Litchfield County Death Records

Death records in Litchfield County are kept by town clerks. Connecticut does not have county-level vital records offices. Each of the 26 towns in Litchfield County holds death certificates for events that took place there. Only two towns in the county have populations over 25,000: Torrington with 35,673 people and New Milford with 28,745 people. If you need a death certificate from Litchfield County, you must request it from the town where the death happened or from the State Vital Records Office in Hartford. Both charge $20 per copy.

Town-Based Vital Records

Litchfield County vital records work the same way as all Connecticut counties. There is no county office for death certificates. Each town registrar of vital statistics files and keeps death records. This system has been in place since Connecticut started its statewide vital records registry in 1897.

When a death takes place in Litchfield County, the funeral director or medical examiner files the death certificate with the town registrar. Under C.G.S. § 7-36, the registrar must send a copy to the state by the 15th day of the next month. The town keeps the original in its files. You can get certified copies from either the town or the state, but the town is almost always faster in Litchfield County.

The Litchfield Town Clerk serves the county seat. Their office is at Town Hall, PO Box 488, Litchfield, CT 06759. Call (860) 567-7561 for help. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Litchfield charges $20 for each certified death certificate, which is the standard fee set by state law for all of Litchfield County.

The Litchfield website provides clear steps for how to get vital records including death certificates. It lists fees, forms, and contact details for requests in Litchfield County.

Torrington and New Milford Clerks

Torrington is the largest town in Litchfield County. The Torrington Town Clerk is at the Municipal Building, 140 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790. You can reach them at (860) 489-2241. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Torrington processes death certificate requests for all deaths that took place within the town. The fee is $20 per certified copy in Litchfield County.

The Torrington website has information on town clerk services including vital records. Residents can find forms and contact information for getting death certificates from Litchfield County.

New Milford is the second largest town in Litchfield County with over 28,000 people. The New Milford Town Clerk is at Town Hall, 10 Main Street, New Milford, CT 06776. Call (860) 354-9346 to ask about death records. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Like all towns in Litchfield County, New Milford charges $20 per certified death certificate.

Other towns in Litchfield County include Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Plymouth, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, Warren, Washington, Watertown, Winchester, and Woodbury. Each town has a town clerk who maintains death records for that area.

Three Ways to Request Records

You can get death certificates from Litchfield County by going in person, mailing a request, or ordering online. Each method has benefits. Pick the one that fits your needs and timeline.

In-person requests are the fastest way to get death records from Litchfield County. Visit the town clerk office in the town where the death took place. Bring valid photo ID with you. The clerk gives you an application form to fill out. You write the deceased person's name, date of death, your name and address, and why you need the record. Pay $20 per copy using cash, check, or money order. Most towns give you the certified copy right away if they have the record in their files. Old records may take an extra day or two to locate in Litchfield County.

Mail requests work well if you cannot visit the town clerk in Litchfield County. Download the town death certificate application from portal.ct.gov/dph/vital-records/applications-and-forms. Fill out the form completely. Make a money order for $20 per copy payable to the town name. Do not make it out to the town clerk or a person. Include a photocopy of your valid ID. Mail all of this to the town clerk office. The clerk processes your request and mails you the certified death certificate. This usually takes one to three weeks for towns in Litchfield County.

Online ordering through VitalChek is available for death records from Litchfield County. VitalChek is the only third-party vendor that Connecticut approves. You pay the $20 certificate fee plus processing and shipping charges. The site takes all major credit cards. Most orders ship within a few business days. You can pay extra for expedited shipping if you need the death certificate quickly from Litchfield County.

Note: Some small towns in Litchfield County may not have electronic records for deaths before a certain year, so you may need to use mail or in-person requests for very old records.

Details Required for Requests

Every death certificate request in Litchfield County needs specific information. Town clerks use these facts to search their files. The more you provide, the faster they find the right record. Gather this information before you submit your request:

• Full name of deceased person
• Date of death or year
• Town where death happened
• Date of birth of deceased
• Names of deceased person's parents including mother's maiden name
• Your full name and address
• Your relationship to deceased
• Purpose for requesting the record

If you do not know all of these facts, give what you have. The town clerk in Litchfield County may still find the record. Parent names help a lot when the deceased has a common name like Smith or Johnson. The more details you provide, the less time it takes to locate the death certificate.

Photo ID is required for all in-person requests in Litchfield County. Valid forms include driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID. For mail and online requests, send a photocopy of one of these. If you do not have primary ID, you can use two secondary forms such as a Social Security card, recent utility bill with your name and address, voter registration card, or car registration.

