Sec. 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.
Sec. 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) The department and registrars of vital records 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: (1) The
person whose birth is recorded, if over eighteen years of age; (2) such person's children,
grandchildren, spouse, parent, guardian or grandparent; (3) the chief executive officer
of the municipality where the birth or fetal death occurred, or the chief executive officer's
authorized agent; (4) 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; (5) attorneys-at-law and title examiners representing such person or such person's parent, guardian, child or surviving spouse; (6)
members of genealogical societies incorporated or authorized by the Secretary of the
State to do business or conduct affairs in this state; (7) agents of a state or federal agency
as approved by the department; and (8) researchers approved by the department pursuant
to section 19a-25. Except as provided in 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 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) 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 which is kept in paper form in the custody of the registrar. 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.
(d) The department and each registrar of vital statistics shall issue only certified
copies of birth certificates or fetal death certificates for births or fetal deaths occurring
less than one hundred years prior to the date of the request.
(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.)
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.