The MHS is an independent research library and manuscript repository which is unaffiliated with state government. As official state documents vital records (birth, marriage, death) are collected at the state level. The following are rough guidelines for where to find original vital records:
1635 - 1841
For records dated before 1841, the originals are still located in the town in which the event (birth, marriage, death) occurred, so researchers may need to contact the town clerk in the appropriate town. Many towns, however, have published these early records as part of the Massachusetts Vital Records to the Year 1850 series. A list of the volumes in this series can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/doc/list-of-vital-records-to-1850/; many of these volumes are available in the MHS reference collection.
1841-1930
Records dated between 1841-1930 will be located at the Massachusetts State Archives. (Statewide data collection began in 1841.) Contact information and collection information is available at: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/ 1841-1930
Records dated between 1841-1930 will be located at the Massachusetts State Archives. (Statewide data collection began in 1841.) Contact information and collection information is available at: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/
1931-present
Records dated from 1931 to the present are retained by the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in the Department of Public Health. Every five years the earliest five years of records maintained at the Registry are transferred to the custody of the State Archives. The next transfer will occur in 2011. After the transfer any restrictions that may be on the transferred records will be removed. The Registry also maintains an index of divorces from 1952 to the present. Here is a link to their webpage: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/registry-of-vital-records-and-statistics ;
Also: Copies of records since 1841 are available at the city or town where the event occurred.
