CHAPTER 93
REGISTRARS OF VITAL STATISTICS

      Sec. 7-48a. Filing of birth certificate. Replacement certificate. On and after January 1, 2002, each birth certificate shall be filed with the name of the birth mother recorded. The Department of Public Health shall create a replacement certificate in accordance with an order from a court of competent jurisdiction not later than forty-five days after receipt of such order or forty-five days after the birth of the child, whichever is later. Such replacement certificate shall include all information required to be included in a certificate of birth of this state as of the date of the birth. When a certified copy of such certificate of birth is requested by an eligible party, as provided in section 7-51, a copy of the replacement certificate shall be provided. The department shall seal the original certificate of birth in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of section 19a-42. Immediately after a replacement certificate has been prepared, the department shall transmit an exact copy of such certificate to the registrar of vital statistics of the town of birth and to any other registrar as the department deems appropriate. The town shall proceed in accordance with the provisions of section 19a-42.

      (P.A. 01-163, S. 28; P.A. 04-255, S. 28; P.A. 05-272, S. 1; P.A. 07-252, S. 50.)

      History: P.A. 04-255 added provisions re filing of birth certificate with name of birth mother recorded, creation and contents of replacement certificate, process for copy of replacement certificate, sealing of original certificate and transmittal of replacement certificate to registrar, effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 05-272 deleted "contain the name of the birth mother, except by the order of a court of competent jurisdiction, and"; P.A. 07-252 revised deadline for creating replacement certificate to not later than 45 days after receipt of court order or 45 days after birth of child, whichever is later, effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 7-54. Certification of birth registration or certificate of foreign birth for person born outside of the country and adopted by a state resident. Application and decree re change of biological age and date of birth. (a) The department shall prepare a certification of birth registration or a certificate of foreign birth for any person born outside of the country and adopted by a resident of this state, provided (1) an authenticated and exemplified copy of the order of adoption of the court of the district in which the adoption proceedings were had, or such other evidence as is considered satisfactory by the probate court for the district in which such person resides, is filed with such probate court, and (2) such probate court notifies the department that such copy or satisfactory evidence has been so filed. Such certification of birth registration shall contain only the adopted name, sex, date of birth, place of birth and date of preparation of such certification of birth registration by the department. Such certificate of foreign birth shall contain the adopted name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, legal name of adoptive parent or parents and date of preparation of such certificate of foreign birth. No certification of birth registration or certificate of foreign birth shall be prepared by the department unless upon specific written request of the person to whom the certification of birth registration relates, if over sixteen years of age, or of the adopting parent or parents or the probate court for the district in which the adoption proceedings were had. When the department has prepared such certificate of birth registration or certificate of foreign birth, copies thereof shall be issued by the department in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 7-52.

      (b) The adoptive parent or parents of an adopted person born outside of the country and adopted by a resident of this state, or such adopted person if eighteen years of age or older, may apply to the probate court for the district in which the adopted person resides for a determination of the biological age and date of birth of the adopted person. The probate court shall hold a hearing on the application and receive medical and other evidence relevant to the issue of biological age and date of birth of the adopted person. After such hearing, the probate court may issue a decree to establish the biological age and date of birth of the adopted person. If the biological age and date of birth established in the decree is different from the biological age and date of birth in the certification of birth registration or a certificate of foreign birth, the probate court shall provide a certified copy of the decree to the department. Any certification of birth registration or certificate of foreign birth issued by the department pursuant to subsection (a) of this section after the date the department receives such decree shall reflect the date of birth in such decree.

      (1949 Rev., S. 574; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 6; P.A. 75-170, S. 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 81-190; P.A. 85-326; P.A. 87-148, S. 1, 2; P.A. 89-98; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 01-163, S. 16; P.A. 03-247, S. 2; P.A. 07-115, S. 1.)

