Vital Records are birth, death, and marriage documents. They are legal documents that save information about the vital events of people in our society. Certified copies of records are used for many purposes, such as to establish proof of age, to receive social security benefits, and to receive death benefits from life insurance policies. The Office of Vital Records is the State agency that is responsible for the registration and permanent filing of the vital records of the 39 cities and towns of Rhode Island. The Office of Vital Records is also responsible for the maintenance of these records, and the periodic publication of data derived from them.
Vital records are confidential.
You can obtain a copy of a record for a birth or marriage that occurred less than 100 years ago or a death which occurred less than 50 years ago from the City or Town where the event occurred. The copies must be signed personally by either the State Registrar or the Deputy State Registrar. In addition, you may need an apostille or certification from the Secretary of State, Notary Division. The fee will be charged whether or not the record is found. If not found, you will receive a certified letter stating that it was not able to be located.