Tolland County Death Certificates

Tolland County death records are kept by each town. Connecticut does not have a county vital records office. The town clerk in the town where the death took place maintains the official file. Tolland County has 13 towns. Each one has a clerk office that issues death certificates. This system ensures local control. The state also keeps copies at the Department of Public Health in Hartford from July 1897 to the present. Requests to towns are usually faster than requests to the state for Tolland County records.

How Tolland County Towns Keep Death Records

Each town clerk in Tolland County acts as the local registrar of vital statistics. When a death occurs, the funeral director or medical examiner files the death certificate with the town clerk. The clerk reviews it for accuracy. Once approved, the certificate becomes a permanent public record. The clerk also sends a copy to the state within 15 days under Connecticut General Statutes § 7-36. This creates a dual system of record keeping in Tolland County.

Vernon is the largest town in Tolland County. Vernon Town Clerk is at Town Hall, 228 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT 06066. Call (860) 870-3660 to check their hours. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The fee for a death certificate is $20. Walk-in service is available. Bring your ID and know the name and date of death you are looking for in Vernon.

Mansfield is the second-largest town in Tolland County. Many people know it as home to the University of Connecticut. Mansfield Town Clerk is at Audrey P. Beck Building, 4 South Eagleville Road, Storrs-Mansfield, CT 06268. Phone is (860) 429-3302. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Death certificates cost $20 per copy. Some college-related deaths are registered in Mansfield if they occurred on campus or in town facilities.

The town of Tolland is the county seat but has a smaller population than Vernon or Mansfield. Tolland Town Clerk is at Town Hall, 21 Tolland Green, Tolland, CT 06084. Call (860) 871-3600 for help with death records. This office has the same $20 fee and weekday hours as other Tolland County towns.

Steps to Get a Death Certificate

Know which town the death occurred in before you start. This is the town where the person died. It may not be the same as where they lived. If someone died in a hospital or nursing home, the facility's town is where the death was registered in Tolland County.

Anyone 18 or older can request a death certificate under C.G.S. § 7-51a. You do not have to be related to the deceased. The law requires you to show ID and fill out a request form. The form is available at the town clerk office or online at the Connecticut Department of Public Health website. Most Tolland County towns use this standard state form.

Information needed for your request:

• Full name of the deceased person
• Date of death or approximate year
• Town where death took place
• Parents' names if known
• Your name and address
• Why you need the certificate

Go to the town clerk office during business hours. Most Tolland County offices can give you a copy the same day if the record is recent. Older records may take more time to locate. Some towns keep older files off-site. Call ahead if you need a record from many years ago in Tolland County.

For mail requests, send the completed form with a copy of your ID and a money order for $20. Make the money order payable to the town name. Do not send cash. Mail to the town clerk office address. Processing takes two to three weeks in most Tolland County towns. Some offer online ordering through VitalChek for faster service.

Note: The state office in Hartford can also issue Tolland County death certificates but may take up to 12 weeks.

Fees and Payment in Tolland County

All Tolland County towns charge $20 for a certified death certificate. This is set by state law. The fee is the same no matter which town you visit. Additional copies requested at the same time may cost less. Ask the clerk about discounts for multiple copies.

Payment methods vary by town. Cash and money orders are accepted everywhere. Some Tolland County clerks take personal checks. A few allow credit card payments with a $2.50 service fee added. Call the specific town clerk before you go to confirm what they accept. Do not send cash by mail.

Veterans' families may qualify for a free certificate. Under C.G.S. § 7-74, the spouse, child, or parent of a deceased veteran can get one copy at no charge. You must show proof of your relationship and a valid photo ID. The veteran status must be listed on the death certificate. Bring a marriage certificate, your birth certificate, or the deceased's birth certificate to prove the relationship in Tolland County.

Privacy Laws for Death Certificates

Death certificates are mostly public in Connecticut. Anyone can see most of the information. The Social Security number is private. Only the spouse or next of kin can get the SSN for deaths after July 1, 1997. This rule is in C.G.S. § 7-51a. Funeral directors can also get the SSN within 60 days of death. Everyone else receives a copy with the number blocked out in Tolland County.

Town clerks must protect vital records from damage and unauthorized access. Files are stored securely. Connecticut now uses an electronic death registration system. C.G.S. § 19a-41 allows funeral directors, hospitals, and medical examiners to file death information online. The town registrar approves each certificate. Electronic records have the same legal weight as paper ones in Tolland County.

Corrections to death certificates follow a strict process under C.G.S. § 19a-42. You need proof of the error. For cause of death changes, the original information stays visible. A copy is made with the correction. The state seals the original record. Only the Commissioner of Public Health can unseal it. This protects the accuracy of Tolland County death records.

Research and Historical Records

The Connecticut State Library has a searchable death index. It covers 1897 to 2001 for all Connecticut towns. You can search by name to find when and where someone died in Tolland County. The index does not give you a certificate. It tells you which town to contact. Use this tool if you do not know where in Tolland County a death occurred.

Connecticut publishes vital statistics reports each year. These reports count deaths by town and county. They do not list individual names. Researchers use them to study health trends. The reports are free on the state website. Data goes back to 1992 for Tolland County and other areas.

For deaths before July 1897, contact the Connecticut State Library History and Genealogy Unit. The Barbour Collection has pre-1850 vital records from most towns. This includes some Tolland County towns. Church records and cemetery records can also help with old deaths. Local historical societies may have transcribed records or know where to find them in Tolland County.

Genealogists who are members of incorporated societies can access certain restricted records over 100 years old. Apply to the State Vital Records Office with proof of membership. This access is for research only. You cannot get certified copies for legal use through this program in Tolland County or elsewhere.

Other Ways to Get Tolland County Death Records

Some Tolland County towns offer online ordering. VitalChek is the only approved third-party vendor for Connecticut. Go to VitalChek to see if your town participates. The site is open 24 hours a day. You pay the $20 certificate fee plus a processing fee and shipping cost. Credit cards are accepted. Orders arrive faster than mail requests.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health has all death records from July 1897 to the present. Their office is at 410 Capitol Avenue, MS#11VRS, Hartford, CT 06106. Phone is (860) 509-7700. Walk-in hours are limited. Check the state website before you go. The state charges $20 per certificate. Processing takes up to 12 weeks. Use the state office if the town does not have the Tolland County record you need.

For urgent needs, go to the town clerk in person. Same-day service is common for recent deaths in Tolland County. Bring exact payment and your ID. Know the details of the death. Most clerks are helpful and can search their files quickly if you have the right information.

Cities and Towns in Tolland County

Tolland County has 13 towns. Each one maintains death records for events within its boundaries. The two largest towns with populations over 25,000 have pages on this site:

Other towns in Tolland County include Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Ellington, Hebron, Somers, Stafford, Tolland, Union, and Willington. Contact the town clerk in the town where the death occurred to request a certificate.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Tolland County. If you are unsure which county a town is in, check with the town clerk or look at a map. Each town keeps its own death records.