      History: 1972 act changed age of majority from 21 to 18 years; P.A. 75-170 required certification upon request of court of probate in district where adoption proceedings took place; P.A. 77-614 substituted department of health services for department of health, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 81-190 allowed the department of health services to prepare a certification of birth registration for any person born outside the country and adopted in this state for whom the country of birth will not furnish a substituted birth certificate; P.A. 85-326 made issuance of certification of birth registration mandatory rather than optional and deleted provision re substituted birth certificate from state or country of birth; P.A. 87-148 added provisions re adoptions in other states, substituted "authenticated and exemplified" for "certified" and substituted "probate court" for "department of health services" re repository for evidence; P.A. 89-98 removed language which limited the requirement for preparation of birth certificates to persons who were adopted in Connecticut or in another state by residents of Connecticut; 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. 01-163 changed required minimum age of requesting person to whom certification of birth registration relates from 18 to 16 and made technical changes; P.A. 03-247 amended section to add provisions re preparation of certificate of foreign birth for any person born outside of the country and adopted by residents of the state, to require that certificate contain adopted name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, legal name of adoptive parents and date of preparation of such certificate, to eliminate requirement for certification of birth registration for persons born outside of the state and adopted by residents of the state, to change reference to Sec. 7-52 to Sec. 7-52(a), and to make a technical change; P.A. 07-115 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), inserted Subdiv. designators (1) and (2) and made technical changes therein, and added Subsec. (b) re application to probate court and decree by the court re establishment of biological age and date of birth and reflection thereof in subsequently issued registrations or certificates.

      Sec. 7-60. Fetal death certificates. (a) Each case of fetal death shall be registered and a fetal death certificate shall be filed with the registrar of vital statistics in the manner required by sections 7-48, 7-50, 7-51 and 7-52 with respect to the filing, content and issuance of birth certificates. A fetus born after a period of gestation of not less than twenty weeks in which there is no attempt at respiration, no action of heart and no movement of voluntary muscle, shall be recorded as a fetal death. A fetal death certificate shall be signed by a physician or, when no physician was in attendance, by the nurse-midwife in attendance at the birth, the Chief Medical Examiner, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, an associate medical examiner or an authorized assistant medical examiner.

      (b) Such certificate shall include, on a confidential portion of the certificate, any additional information required by the department, provided the information obtained under this section shall be used only for medical and health purposes.

      (1949 Rev., S. 581; 1951, 1953, S. 232d; 1969, P.A. 699, S. 19; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 79-47, S. 1; 79-434, S. 5; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 01-163, S. 20; P.A. 03-19, S. 18; P.A. 07-79, S. 2.)

      History: 1969 act specified chief, deputy and authorized assistant medical examiners as signers of certificate replacing former reference simply to "medical examiner"; P.A. 77-614 substituted department of health services for department of health, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-47 replaced deputy medical examiner with deputy chief medical examiner and included associate medical examiner as authorized signer; P.A. 79-434 divided section into Subsecs. and added requirement that additional information be used only for medical and health purposes and is not to be placed in permanent official records; 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. 01-163 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to Secs. 7-50, 7-51 and 7-52 re content and issuance of birth certificates and amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re confidential portion of certificate, deleting provision re information shall not be incorporated into permanent records of department and making a technical change; P.A. 03-19 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 12, 2003; P.A. 07-79 amended Subsec. (a) to allow nurse-midwife in attendance at a birth in which a physician is not present to sign the fetal death certificate for a fetus born dead.

      Sec. 7-65. Removal, transit and burial permit. Subregistrars. The embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement, who assumes custody of a dead body shall obtain a removal, transit and burial permit from the registrar of the town in which the death occurred or the town in which the embalmer or funeral director maintains a place of business not later than five calendar days after death, and prior to final disposition or removal of the body from the state. The embalmer or funeral director who assumes custody and control of the body and obtains a removal, transit and burial permit from the registrar of the town in which the embalmer or funeral director maintains a place of business shall be obligated to file the death certificate, in accordance with the provisions of section 7-62b, in person, through an electronic registry system or by certified mail, return receipt requested. The burial permit shall specify the place of burial or other place of interment and state that the death certificate and any other certificate required by law have been returned and recorded. Such registrar shall appoint suitable persons as subregistrars, who shall be authorized to issue a removal, transit and burial permit for any death that occurs in the registrar's town, based upon receipt of a completed death certificate as provided in section 7-62b, during the hours in which the registrar of vital records is closed. All such certificates upon which a permit is issued shall be forwarded to the registrar not later than seven days after receiving such certificates. The appointment of subregistrars shall be made in writing, with the approval of the selectmen of such town, and shall be made with reference to locality, to best accommodate the inhabitants of the town. Such subregistrars shall be sworn, and their term of office shall not extend beyond the term of office of the appointing registrar. The names of such subregistrars shall be reported to the Department of Public Health. The Chief Medical Examiner, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner and associate medical examiners shall be considered subregistrars of any town in which death occurs for the purpose of issuing removal, transit and burial permits. The fee for such removal, transit and burial permit shall be paid to the town issuing the removal, transit and burial permit.

