificates.

Online Ordering for Vernon Death Certificates

Vernon residents can order death certificates online through VitalChek. This is the only third-party vendor approved by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. VitalChek is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can use any major credit card. Visit vitalchek.com to place an order.

Online orders through VitalChek cost more than orders by mail or in person. VitalChek adds processing fees and shipping fees on top of the $20 state certificate fee. Expedited shipping costs more. Standard shipping takes longer but saves money. The site lets you choose the speed that fits your needs. You can also call VitalChek at 1-888-279-9888 to order by phone.

Who Can Request Death Records

Connecticut law says any person age 18 or older can buy a certified copy of a death record. You do not need to be related to the deceased. You do not need to show a reason for wanting the record. This is different from birth records, which have more limits. Death records are public under C.G.S. Section 7-51a.

There is one exception for the social security number. If the death took place on or after July 1, 1997, only the spouse or next of kin can get a copy that shows the social security number. All other people who ask for the record get a version with the number redacted. Funeral directors can also get the social security number within 60 days of the death date. After 60 days, even the funeral director gets the redacted version.

You must be at least 18 years old to request a Vernon death certificate. Minors cannot order records even if they are related to the deceased. If you go to the town clerk office in person, bring a valid photo ID. Accepted forms of ID include a state driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID.

Free Certificates for Veteran Families

Connecticut offers one free certified death certificate to the spouse, child, or parent of a deceased veteran. This waiver is under C.G.S. Section 7-74. You must show proof of your relationship to the veteran and proof that the deceased was a veteran. The veteran status must be noted on the death certificate itself.

To get the free copy in Vernon, bring a valid government-issued photo ID and proof of your relationship. For a spouse, bring your marriage certificate. For a child, bring your birth certificate. For a parent, bring the deceased veteran's birth certificate. If the paperwork is in order and the death certificate shows veteran status, the town clerk will give you one certified copy at no charge. Extra copies beyond the first one still cost $20 each.

Amending Vernon Death Records

If there is an error on a death certificate, you can ask to have it amended. Connecticut law governs how amendments work. You must follow the rules in C.G.S. Section 19a-42. Not all changes are allowed. Minor typos and clerical errors can usually be fixed. Changes to cause of death require medical documentation.

To amend a Vernon death record, contact the town clerk office first. They can tell you what forms you need and what proof to send. Some amendments must go through the state office instead of the town. The state has final say on all amendments. Once an amendment is approved, the old version is sealed and the corrected version becomes the public record. There may be a fee for processing the amendment request.

Note: Amendments that change the cause of death must preserve the original language even after the change is made.

Older Vernon Death Records

Death records in Vernon before 1897 are not kept by the town clerk. Connecticut did not have a statewide vital records system before that year. For older records, contact the Connecticut State Library. The Barbour Collection at the state library has vital records from many Connecticut towns for events before 1850. Visit libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/home for more on historical records.

The Connecticut State Library also has a death records index that covers 1897 to 2001. This index lets researchers find the name, place, and date of death without ordering the full certificate. The index has been migrated to Connecticut Open Data. You can search it at this page. The index is free to use and does not require a login.

If you are doing genealogy research on Vernon families, the state library staff can help you find records. Members of incorporated genealogical societies may have access to records that are 100 years old or more. Call the state library at (860) 757-6580 or email csl.history@ct.gov for research help.

Hartford County Death Records

Vernon is located in Hartford County. Connecticut does not maintain vital records at the county level. All death records are kept by individual towns or by the state office in Hartford. For more information on how vital records work in Hartford County towns, including links to other town clerk offices and state resources, see the Hartford County page.

View Hartford County Death Records

Nearby Connecticut Towns

Other towns near Vernon also maintain their own death records. Each town clerk office operates independently. If you need records from multiple towns, you must contact each office separately. Nearby towns with populations over 25,000 include Manchester, South Windsor, Windsor, and Enfield. Each town charges the same $20 fee for certified death certificates.