Connecticut Society of Genealogists Presents
Celebrate Record Custodians!
The Connecticut Society of Genealogists is dedicated to preserving public access to vital records, as outlined in our bylaws:
“To express the Society’s concern about records preservation and public access to records”
To act on that commitment, we’ve launched an ongoing survey to serve two purposes:
- Celebrate repositories that go above and beyond in their commitment to access and preservation
- Document situations where access to vital records may conflict with Connecticut law
Your responses help us understand what’s working and where we may be able to help.
In future issues of our publications, we will celebrate Connecticut’s record custodians and their extraordinary work.
Every Day, Connecticut’s vital records are protected and preserved by dedicated public servants – town clerks, librarians, archivists, and more.
CT Statute 7-51a allows our members access to vital records as follows:
“During all normal business hours, members of genealogical societies incorporated or authorized by the Secretary of the State to do business or conduct affairs in this state shall (1) have full access to all vital records in the custody of any registrar of vital statistics, including certificates, ledgers, record books, card files, indexes and database printouts, except for those records containing Social Security numbers protected pursuant to 42 USC 405 (c)(2)(C), and confidential files on adoptions, gender change, gestational agreements and paternity (2) be permitted to make notes from such records (3) be permitted to purchase certified copies of such records , and (4) be permitted to incorporate statistics derived from such records in the publications of such genealogical societies. For all vital records con- taining Social Security numbers that are protected from disclosure pursuant to federal law, the Social Security numbers contained on such records shall be redacted from any certified copy of such records issued to a genealogist by a registrar of vital statistics.”
For more information, see https://www.cga.ct.gov/2019/pub/chap_093.htm