      (1949 Rev., S. 587; 1961, P.A. 315; 1971, P.A. 27; P.A. 73-26; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 79-47, S. 3; 79-434, S. 9; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-184, S. 3; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 04-255, S. 7; P.A. 07-104, S. 1.)

      History: 1961 act provided for appointment of additional subregistrars to accommodate governmental institutions; 1971 act deleted provision limiting subregistrars to two and provision, made obsolete thereby, for special appointments exceeding the limit; P.A. 73-26 added provisions concerning consideration of chief medical examiner as subregistrar and payment of burial and removal permits; P.A. 77-614 substituted department of health services for department of health, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-47 provided for consideration of deputy chief medical examiner and associate medical examiners as subregistrars; P.A. 79-434 replaced specific reference to funeral director's certificate with "any other certificate"; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-184 required burial permit specification to be by section, lot, grave or other place of interment; 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. 04-255 replaced provision requiring burial permit with provision specifying that embalmer or funeral director shall obtain a burial transit removal permit and made conforming changes; P.A. 07-104 substituted "removal, transit and burial permit" for "burial transit removal permit" and made embalmer or funeral director assuming custody and control of body and obtaining such permit from registrar of town in which the embalmer or funeral director maintains a place of business responsible for filing death certificate in person, electronically or by mail, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 7-66. Duties of sextons. The sexton of a cemetery shall specify on the burial permit the place of burial, by section, lot or grave, or other place of interment. No additional burial or removal, transit and burial permit shall be required for a body that is placed temporarily in a receiving vault of any cemetery and subsequently buried in the same cemetery. In each case herein provided for, the sexton of such cemetery shall endorse upon the burial permit the date when the body was placed in the temporary receiving vault, and the date when and the place where such body was subsequently buried. The sexton shall also include a statement of the same in the monthly returns to the registrar of vital statistics. The sexton shall send a copy of the endorsed removal, transit and burial permit, or the permit for final disposition if the death occurred in another state, to the registrar of vital statistics who filed the death certificate for the body for which said removal, transit and burial permit was issued. If such subsequent burial is to be in any cemetery other than the cemetery where the body was temporarily deposited or if the body is to be cremated, the sexton shall return the burial permit to the issuing registrar, who shall thereupon issue the necessary permits. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than five years.

      (1949 Rev., S. 588; P.A. 04-255, S. 8; P.A. 07-104, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 04-255 added requirement that sexton specify place of burial, deleted references to disposal of ashes and made conforming changes; P.A. 07-104 substituted "removal, transit and burial permit" for "burial transit removal permit" and required sexton to send copy of endorsed removal, transit and burial permit or permit for final disposition, if death occurred in another state, to registrar of vital statistics who filed the death certificate for the body, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 7-69. Removal of body of deceased person. No person except a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement, shall remove the body of a deceased person, except that once the body of a deceased person has been embalmed or prepared in accordance with the Public Health Code and applicable provisions of the general statutes, a licensed embalmer or funeral director may authorize an unlicensed employee to transport such body. No person except a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department, shall remove the body of any deceased person from this state to another state until a removal, transit and burial permit has been issued in accordance with section 7-65. No removal, transit and burial permit shall be issued unless the death certificate has been signed by a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement. In the case of a deceased person who, at the time of death, had a communicable disease specified by the Public Health Code, the permit shall certify that the body was prepared in accordance with the regulations of the Public Health Code. Such permit shall be sufficient to permit the burial of such deceased person in any town in this state other than the town in which such person died, without a burial permit from the registrar of the town where such person is to be buried. If the body of a deceased person is brought into the state for burial or cremation and is accompanied by a removal, transit and burial permit, or a permit for final disposition indicating the manner and place of final disposition of the body, issued by the legally constituted authorities of the state from which such body was brought, such permit shall be received as sufficient authority for burial or cremation; except that, if such body is not accompanied by such permit, the person or persons in charge of such body shall apply for a burial permit to the registrar of vital statistics of the town in which such body is to be buried, and such registrar shall issue such permit when furnished with such information as to the identity of the deceased person and the cause of death as is required by section 7-62b concerning a person dying in this state. Any person who violates any provision of this section, or who knowingly signs a false permit or knowingly allows a false permit to be used in lieu of a permit required by this section, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

