Middlesex County Vital Records

Middlesex County death records are maintained by town clerks in each of the 15 towns that make up the county. Connecticut does not keep death certificates at the county level. Each town registrar files and stores vital records for events in that town. Only one town in Middlesex County has a population over 25,000: Middletown with 48,616 residents. If you need a death certificate from Middlesex County, request it from the town where the death took place or from the State Vital Records Office in Hartford. Both charge $20 per certified copy under state law.

How Death Records Work

Connecticut has a town-based system for vital records. Middlesex County does not have a central office for death certificates. Each of the 15 towns keeps its own records. When a death takes place in Middlesex County, the funeral director or medical examiner files the certificate with the town where it happened. That town becomes the official keeper of the record.

Under C.G.S. § 7-36, every town registrar must send a copy of each death certificate to the state by the 15th of the next month. The State Vital Records Office in Hartford builds a statewide database of all deaths from July 1897 to now. This gives you two ways to get death records from Middlesex County: ask the town directly or ask the state. Towns process requests much faster, often the same day or within a few business days.

The Middletown City Clerk serves the largest city in Middlesex County. Their office is at City Hall, 245 Dekoven Drive, Middletown, CT 06457. Call (860) 638-4960 for help with death records. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Middletown charges $20 for each certified death certificate, which is the fee set by state law for all towns in Middlesex County.

All 15 towns in Middlesex County follow the same rules for death records. The fee is always $20 per certified copy. Anyone age 18 or older can request a copy. You do not need to be a family member. The only limit is that Social Security numbers are redacted for deaths on or after July 1, 1997, unless you are the spouse or next of kin.

Middlesex County Town Clerks

Middletown is the county seat and largest city in Middlesex County. The city clerk office handles all vital records for deaths that took place in Middletown. Staff can search for records by name or date. They keep files going back many decades. If you visit in person with valid ID, they can often give you a certified copy right away.

Other towns in Middlesex County include Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Portland, Westbrook, and Old Saybrook. Each town has its own clerk office. Some are open five days a week, while others have limited hours. Call ahead to check before you visit a town clerk in Middlesex County.

Most towns in Middlesex County take cash, check, or money order for payment. Some accept credit cards with a small processing fee. Online ordering through VitalChek is available for all towns. VitalChek is the only third-party vendor approved by Connecticut. They charge the $20 certificate fee plus processing and shipping costs.

Three Ways to Get Certificates

You can request death records from Middlesex County in person, by mail, or online. Each method works, but the speed and steps are different. Pick the one that fits your needs.

In-person requests are fastest for Middlesex County. Go to the town clerk office where the death happened. Bring photo ID with you. The clerk gives you an application to fill out. Write the name of the deceased, date of death, your name and address, and why you need the record. Pay $20 per copy using cash, check, or money order. Most town clerks give you the certified copy the same day if the record is on file. Some small towns may need a day or two to find old records.

Mail requests work well if you cannot visit Middlesex County in person. Download the town death certificate application from portal.ct.gov/dph/vital-records/applications-and-forms. Fill it out completely. Make a money order for $20 per copy payable to the town name. Include a photocopy of your valid ID. Mail everything to the town clerk. They process your request and send you the certified death certificate. This takes one to three weeks for most towns in Middlesex County.

Online ordering is convenient for Middlesex County. Use VitalChek to order from any town in the county. The site takes all major credit cards. You pay the $20 certificate fee plus processing and shipping charges. Most orders ship in a few business days. You can choose expedited shipping if you need the death certificate quickly. VitalChek is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Note: Very old death records from Middlesex County may not be in electronic systems yet, so you may need to use mail or in-person requests for deaths before 1950.

Required Information for Requests

All death certificate requests in Middlesex County need certain facts. Town clerks use this information to search their files and find the right record. Have these details ready before you start your request:

• Full name of deceased person
• Date of death or at least the year
• Town where death took place
• Date of birth of deceased
• Full names of deceased person's parents
• Mother's maiden name
• Your name and mailing address
• Your relationship to deceased person
• Reason for requesting the record

If you do not have all these facts, provide what you can. Town clerks in Middlesex County may still be able to search for the record. Parent names and dates help when the deceased has a common name. The more information you give, the faster they can locate the death certificate.

Photo ID is required for in-person requests in Middlesex County. Valid forms include driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID. Mail and online requests need a copy of one of these. If you do not have primary ID, you can use two secondary forms: Social Security card, utility bill from the last 90 days, voter registration card, or car registration with your name and address.

