2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 7 - Municipalities
Chapter 93 - Registrars of Vital Statistics
Section 7-42 - Duties.

Each registrar of vital statistics shall ascertain as accurately as the registrar can all marriages, deaths and fetal deaths, and all births, upon the affidavit of the father or mother, occurring in the registrar’s town, and record the same in such form and with such particulars as are prescribed by the department. The registrar shall give licenses to marry, according to provisions of law, shall make and perfect all records of the birth and death of the persons born or deceased in the registrar’s town, and, when any birth or death happens of which no certificate is returned to the registrar, shall obtain the information required by law respecting such birth or death. The registrar shall ensure that all certificates of birth, marriage, death and fetal death are fully completed before accepting the certificate for filing. The registrar shall include the Social Security numbers of both persons on all marriage licenses. The registrar shall make available to all persons in the registrar’s town who, in the registrar’s judgment, are likely to need them, blank forms for the certificates and returns required by law to be made to the registrar, and shall amend or correct certificates of births, marriages, deaths and fetal deaths that occurred in the registrar’s town, and the records thereof, whenever the registrar discovers transcribing, typographical or clerical errors upon the face thereof. When the registrar makes a correction on a certificate of birth, marriage, death or fetal death, the registrar shall, within ten days, forward an authenticated copy of the corrected certificate to the department and any other registrar having a copy of the certificate. The registrar shall maintain sufficient documentation, as prescribed by the commissioner, to support such correction, and shall ensure the confidentiality of such documentation as required by law. The date of the correction and a summary description of the evidence submitted in support of the correction shall be made part of the record. The certificate shall not be marked “Amended” unless an amendment is made as provided in subdivision (10) of section 7-36. The registrar shall record on each certificate of birth, marriage, death or fetal death received for record the date of its receipt, by writing on the certificate or through electronic means. The registrar of vital statistics from the town where a child was born may electronically access birth data for such child to make corrections and amendments as requested by the parent or parents, the reporting hospital, or the department, excluding amendments regarding parentage and gender change. Amendments to vital records made by the registrar of vital statistics in the town of occurrence shall be made in accordance with section 19a-42. The registrar shall keep the records of the registrar’s office, when a fireproof safe is not provided for the registrar’s use, in the vaults provided for the land records of the town. The registrar may, with the approval of the department, store any records not in current use in a location other than the registrar’s office or such vaults, provided such location shall be approved by the Public Records Administrator, and provided such location is within the limits of such town. The registrar shall, on or before the fifteenth day of each month, send to the commissioner an authenticated copy of each certificate of birth, marriage, death and fetal death received by the registrar for the calendar month next preceding or a notification that no such certificate has been received. Such notification shall be in a format prescribed by the department. Copies of certificates of births, marriages, deaths and fetal deaths, transmitted to the commissioner as required under this section, shall be plain, complete and legible transcripts of the certificates. If a transcript is illegible or incomplete, the commissioner shall require of the registrar a complete or legible copy. Each registrar of vital statistics shall also transmit to the registrars of voters for the registrar’s town a notice of the death of any person seventeen years of age or older, at the same time the registrar transmits the authenticated copy of the certificate of death for such person to the commissioner under this section.

(1949 Rev., S. 564; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 4; February, 1965, P.A. 529; 1967, P.A. 656, S. 3; 1969, P.A. 319, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 580; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 79-434, S. 17; P.A. 80-483, S. 16, 186; P.A. 87-252; P.A. 90-67, S. 1; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7, S. 2, 38; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 43; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-10, S. 2; P.A. 01-163, S. 5; P.A. 04-255, S. 1.)

History: 1965 act authorized the storage of records in locations other than the registrar’s office or the town vaults; 1967 act made technical correction, authorizing registrars to “correct” rather than “collect” certificates and records; 1969 act placed errors and omissions concerning parentage within health department’s jurisdiction; 1971 act deleted provision that registrar records births, marriages and deaths in books furnished by health department; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner and department of health services for commissioner and department of health, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-434 replaced reference to Sec. 19-16 with Sec. 19-15a; P.A. 80-483 made technical changes; P.A. 87-252 added provision re transmission of death notice by registrar of vital statistics to registrars of voters; P.A. 90-67 rephrased provision re requirement that registrar ascertain only births occurring in his town and added provision requiring registrar having original of birth, marriage or death certificate to forward any corrected certificate to any registrar having a copy; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7 required registrar to include Social Security numbers of both persons on marriage licenses, effective July 1, 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 added gender errors or omissions to department jurisdiction; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-10 deleted gender errors or omissions from department jurisdiction; P.A. 01-163 made technical changes, added provisions re fetal deaths, deleted provision re recording in books, replaced provision re distribution of blank forms with provision re making blank forms available, added provisions re amendment or correction of certificates of vital events that occurred in the registrar’s town upon discovering transcribing, typographical or clerical errors, deleted former provisions re errors and omissions, added provisions re corrected and amended certificates, recording dates of receipt and electronic access of birth data, replaced provisions re submission of attested copy on the seventh and fifteenth day of each month and from time to time with provision re submission of authenticated copy on the fifteenth day of each month, deleted former provisions re amended certificates and inscribing receipt dates on the back of certificates and added provisions re complete and legible copies; P.A. 04-255 added requirement that all certificates of birth, marriage, death and fetal death be fully completed before acceptance for filing.

See Sec. 7-148 re municipal powers.

See Sec. 11-8(b) re appointment of Public Records Administrator.

See Sec. 46b-28 re validity of marriages celebrated in foreign country.

See Secs. 54-240f and 54-240k re confidentiality of marriage records of participant in address confidentiality program.

Registrar may not make a new recording but merely correct an old one. 9 CS 297.

Cited. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 487.