      (1949 Rev., S. 593; 1949, S. 236d; P.A. 85-613, S. 18, 154; P.A. 96-180, S. 4, 166; P.A. 01-163, S. 23; P.A. 04-255, S. 10; P.A. 05-288, S. 38; P.A. 07-104, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 85-613 made technical change, substituting reference to Sec. 7-62b for reference to Sec. 7-62; P.A. 96-180 changed reference to Board of Examiners of Embalmers to Department of Public Health, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 01-163 made technical changes and added provisions re funeral directors or embalmers licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement filed with the department and complying with its terms; P.A. 04-255 allowed unlicensed employee to transport properly embalmed or prepared body, required burial transit permit before removal of body, deleted provisions re removal of body from or to a town and made conforming changes; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes, effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 07-104 substituted "removal, transit and burial permit" for "burial transit removal permit" and added provisions re sufficient authority for cremation of bodies brought into the state, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 7-73. Fees of registrars. Marriage license surcharge. (a) To any person performing the duties required by the provisions of the general statutes relating to registration of marriages, deaths and fetal deaths, the following fees shall be allowed: (1) For the license to marry, ten dollars; and (2) for issuing each burial or removal, transit and burial permit, three dollars.

      (b) A twenty-dollar surcharge shall be paid to the registrar for each license to marry in addition to the fee for such license established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The registrar shall retain one dollar from each such surcharge for administrative costs and shall forward the remainder, on or before the tenth day of the month following each calendar quarter, to the Department of Public Health. The receipts shall be deposited into an account of the State Treasurer and credited to the General Fund for further credit to a separate nonlapsing account established by the Comptroller for use by the Department of Social Services for shelter services for victims of household abuse in accordance with section 17b-850 and by the Department of Public Health for rape crisis services funded under section 19a-2a. Such funds shall be allocated for these purposes by the Office of Policy and Management in consultation with the Commissioners of Social Services and Public Health based on an evaluation of need, service delivery costs and availability of other funds. No such moneys shall supplant any state or federal funds otherwise available for such services.

      (1949 Rev., S. 579, 3626; 1949, S. 1981d; 1963, P.A. 13; February, 1965, P.A. 145; 1971, P.A. 284, S. 1; P.A. 80-117, S. 1, 3; P.A. 89-217, S. 2, 6; P.A. 92-203, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-11, S. 1, 2; 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 11, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 00-92, S. 4; P.A. 01-163, S. 25; P.A. 04-255, S. 12; P.A. 06-195, S. 1; P.A. 07-104, S. 4.)