Who Can Obtain Death Records

Connecticut law makes death records public. Under C.G.S. § 7-51a, any person 18 years old or older can buy a certified copy of a death certificate from Litchfield County. You do not need to be related to the deceased. You do not need a special reason. As long as you fill out the form, pay the fee, and provide ID, the town clerk will give you the death certificate.

There is one privacy rule. For deaths 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 get a certified copy with the Social Security number redacted. This rule prevents identity theft while keeping the rest of the death record public in Litchfield County.

The funeral director who handled the body can also see the Social Security number, but only if they request it within 60 days of the date of disposition. After 60 days, even funeral directors get copies with the number blocked out in Litchfield County.

State Vital Records Office

The Connecticut Department of Public Health State Vital Records Office is another option for getting death certificates from Litchfield County. Their office is at 410 Capitol Avenue, MS#11VRS, Hartford, CT 06106. Call (860) 509-7700 for help with death records. Walk-in hours are 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. Phone hours are similar but check the website at portal.ct.gov/dph/vital-records for current times.

The state office charges $20 per certified copy, the same as towns in Litchfield County. Payment must be by cash or money order made out to Treasurer, State of Connecticut. Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted for in-person requests. Online orders through VitalChek do take credit cards with added fees.

Processing time at the state office is up to twelve weeks. This is much slower than going to a town clerk in Litchfield County. Most town clerks give you the copy in one to three days. Use the state office only if you do not know which town the death took place in or if the town clerk cannot find the record.

The state has all death records from July 1, 1897 to the present for every town in Litchfield County. If a death happened before 1897, contact the Connecticut State Library for help finding historical records.

Free Certificates for Veteran Families

Connecticut gives one free death certificate to close family members of deceased veterans. Under C.G.S. § 7-74(c), a spouse, child, or parent can get one certified copy at no charge. This applies to all towns in Litchfield County. You must show proof of your relationship and the death certificate must list the deceased as a veteran.

To claim this benefit in Litchfield County, bring your photo ID and proof of relationship to the town clerk. A marriage certificate proves you are the spouse. Your birth certificate proves you are the child. The veteran's birth certificate proves you are the parent. The town clerk checks the death certificate for veteran status. If it is there, they give you one free certified copy. All extra copies cost $20 each.

Funeral directors who serve veteran families in Litchfield County can also get one free copy at the time of death. This helps the family get needed documents quickly without paying the fee.

Correcting Death Certificate Errors

Errors on death certificates in Litchfield County can be fixed through an official amendment process. Under C.G.S. § 19a-42, the Commissioner of Public Health sets uniform procedures for all amendments. You cannot change a death certificate just because you want it to say something else. There must be a real mistake or new information that was not available when the certificate was filed.

Amendments to the cause of death require special handling in Litchfield County. The original death certificate is sealed and stored in a confidential file at the state office. A copy is made. The wrong information is removed from that copy so it is no longer visible. The amended copy becomes the new public record. Only the Commissioner of Public Health can order the sealed original to be opened.

For other types of corrections in Litchfield County, contact the town clerk where the death took place. They can tell you what proof you need. Common errors include wrong spelling of names, incorrect dates, or wrong parent names. You may need to provide birth certificates, marriage licenses, or other official documents. There may be a fee to process the amendment. Once the correction is made, you pay $20 for each certified copy with the corrected information.

Historical Death Records

For old death records in Litchfield County, the Connecticut State Library has resources. The Death Records Index 1897-2001 is now on Connecticut Open Data. You can search by name, place, and date. The index does not show the full certificate, but it tells you where and when the death was recorded. Use this to figure out which town to contact for the official copy in Litchfield County.

For deaths before July 1897 in Litchfield County, check the Barbour Collection at the Connecticut State Library. This collection has vital records from before 1850 for many towns. The records are indexed by name and type of event. You can visit the library in person or call (860) 757-6580 for help with research.

The state also publishes a yearly Registration Report with statistics on births, deaths, fetal deaths, and marriages. These reports go back to 1992. They show how many events took place in each county and town. You can use this to see trends in death rates over time for Litchfield County.

Towns Over 25,000 Population

Only two towns in Litchfield County have populations over 25,000. These are the towns most likely to have a high volume of death certificate requests:

Other towns in Litchfield County include Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Plymouth, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, Warren, Washington, Watertown, Winchester, and Woodbury. All have town clerk offices that keep death records.

Nearby Counties

These counties share a border with Litchfield County. If you are not sure which county a town belongs to, check with the State Vital Records Office: