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Vital records consist of birth, marriage and death records. Prior to 1892 it was not enforced that these records be recorded but we do have a lot of the original records. In 1892 a State law was passed mandating the filing of these records with the Town Clerk in the town where the event took place and with the Town Clerk of residence of each involved party.
A certified copy of a vital record can be obtained in person, by telephone, or by written request. Certified birth records can only be issued to persons appearing on that specific record (mother, father, child). Legal guardians obtaining birth records must show proof of guardianship. Certified death records can be obtained by family members, funeral homes, etc. The cause of death will not be shown on the certificate unless a family member is requesting it for insurance purposes, etc. Certified copies are issued on State of Maine safety paper and contain the Town's embossed seal. These are needed for name changes, military enrollment, insurance claims, etc. The fees for certified copies are $10.00 for the first copy and $5.00 for each additional copy of the same record purchased at the same time.
Non-certified copies of records can also be obtained. The same rules apply to these as the certified copies. These copies will not be acceptable for name changes, military enrollment, etc., but are acceptable for genealogy research. The fee for a non-certified copy of a record is $5.00 for each copy.
When requesting a certified or non-certified copy by mail or by phone, the Clerk will need to have all the proper information; the name on the record, date of event, how many copies, etc. Payment is required before the copies will be issued. If the copies are being mailed, there may be an extra fee for postage.
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