      History: 1963 act deleted provision for paying $0.25 to persons furnishing certificates required by sections 7-48 and 7-62; 1965 act raised fee for license to marry from $1 to $5 and deleted provisions regarding attaching affidavits to marriage licenses; 1971 act increased fee for issuing burial or removal permit to $1 and deleted provisions re reports of foundling children; P.A. 80-117 increased marriage license fee to$6 and burial or removal permit fee to $2; P.A. 89-217 changed the fees as follows: From $0.25 to $2 for the recording, indexing, copying or endorsing of each birth, marriage or death certificate, from $6 to $10 for a license to marry and from $2 to $3 for each burial or removal permit; P.A. 92-203 added Subsec. (b) re marriage surcharge to fund shelters for victims of household abuse and rape crisis services; P.A. 93-11 amended Subsec. (b) to provide fees be sent to the department of health services instead of the state treasurer and to provide for the deposit of funds into a separate account in the general fund, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of department of social services for department of human resources, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner and department of health services with commissioner and department of public health and addiction services and made technical changes, 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 (Revisor's note: The words "the department of" were deleted editorially by the Revisors in Subsec. (b) references to Commissioner of Social Services and Commissioner of Public Health for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 00-92 amended Subsec. (a) to delete $1 fee for ascertaining, recording and indexing each birth or death of which no certificate has been returned, to delete $0.05 fee for certifying to each certificate returned by physicians, midwives and persons having charge of burial places, to delete $0.10 fee for endorsing and recording each burial permit filed, to delete $0.50 fee for the sexton or other person making returns required by section 7-72 and similar $0.25 fee for registrars, and to delete requirement that all such fees, except those for certificates of license to marry and for removal permits, be paid by the town in which the duties for which said fees are allowed are performed; P.A. 01-163 added provisions re fetal deaths in Subsec. (a) and made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b); P.A. 04-255 amended Subsec. (a) by changing "removal permit" to "burial transit removal permit"; P.A. 06-195 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdiv. (1) re $2 fee for completing birth records and for recording, indexing, copying and endorsing birth, marriage, death and fetal death certificates, making a conforming change and redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) and (3) as Subdivs. (1) and (2), respectively; P.A. 07-104 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting "removal, transit and burial permit" for "burial transit permit", effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 7-74. Fees for certification of birth registration and certified copy of vital statistics certificate. (a) The fee for a certification of birth registration, short form, shall be five dollars. The fee for a certified copy of a certificate of birth, long form, shall be ten dollars, except that the fee for such certifications and copies when issued by the department shall be fifteen dollars.

      (b) The fee for a certified copy of a certificate of marriage or death shall be ten dollars. Such fees shall not be required of the department.

      (1949 Rev., S. 577; 1971, P.A. 284, S. 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 80-117, S. 2, 3; P.A. 89-217, S. 3, 6; P.A. 93-114, S. 1, 2; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 94-51, S. 1, 3; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 01-163, S. 26; P.A. 04-255, S. 13; P.A. 07-133, S. 2.)

      History: 1971 act increased birth registration fee from $0.50 to $1 and fee for copy from $1 to $2 and exempted department of health from payment; P.A. 77-614 substituted department of health services for department of health, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-117 increased fee for registration to $2 and for copying to $3; P.A. 89-217 increased fees for certification of birth registration from $2 to $5 and for a certified copy of a certificate of birth, marriage or death from $3 to $5; P.A. 93-114 increased fees for certification of birth registration and for a certified copy of a certificate of birth to $15, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-51 reduced fees for birth certificates and certification of birth registration except for those issued by the department from $15 to $5, effective May 19, 1994; 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. 01-163 made technical changes; P.A. 04-255 deleted provision that had exempted federal agencies from paying fees; P.A. 07-133 divided section into Subsecs. (a) and (b), added "short form" and "long form" and made technical changes in Subsec. (a), and increased fees for certificate of birth, long form, and for certificate of marriage or death from $5.00 to $10.00, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 7-76. Fees for records relating to residents of other towns. The fees due registrars of vital statistics for the making of records, copies and endorsements relating to births, deaths, fetal deaths and marriages, when the residence of the parents of the child or of the deceased or of either party to a marriage is in some other town in this state than that in which the birth, death, fetal death or marriage occurred, shall be paid by such other town except as they relate to vital statistics of inmates of any state institution. The fees paid by such other town shall not exceed two dollars for each such record, copy or endorsement. All bills for such fees shall be submitted by such registrars to such other towns on or before February first of each year, provided if a bill amounts to less than twenty-six dollars, no bill shall be sent and the amount shall not be due. If the registrar of vital statistics of any town or city receives a salary for the performance of the registrar's duties, the amount of fees due under the provisions of this section shall be paid to such town or city.

      (1949 Rev., S. 3628; 1971, P.A. 284, S. 3; P.A. 00-92, S. 5; P.A. 01-163, S. 27; P.A. 07-79, S. 3.)

      History: 1971 act added references to marriage and marriage records; P.A. 00-92 added proviso that if a bill amounts to less than $26, no bill shall be sent and the amount shall not be due; P.A. 01-163 added provisions re fetal deaths and made technical changes; P.A. 07-79 authorized towns to collect a fee not to exceed $2.00 for recording each birth, death, fetal death or marriage for a nonresident from the nonresident's town of residence.