Access Windham County Death Records

Windham County death records are maintained at the town level across all 16 municipalities. Connecticut has no county-level vital records system. Each town clerk office keeps death certificates for deaths that occurred within that town's borders. This has been the practice for over a century. The state office in Hartford also has copies from July 1897 forward. Anyone 18 or older can request a death certificate. You need to know which Windham County town has the record before you start your request.

Town Clerk Offices in Windham County

Each of the 16 towns in Windham County has a town clerk who serves as the local registrar of vital statistics. When a death occurs, the information is filed with the town clerk. Funeral directors and medical examiners submit death certificates electronically or on paper. The clerk reviews each one and adds it to the permanent record. A copy goes to the state within 15 days under Connecticut General Statutes § 7-36. This dual filing system protects Windham County records.

Windham is the largest town in Windham County, though its population is just under 25,000. The main village is Willimantic. Windham Town Clerk is at Town Hall, P.O. Box 94, Willimantic, CT 06226. Call (860) 465-3015 for office hours and fees. They offer online ordering through Permitium and VitalDirector. Death certificates cost $20 per copy. Walk-in service is available on weekdays. This office handles a high volume of requests in Windham County.

Plainfield is another major town in Windham County. Plainfield Town Clerk is at Town Hall, 8 Community Avenue, Plainfield, CT 06374. Phone is (860) 230-3000. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The fee structure is the same as other towns in Windham County. Bring ID and know the details of the death you are searching for.

Killingly Town Clerk serves the Killingly area. The office is at Town Hall, 172 Main Street, Killingly, CT 06239. Call (860) 779-5308 for questions about death records. Hours vary by day. They are open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The cost is $20 per certificate as set by state law in Windham County.

How to Request Death Certificates

Find out which town in Windham County the death occurred in. This is the town where the event took place. It may be different from where the person lived. Hospitals and nursing homes register deaths in the town where the facility is located. Home deaths go to the town where the home was at the time of death in Windham County.

Connecticut law at C.G.S. § 7-51a allows anyone 18 or older to buy a death certificate. You do not need to prove you are family. Fill out the standard state request form. Download it from the Connecticut Department of Public Health website. Most Windham County clerks use this form. You can also get a blank form at the town hall.

Details needed for your request in Windham County:

• Full name of deceased
• Date of death or approximate year
• Place of death (town name)
• Mother's maiden name if known
• Father's name if known
• Your name and address
• Your relationship to the deceased
• Reason for the request

Walk in during office hours for fastest service. Most Windham County town clerks can issue a copy the same day if the record is recent. Older records may take longer to locate. Some towns store old files in separate locations. If you need a record from decades ago, call ahead to see if the clerk needs time to retrieve it in Windham County.

Mail requests are also accepted. Send your completed form, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order for $20. Make the money order payable to the town name. Mail to the town clerk address. Allow two to three weeks for processing. Some towns are faster than others in Windham County. Do not send cash by mail.

Note: If the town clerk does not have the record, they can tell you where to look next in Windham County.

Online Ordering Options

Windham offers online death certificate orders through Permitium/VitalDirector. This service is available for Windham town records. It works 24 hours a day. You pay the certificate fee plus a processing fee. Credit cards are accepted. Orders are processed faster than mail. Check if other Windham County towns use this system.

Some Windham County towns also use VitalChek. VitalChek is the only third-party vendor approved by Connecticut. It handles orders for participating towns. You pay extra fees for processing and shipping. All major credit cards work. Delivery is faster than going through the mail in Windham County.

The Connecticut State Library has a free death index. It covers 1897 to 2001. Search by name to find when and where someone died. The index does not give you a certificate. It tells you which Windham County town to contact. Use this if you do not know the exact town where the death occurred.

Connecticut publishes annual vital statistics reports. These show death counts by town and county. They do not list individual names. Researchers use the data to study health patterns. Reports are free on the Department of Public Health website. Data goes back to 1992 for Windham County and all Connecticut areas.

Connecticut Death Record Laws

Death certificates are public records in Connecticut. Most of the information is available to anyone who requests it. The Social Security number is protected. Only the spouse or next of kin can get the SSN for deaths after July 1, 1997. This privacy rule is in C.G.S. § 7-51a. Funeral directors can get the SSN within 60 days of death. All others receive a redacted copy from Windham County towns.

Town clerks must keep vital records secure. Connecticut uses an electronic death registration system. C.G.S. § 19a-41 allows authorized entities to file death information online. Funeral directors, hospitals, medical examiners, and town registrars can access the system. Electronic records are as valid as paper ones. Security protocols prevent unauthorized access in Windham County.

Amendments to death certificates follow strict rules. C.G.S. § 19a-42 requires supporting documents for any change. If the cause of death is corrected, the original text stays on the record. A copy is made with the new information. The state seals the original. Only the Commissioner of Public Health can unseal it. This protects the accuracy of Windham County death records.

Veterans' families get special benefits under C.G.S. § 7-74. The spouse, child, or parent of a deceased veteran can get one free certified copy. You must show proof of relationship and a valid ID. The death certificate must list the person as a veteran. Bring your marriage certificate, birth certificate, or the deceased's birth certificate to prove the relationship in Windham County.

Historical Records and Research

Death records before July 1897 are not at Windham County town clerk offices. The Connecticut State Library has older records. The Barbour Collection includes pre-1850 vital records from many towns. This covers births, marriages, and deaths. Contact the State Library History and Genealogy Unit to search for old death records from Windham County towns.

Church records and cemetery records can help with genealogy research. Many Windham County churches kept burial registers in the 1800s and early 1900s. Cemetery offices have plot maps and burial logs. These are not official vital records but provide useful information. Ask local historical societies where church records are stored in Windham County.

Genealogical society members can access restricted records. Connecticut law gives members of incorporated genealogical societies access to records over 100 years old. Apply to the State Vital Records Office with proof of membership. This access is for research purposes. You cannot use it to get certified copies for legal matters in Windham County.

State Office Alternative

The Connecticut Department of Public Health has copies of all death records from July 1897 to the present. This includes all Windham County deaths. The state 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 for current hours before you visit.

State certificates cost $20 per copy. Processing takes up to 12 weeks. Payment must be a money order made out to Treasurer, State of Connecticut. They do not take personal checks or cash. Credit cards have a $2.50 fee. Use the state office if the Windham County town clerk does not have the record you need. The state is a good backup but slower than town offices.

Online ordering through VitalChek works for state records. VitalChek charges extra fees but is faster than regular mail. You can order 24 hours a day. All major credit cards are accepted. This is the only approved third-party service for Connecticut death records from Windham County or anywhere else in the state.

Towns in Windham County

Windham County has 16 towns. Each maintains its own death records. No Windham County town has a population over 25,000, so none have dedicated city pages on this site. However, you can still contact any town clerk directly to request death certificates.

Towns in Windham County include Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Eastford, Hampton, Killingly, Plainfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Scotland, Sterling, Thompson, Windham, and Woodstock. Contact the town clerk in the town where the death occurred to request a certificate. All charge $20 per copy and are open weekdays.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Windham County. If you are not sure which county a town is in, contact the town clerk or check an online map. Each town maintains its own vital records.