Sec. 7-42. Duties.
Sec. 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.
History of office; copies of records admissible. 74 C. 717; 98 C. 543. Commissioner may amend parental information
contained on birth certificates only when there is an error or omission in such information. 253 C. 570.
Registrar may not make a new recording but merely correct an old one. 9 CS 297.
Cited. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 487.