Find Death Records in Wethersfield

Wethersfield death records are kept by the Town Clerk at Town Hall, 505 Silas Deane Highway. This Hartford County town has about 27,000 residents. The town clerk maintains death certificates for all deaths that occurred in Wethersfield or for Wethersfield residents who died elsewhere in Connecticut. Certified copies cost $20 each, which is the same fee charged across all Connecticut towns. Walk-in service is available Monday through Friday, and most requests are completed the same day if the record is on file.

Wethersfield Town Clerk Office

Death certificates in Wethersfield are available at the Town Clerk's office at Town Hall. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (860) 721-2890 before you visit if you want to ask about a specific record or confirm office hours. Bring a valid photo ID when you request a death certificate in person.

When you request a death certificate, provide the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the place of death. If you know the parents' names, include those too. The clerk uses this information to locate the correct record in their system. More details help them process your request faster.

Each certified death certificate costs $20. This is the standard fee set by Connecticut state law. You must pay with cash or money order made payable to the Town of Wethersfield. Personal checks are not accepted. If you want more than one copy of the same record, each additional copy costs $20. Walk-in customers usually get their certificates on the same day if the record is on file.

State Vital Records Office

You can also request Wethersfield death records from the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The state office maintains copies of all death records from July 1, 1897 to the present. This includes deaths in Wethersfield and deaths of Wethersfield residents that occurred elsewhere. The state office address is 410 Capitol Avenue, MS#11VRS, Hartford, CT 06106.

Requests sent to the state office can take up to twelve weeks to process. This is much slower than town office requests. The state fee is also $20 per certificate. You must pay by money order made out to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut." The state office does not accept personal checks or credit cards for mail orders. For faster service, order from the Wethersfield Town Clerk instead of the state.

The state office has limited walk-in hours. They are 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 state office building. Walk-in customers can pay with cash, money order, or credit card. A $2.50 fee applies to credit card transactions. Call the state office at (860) 509-7700 if you have questions or visit portal.ct.gov/dph/vital-records/death-certificates.

Online Ordering Through VitalChek

Wethersfield death records can be ordered online using VitalChek. This is the only online vendor approved by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. VitalChek is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can place an order any time. Visit vitalchek.com to start your order.

Online orders through VitalChek cost more than in-person or mail orders. VitalChek charges the $20 state fee plus processing fees and shipping fees. You can choose standard or expedited shipping. Faster shipping costs more. All major credit cards are accepted. You can also order by phone at 1-888-279-9888. Phone orders have the same fees as online orders.

Who Can Request Death Records

Connecticut law allows any person age 18 or older to buy a certified copy of a death record. You do not need to be related to the deceased to request a Wethersfield death certificate. You do not need to provide a reason for wanting the record. This is stated in Connecticut General Statutes Section 7-51a.

One restriction applies to the social security number. For deaths on or after July 1, 1997, only the surviving spouse or next of kin can get a copy that shows the deceased person's social security number. All other requesters get a copy with the number redacted. Funeral directors can also get the social security number, but only within 60 days of the death date. After 60 days, even funeral directors get the redacted version.

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

Free Certificates for Veteran Families

Connecticut provides one free certified death certificate to the spouse, child, or parent of a deceased veteran. This fee waiver is in Connecticut General Statutes Section 7-74. To qualify, you must show a valid government-issued photo ID and proof of your relationship to the deceased veteran.

Examples of proof include a marriage certificate if you are the spouse, your birth certificate if you are the child, or the deceased's birth certificate if you are the parent. The death certificate must show that the deceased was a veteran. If all requirements are met, the Wethersfield Town Clerk will give you one free certified copy. Extra copies beyond the first still cost $20 each.

Funeral directors can also get one free copy of a veteran's death certificate when they request it on behalf of the family at the time of death. This helps families save money during a difficult time. The funeral director must request the certificate while making the final arrangements for the deceased veteran.

Note: The veteran status must be clearly marked on the death certificate for the fee waiver to apply.

Amending Death Records

If there is an error on a Wethersfield death certificate, you can request an amendment. Connecticut law sets the rules for how amendments work. These rules are in Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-42. Not all errors can be fixed. Clerical mistakes and typos are usually corrected. Changes to the cause of death require medical documentation.

Start the amendment process by contacting the Wethersfield Town Clerk. The clerk can explain what forms you need and what proof to provide. Some amendments must go through the state Department of Public Health instead of the town. The state has final authority on whether to approve an amendment. A fee may apply for processing your request.

When the cause of death is amended, the original wording must stay visible. A copy of the original certificate is sealed in a confidential file at the state office. Only the Commissioner of Public Health can order it unsealed. The amended version becomes the public record. Future certified copies will show the amended information, not the original wording.

Older Wethersfield Death Records

Death records from Wethersfield 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 library maintains the Barbour Collection, which includes vital records from many towns for events before 1850. Visit libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/home for more details.

The state library also has a death records index covering 1897 to 2001. This index shows the name, place, and date of death for people who died in Connecticut. It does not include full certificates. The index helps researchers find which records to order. You can search the index at this page for free.

If you are researching Wethersfield family history, the state library staff can assist you. Call (860) 757-6580 or email csl.history@ct.gov for research help. Members of incorporated genealogical societies may have access to records that are 100 years old or more, which are not available to the general public.

Hartford County Death Records

Wethersfield 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. For more information on how death records work in Hartford County, including links to other town clerk offices and state resources, see the Hartford County page.

View Hartford County Death Records

Nearby Towns

Other towns near Wethersfield include Hartford, West Hartford, Newington, and Glastonbury. Each town clerk maintains its own death records. If you need records from multiple towns, you must contact each office separately. All Connecticut towns charge $20 per certified death certificate.