Who Can Request Death Records

Death certificates in Middlesex County are public records under C.G.S. § 7-51a. Any person age 18 or older can buy a certified copy. You do not need to be related to the deceased. You do not need to show a special reason. As long as you fill out the form, pay the fee, and provide valid ID, the town clerk will process your request.

There is one privacy rule for Middlesex County. 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. Everyone else gets a certified copy with that number blocked out. This protects against identity theft while keeping the rest of the death record open to the public.

Funeral directors in Middlesex County can also see the Social Security number if they request it within 60 days of the death. After 60 days, even funeral directors get copies with the number redacted. This rule applies to all towns in Middlesex County.

State Vital Records Office

You can also request death records from Middlesex County through the state. The Connecticut Department of Public Health State Vital Records Office is at 410 Capitol Avenue, MS#11VRS, Hartford, CT 06106. Call (860) 509-7700 for help. 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 service hours are the same but may vary by day.

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

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

The state has death records from July 1, 1897 to the present for all towns in Middlesex County. If a death happened before 1897, contact the Connecticut State Library at (860) 757-6580 for help with historical records research.

Free Copies for Veteran Families

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

To get the free copy in Middlesex County, visit the town clerk with your photo ID and proof of relationship. A marriage certificate shows you are the spouse. Your birth certificate shows you are the child. The veteran's birth certificate shows you are the parent. The town clerk checks the death certificate for veteran status. If it appears on the record, they give you one free certified copy. All extra copies cost $20 each.

Funeral directors serving veteran families in Middlesex County can also get one free copy at the time of death. This helps the family get documents quickly for burial and benefits without paying the standard fee.

Fixing Errors on Death Certificates

Mistakes on death certificates in Middlesex County can be corrected through an official amendment process. Under C.G.S. § 19a-42, amendments must follow procedures set by the Commissioner of Public Health. You cannot change a death certificate just because you disagree with what it says. There must be a real error or new facts that were not known when the certificate was filed.

If the error is about the cause of death in Middlesex County, special rules apply. The original death certificate is sealed and kept in a confidential file at the state office. A copy is made, and the wrong information is removed so it is not 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 Middlesex County, contact the town clerk where the death took place. They can tell you what proof you need. Common errors include misspelled names, wrong dates, or incorrect parent names. You may need to provide birth certificates, marriage licenses, or other documents. There may be a fee to process the amendment. After the correction is made, you pay $20 for each new certified copy with the fixed information.

Electronic Vital Records System

Connecticut has moved to an electronic system for vital records. Under C.G.S. § 19a-41, authorized entities including funeral directors, health care facilities, and local registrars can file death certificates electronically. This speeds up the filing process and makes records easier to search in Middlesex County.

The electronic system uses security protocols to protect private information. Each person who files a record has a unique login. Electronic signatures are valid under state law. The system tracks who files each record and when they do it. This creates a clear record of the filing process for death certificates in Middlesex County.

Not all old records are in the electronic system yet. Towns in Middlesex County are working to digitize older files, but some may still be on paper or microfilm. If you need a very old death certificate, the town clerk may need extra time to search paper files.

Historical Records and Research

The Connecticut State Library helps with historical death records from Middlesex County. The Death Records Index 1897-2001 is available on Connecticut Open Data. You can search by name, place, and date. The index does not have the full certificate, but it tells you where and when the death was recorded. Use this to find the right town to contact in Middlesex County.

For deaths before July 1897 in Middlesex County, check the Barbour Collection at the state library. This collection has pre-1850 vital records from many Connecticut towns. Records are indexed and open for research. You can visit the library in person or call for help finding old death records from Middlesex County.

The state publishes a yearly Registration Report with counts of births, deaths, fetal deaths, and marriages. These reports go back to 1992. They show the number of events in each county and town. You can use these reports to see trends in death rates over time for Middlesex County.

Major Towns in Middlesex County

Middletown is the only town in Middlesex County with a population over 25,000. It serves as the county seat and processes the most death certificate requests:

Other towns in Middlesex County include Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook. All have town clerk offices that maintain death records for their area. Each follows the same state law and charges $20 per certified copy.

Nearby Counties

These counties share a border with Middlesex County. If you are not sure which county a town is in, call the State Vital Records Office at (860) 509-7700: