Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 46, sec. 1 — MA Code / Part I / Title VII / Chapter 46 / Section 1
Certificates of birth, marriage, death and acknowledgments and adjudications of paternity; contents; residence defined
Status: in_force

[ Section effective until November 20, 2025. For text effective November 20, 2025, see below.] Section 1. Each town clerk shall receive or obtain and record the following facts, as well as such additional information that may be required under federal statutes or contracts, regulations promulgated pursuant to section 4 of chapter 17, or, as the commissioner of public health may require, relative to births, marriage, acknowledgments and adjudications of paternity and deaths which occurred in the town and for certificates of marriage issued by the town. In the record of births, name, date of birth, place of birth and sex of child; legal names, dates of birth, residences, places of birth and surname at birth or adoption of the parent or parents. In the record of birth of a child born to parents not married to each other, the name of and other facts relating to the other parent or parents shall not be recorded except as provided in section 2 of chapter 209C where parentage has been acknowledged or adjudicated under the laws of the commonwealth or under the law of any other jurisdiction. In the record of marriages, date of record, date and place of marriage, name, residence and official station of the person by whom solemnized; for each of the parties to be married the name, date and place of birth, residence, age, number of the marriage, as first or second, and if previously married, whether widowed or divorced, and the birth-given names of their parents. In the record of death, date of death, names of deceased, including birth surname for women, social security number, sex, race, marital status, education, name of spouse if ever married, supposed age, residence, occupation, place of death, place of birth, names and places of birth of the parents, birth surname of the mother, disease or cause of death, defined so that it can be classified under the international classification of causes of death, place and type of immediate disposition. The word "residence'', as used in this section, shall include the name of the street and number, if any, of the house. Chapter 46: Section 1. Certificates of birth, marriage, death and acknowledgments and adjudications of paternity; contents [ Text of section as amended by 2025, 68, Sec. 1 effective November 20, 2025. For text effective until November 20, 2025, see above. For text effective July 1, 2026, see below.] Section 1. Each local clerk shall obtain and record the following facts set forth in this section, as well as such additional information that may be required under federal statutes or contracts, regulations promulgated pursuant to section 4 of chapter 17 or as the commissioner of public health may require, relative to births, marriages, acknowledgments and adjudications of parentage and deaths which occurred in the town or city and for certificates of marriage issued by the town or city: In the record of births, name, date of birth, place of birth and sex of child; legal names, dates of birth, residences, places of birth and surname at birth or adoption of the parent or parents; In the record of birth of a child born to parents not married to each other, the name of and other facts relating to the other parent or parents shall not be recorded except as provided in section 2 of chapter 209C where parentage has been acknowledged or adjudicated under the laws of the commonwealth or under the laws of any other jurisdiction; In the record of marriages, date of record, date and place of marriage, name, residence and official station of the person by whom solemnized; for each of the parties to be married the name, date and place of birth, residence, age, number of the marriage and if previously married, whether widowed or divorced and the name at birth or adoption of the parties' parents; [ Fifth paragraph effective until July 1, 2026. For text effective July 1, 2026, see below.] In the record of death, date of death, name of deceased, including surname at birth or adoption, social security number, gender, race, marital status, education, name of spouse if ever married, supposed age, residence, occupation, place of death, place of birth, surname at birth or adoption and places of birth of the deceased's parent or parents, disease or cause of death, defined so that it can be classified under the international classification of causes of death, and place and type of immediate disposition. [ Fifth paragraph as amended by 2025, 69, Sec. 1 effective July 1, 2026. See 2025, 69, Sec. 2. For text effective until July 1, 2026, see above.] In the record of death, date of death, name of deceased, including surname at birth or adoption, social security number, gender, race, marital status, education, name of spouse if ever married, supposed age, residence, occupation, place of death, place of birth, surname at birth or adoption and places of birth of the deceased's parent or parents, disease or cause of death, defined so that it can be classified under the international classification of causes of death, and place and type of immediate disposition. As used in this section, the word "residence'' shall include the name of the street and number, if any, of the house. For purposes of this section, the social security number in a record of death shall not be made available except upon request from a person with a legitimate need, as defined in regulations promulgated pursuant to section 4 of chapter 17.

