2018 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 7 - Municipalities
Chapter 93 - Registrars of Vital Statistics
Section 7-51 - Access to and examination and issuance of certified copies of birth and fetal death records or certificates restricted. Access to and disclosure of confidential information restricted.

(a)(1) The department and registrars of vital statistics shall restrict access to and issuance of a certified copy of birth and fetal death records and certificates less than one hundred years old, to the following eligible parties: (A) The person whose birth is recorded, if such person is (i) over eighteen years of age, (ii) a certified homeless youth, as defined in section 7-36, or (iii) a minor emancipated pursuant to sections 46b-150 to 46b-150e, inclusive; (B) such person's child, grandchild, spouse, parent, guardian or grandparent; (C) the chief executive officer of the municipality where the birth or fetal death occurred, or the chief executive officer's authorized agent; (D) the local director of health for the town or city where the birth or fetal death occurred or where the mother was a resident at the time of the birth or fetal death, or the director's authorized agent; (E) attorneys-at-law representing such person or such person's parent, guardian, child or surviving spouse; (F) a conservator of the person appointed for such person; (G) a member of a genealogical society incorporated or authorized by the Secretary of the State to do business or conduct affairs in this state; (H) an agent of a state or federal agency as approved by the department; and (I) a researcher approved by the department pursuant to section 19a-25.

(2) Except as provided in section 7-53 and section 19a-42a, access to confidential files on paternity, adoption, gender change or gestational agreements, or information contained within such files, shall not be released to any party, including the eligible parties listed in subdivision (1) of this subsection, except upon an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(b) No person other than the eligible parties listed in subsection (a) of this section shall be entitled to examine or receive a copy of any birth or fetal death record or certificate, access the information contained therein, or disclose any matter contained therein, except upon written order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit disclosure to any person, including the eligible parties listed in subsection (a) of this section, of information contained in the “information for health and statistical use only” section or the “administrative purposes only” section of a birth certificate, unless specifically authorized by the department for statistical or research purposes. The Social Security number of the parent or parents listed on any birth certificate shall not be released to any party, except to those persons or entities authorized by state or federal law. Such confidential information, other than the excluded information set forth in this subsection, shall not be subject to subpoena or court order and shall not be admissible before any court or other tribunal.

(c) (1) The registrar of the town in which the birth or fetal death occurred or of the town in which the mother resided at the time of the birth or fetal death, or the department, may issue a certified copy of the certificate of birth or fetal death of any person born in this state that is kept in paper form in the custody of the registrar. Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, such certificate shall be issued upon the written request of an eligible party listed in subsection (a) of this section. Any registrar of vital statistics in this state with access, as authorized by the department, to the electronic vital records system of the department may issue a certified copy of the electronically filed certificate of birth or fetal death of any person born in this state upon the written request of an eligible party listed in subsection (a) of this section.

(2) In the case of a certified homeless youth, such certified homeless youth and the person who is certifying the certified homeless youth as homeless, as described in section 7-36, shall appear in person when the certified homeless youth is presenting the written request described in subdivision (1) of this subsection at (A) the office of the registrar of the town in which the certified homeless youth was born, (B) the office of the registrar of the town in which the mother of the certified homeless youth resided at the time of the birth, (C) if the birth certificate of the certified homeless youth has been electronically filed, any registrar of vital statistics in the state with access, as authorized by the department, to the electronic vital records system, or (D) the state vital records office of the department. The certified homeless youth shall present to the registrar or the department information sufficient to identify himself or herself as may be required by regulations adopted by the commissioner pursuant to section 7-41. The person who is certifying the certified homeless youth as homeless shall present to the registrar or the department information sufficient to identify himself or herself as meeting the certification requirements of section 7-36.

(d) The department and each registrar of vital statistics shall issue only certified copies of birth certificates or fetal death certificates, except as provided in sections 7-51a and 7-53.

(1949 Rev., S. 572; 1971, P.A. 228, S. 2; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 4; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 89-217, S. 5, 6; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-258, S. 2; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 37, 88; P.A. 01-163, S. 12; P.A. 08-66, S. 2; 08-184, S. 47; P.A. 11-242, S. 8; P.A. 13-142, S. 2; P.A. 14-133, S. 1.)

History: 1971 act provided that members of legally incorporated genealogical societies may have access to records; 1972 act changed age of majority from 21 to 18; P.A. 77-614 substituted department of health services for department of health, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 89-217 added the local director of health to the list of persons who may be permitted to examine the birth certificate or birth record of any person; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department 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; P.A. 96-258 deleted “legally incorporated” and added “incorporated or authorized to do business or conduct affairs in this state, and allowed children, spouse and grandparent access to original birth certificate; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 added phrase “or his authorized agent” after director of health, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 01-163 deleted former provisions and added new Subdivs. (a) to (d) re restrictions on access to and examination and issuance of certified copies of birth and fetal death certificates, records and information; P.A. 08-66 amended Subsec. (b) by repositioning provision re Social Security numbers, adding Subdiv. (1) to (3) designators and providing that nothing in section shall be construed to permit disclosure of confidential information unless specifically authorized by state or federal law; P.A. 08-184 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting Subdiv. (1) to (3) designators, providing that nondisclosure provisions extend to “any person, including the eligible parties listed in subsection (a) of this section”, substituting “information for health and statistical use only” for “information for medical and health use only”, substituting “administrative purposes only” for “information for statistical purposes only”, deleting provision that permitted disclosure of race and ethnicity information of parents, adding provision re Social Security number of parents listed on birth certificate shall not be released to any party, except those persons authorized by state or federal law, and making technical changes; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting “registrars of vital statistics” for “registrars of vital records”, deleting “title examiners” in Subdiv. (5), adding new Subdiv. (6) re conservator of the person and redesignating existing Subdivs. (6) to (8) as Subdivs. (7) to (9); P.A. 13-142 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provision re 18 years of age as Subpara. (A), adding Subpara. (B) re certified homeless youth and making a technical change in Subdiv. (1), adding new Subdiv. (2) re emancipated minor and redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) to (9) as Subdivs. (3) to (10), and amended Subsec. (c) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by adding provision re exception in Subdiv. (2) and making a technical change and adding Subdiv. (2) re certified homeless youth; P.A. 14-133 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provisions re birth and fetal death records less than 100 years old as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (10) as Subparas. (A) to (I), redesignating Subparas. (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii) and designating existing provisions re emancipated minor as Subpara. (A)(iii), designating existing provisions re access to confidential files as Subdiv. (2) and amending same by adding references to Sec. 7-53 and Subdiv. (1) and making technical changes, amended Subsec. (c)(1) by making a technical change and amended Subsec. (d) by deleting reference to births or fetal deaths occurring less than 100 years prior to date of request and adding provision re exception provided in Secs. 7-51a and 7-53, effective July 1, 2015.