Enter a name to search for Massachusetts birth certificates. This website was created to provide genealogists with access to Massachusetts birth certificates.. Additional information on how to obtain Massachusetts birth certificates is available below.
Return to Birth Certificates home page.
Birth certificates contain information about a person's birth, including the date of birth, place of birth, sometimes the names of the mother and father, and even the physician who attended the birth. Birth certificates issued by state and local governments will often include the place of residence, and the mother's maiden name.
Birth certificates can be used to establish a person's date and place of birth. Most birth certificates provide the mother's maiden name. Birth certificates are often required to obtain other documents, licenses or to prove eligibility.
This webpage gives you access to all of the online databases containing Massachusetts birth records, Massachusetts birth ceritificates, Massachusetts birth notices, Massachusetts birth indexes, and other related Massachusetts genealogy records.
Birth records have long been used to help with genealogy research. They are considered to be "primary source" records, because the information is recorded by an eye witness, at the time the birth takes place. The Internet has allowed people to store birth records into various online archives. This has brought access to online birth records much more easier for genealogy researchers.
Newspapers frequently publish notices of births, and in addition to birth certificates, are a popular source of research by genealogists. Newspapers typically do not announce the names of the newborn, but list the sex of the child, the names of the parents, the place and date of birth.
On this page you will find the most comprehensive databases containing birth records of Massachusetts. We also suggest searching for "Massachusetts birth records" using Google.com, which will yield all such databases.
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How to Obtain Massachusetts Birth Certificates
The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in the Department of Public Health has the records of births, deaths and marriages for Massachusetts from 1906 to the present. 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 2006. After the transfer any restrictions that may be on the transferred records will be removed. Records from 1841-1905 are located at The State Archives. The city or town clerk in the city or town where the event occurred has all records prior to 1841. Also, copies of records since 1841 are available at the city or town where the event occurred.
For birth and death records after 1 January 1906, write:
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon Street
1st Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105
Cost for copy: In person: $18.00, Mail request: $28.00 State Archives: $3.00
Personal check or money order should be made payable to Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (617) 740-2600. This will be a recorded message. Information on how to obtain certified copies is also available via the Internet at http://www.state.ma.us/dph/bhsre/rvr/vrcopies.htm.
For records between 1841-1905, write:
Massachusetts State Archives
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125
Tel: 617-727-4319
Fax: 617-288-4505
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