[ Section effective until November 20, 2025. For text effective November 20, 2025, see below.]

Section 1. Each town clerk shall receive or obtain and record the following facts, as well as such additional information that may be required under federal statutes or contracts, regulations promulgated pursuant to section 4 of chapter 17, or, as the commissioner of public health may require, relative to births, marriage, acknowledgments and adjudications of paternity and deaths which occurred in the town and for certificates of marriage issued by the town.

In the record of births, name, date of birth, place of birth and sex of child; legal names, dates of birth, residences, places of birth and surname at birth or adoption of the parent or parents. In the record of birth of a child born to parents not married to each other, the name of and other facts relating to the other parent or parents shall not be recorded except as provided in section 2 of chapter 209C where parentage has been acknowledged or adjudicated under the laws of the commonwealth or under the law of any other jurisdiction.

In the record of marriages, date of record, date and place of marriage, name, residence and official station of the person by whom solemnized; for each of the parties to be married the name, date and place of birth, residence, age, number of the marriage, as first or second, and if previously married, whether widowed or divorced, and the birth-given names of their parents.

In the record of death, date of death, names of deceased, including birth surname for women, social security number, sex, race, marital status, education, name of spouse if ever married, supposed age, residence, occupation, place of death, place of birth, names and places of birth of the parents, birth surname of the mother, disease or cause of death, defined so that it can be classified under the international classification of causes of death, place and type of immediate disposition. The word "residence'', as used in this section, shall include the name of the street and number, if any, of the house.

Chapter 46: Section 1. Certificates of birth, marriage, death and acknowledgments and adjudications of paternity; contents

[ Text of section as amended by 2025, 68, Sec. 1 effective November 20, 2025. For text effective until November 20, 2025, see above. For text effective July 1, 2026, see below.]

Section 1. Each local clerk shall obtain and record the following facts set forth in this section, as well as such additional information that may be required under federal statutes or contracts, regulations promulgated pursuant to section 4 of chapter 17 or as the commissioner of public health may require, relative to births, marriages, acknowledgments and adjudications of parentage and deaths which occurred in the town or city and for certificates of marriage issued by the town or city:

In the record of births, name, date of birth, place of birth and sex of child; legal names, dates of birth, residences, places of birth and surname at birth or adoption of the parent or parents;

In the record of birth of a child born to parents not married to each other, the name of and other facts relating to the other parent or parents shall not be recorded except as provided in section 2 of chapter 209C where parentage has been acknowledged or adjudicated under the laws of the commonwealth or under the laws of any other jurisdiction;

In the record of marriages, date of record, date and place of marriage, name, residence and official station of the person by whom solemnized; for each of the parties to be married the name, date and place of birth, residence, age, number of the marriage and if previously married, whether widowed or divorced and the name at birth or adoption of the parties' parents;

[ Fifth paragraph effective until July 1, 2026. For text effective July 1, 2026, see below.]

In the record of death, date of death, name of deceased, including surname at birth or adoption, social security number, gender, race, marital status, education, name of spouse if ever married, supposed age, residence, occupation, place of death, place of birth, surname at birth or adoption and places of birth of the deceased's parent or parents, disease or cause of death, defined so that it can be classified under the international classification of causes of death, and place and type of immediate disposition.

[ Fifth paragraph as amended by 2025, 69, Sec. 1 effective July 1, 2026. See 2025, 69, Sec. 2. For text effective until July 1, 2026, see above.]

In the record of death, date of death, name of deceased, including surname at birth or adoption, social security number, gender, race, marital status, education, name of spouse if ever married, supposed age, residence, occupation, place of death, place of birth, surname at birth or adoption and places of birth of the deceased's parent or parents, disease or cause of death, defined so that it can be classified under the international classification of causes of death, and place and type of immediate disposition. As used in this section, the word "residence'' shall include the name of the street and number, if any, of the house. For purposes of this section, the social security number in a record of death shall not be made available except upon request from a person with a legitimate need, as defined in regulations promulgated pursuant to section 4 of chapter 17.