Section 33. The state registrar shall establish, maintain and operate a centralized, automated database for the system of vital records and statistics, subject to appropriation. The state registrar shall make such automated database available to town clerks who shall use it to (i) record all births and deaths by city or town of occurrence and all marriages by city or town that issued the license; and (ii) issue certified copies of vital records.
All certified copies issued from the database shall be identical in size and format and shall have security features that deter alteration, counterfeiting, duplication or simulation of vital records and shall meet applicable federal and state standards established for this purpose. When issuing certified copies, the state registrar and town clerks shall comply with all applicable restrictions of state and federal law. The fee for a certified copy of a vital record issued by a town clerk from the database shall be uniform throughout the commonwealth, irrespective of where the record was originally recorded.
The database shall have the capacity for authorized users to enter information required for: (i) standard certificates of live birth and as required by the commissioner for administrative, research and statistical purposes under section 24B of chapter 111; (ii) acknowledgments of paternity; (iii) standard certificates of death; and (iv) fetal death reports. The database shall have the capacity for the chief medical examiner to enter information required for a medical examiner's certificate of death and for licensed health professionals and licensed funeral directors to enter information required for standard certificates of death. The database shall also have the capacity for courts in the commonwealth to enter information required for amendment of birth records following adjudications of paternity under chapter 209C and adoptions under chapter 210. The database shall have the capacity to enter, verify and hold electronic signatures.
Town clerks shall be responsible for the maintenance and preservation of original paper records until such time as originals are transferred to the state registrar. The state registrar shall be responsible for maintenance and preservation of original paper records until such time as bound volumes of original birth, marriage and death records are transferred to the state archivist.
Structure Massachusetts General Laws
Part I - Administration of the Government
Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts
Chapter 46 - Return and Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths
Section 11/2 - Certificates of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth; Filing
Section 1a - Birth Records of Abandoned Children or Foundlings
Section 1b - Filing Reports of Out-of-State Births or Adoptions
Section 1c - Filing Reports of Out-of-State Deaths
Section 1d - Adoption of Surname Upon Marriage
Section 2 - Separate Registries for Births, Deaths and Marriages
Section 2a - Disclosure of Information About Vital Statistics; Conditions
Section 2b - Pre-Adoption Birth Certificates; Application for Inspection by Adopted Persons
Section 2c - Pre-Adoption Birth Certificates; Access by Child of Deceased Adopted Parent
Section 3 - Physician's Record of Birth; Out of Hospital Birth
Section 3a - Hospital Administrator's Duties; Report; Verification
Section 3b - Birth Without Immediate Admittance to Hospital for Postnatal Care; Report
Section 3d - Acknowledgments and Adjudications of Paternity; Records Available to Iv–d Agency
Section 4 - Birth Without Attending Physician; Report; Recording; Petition; Hearing
Section 4a - Local Officials; Processing of Birth Certificates
Section 4b - Artificial Insemination
Section 6 - Notification of Births and Deaths
Section 7 - Report of Births and Deaths at Sea
Section 7a - Report of Births on Airplanes; Penalty for Violation
Section 8 - Penalty for Failure to Report Births and Deaths
Section 10 - Death Certificates of Veterans; Contents; Penalty for Violation
Section 11 - Duties of Undertakers
Section 13 - Correction of Records
Section 13a - Correction of Birth Records; Procedure
Section 14 - Penalty for False Returns
Section 17 - Birth Records; State Registrar; Originals; Certified Copies
Section 17a - Marriage Records; State Registrar; Originals; Certified Copies
Section 17b - Death Records; State Registrar; Originals; Certified Copies
Section 17d - Amended Birth, Marriage and Death Records; Certified Copies to Holders of Originals
Section 19 - Use of Records as Evidence
Section 19a - Unauthorized Reproduction of Records; Penalty
Section 19b - Certified Copies of Birth Records; Restricted Information Regarding Mother
Section 19c - Authentication of Copies of Birth, Marriage and Death Records; Use as Evidence
Section 20 - Births and Deaths in Tewksbury Hospital; Records
Section 22 - Registrars of Vital Statistics
Section 23 - Prosecution of Persons Failing to File Required Reports
Section 24 - Statements of Births and Deaths; Penalty
Section 25 - Disposition of Fines and Forfeitures
Section 27 - Clerks; Penalty for Neglecting Required Duties
Section 28 - Administration of Oaths
Section 29 - Attestation of Certificates
Section 30 - Alteration, Forgery or Counterfeiting; Penalty
Section 31 - Adoption Contact Information Registry
Section 34 - Agreements to Verify Existence of Birth, Marriage or Death Records