Details about people, properties, entities, and more are open to everyone to explore in Connecticut. This transparency is necessary for the well-being of a state, and that is why public records are paramount in Connecticut. Individuals can get public records in person or over the internet through designated Connecticut government offices. These documents that are available to pretty much anyone are public records. Often, the procedure for getting a copy of available documents is not tedious. Also, the fees are not outrageous, so anyone can request the information they seek. You can even get some records for free.
In Connecticut, you can ask for statistical data, birth records, court records, death records, license records, reports, meeting minutes, voting records, property records, and budgets from the agencies assigned and obtain them at an allocated time. If a piece of information is not at your fingertips online, you may have to check with the agency that keeps the data you seek.
Accessing Vital Records in Connecticut
As occasions occur daily in Connecticut, the offices of the state must document and keep records safe. Events recorded as vital records are not events like the St. Patrick’s Day Parade or the Sea Music Festival but life’s events like birth, death, marriage, and divorce; the events that take place in the course of life.
So, where do you look to find these records either for yourself, another individual, or an entity?
As earlier mentioned, there are agencies of the state responsible for keeping public records. For vital records in Connecticut, the Department of Public Health- State Vital Records Office oversees a database of such documents. Also, the Connecticut State Library handles a stream of historical documents. So, for data on occurrences before July 1897, the State Library is your best bet to direct inquiries.
Now that you know where your search begins, you may equally want to note that requesting a validated copy of vital documents attracts a processing fee. The fees apply too if you make your request online or by mail. If you wish to perform a walk in search to ask for notarized copies of birth data and records of demise, visit the agency accountable for vital records at:
Department of Public Health
Vital Records Division
410 Capitol Avenue, First Floor
Hartford, CT 06106
Telephone: (860) 507-7700
Fax: (860) 509-7958
Bear in mind that customer service hours of operation are Mondays to Fridays, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Note: photo identification is needed to access the building, and payments must be by money order or cash. Speaking of payments, a validated copy for birth papers costs $20.00, and demise records cost $20.00 as well. For union and dissolution papers, you can get certified documents at the State Vital Records Office. Alternatively, you may make your inquiries at the town/city of the union ceremony. The Vital Records Office does not record dissolution decrees at the state level and cannot issue validated papers on divorces. It equally cost $20.00 for a validated version of marriage papers. Online services exist with extra fees for validated birth, death, and marriage papers.
Criminal Records in Connecticut
Criminal documentations are open to the populace in Connecticut, helping to reduce the chances of hiring, dating, or even marrying someone with a criminal past. Having a searchable database could protect the public from potential harm. You can mitigate risk, protect your assets by performing a criminal background check. As criminal data is classed as public knowledge, it can be assessed by any individual or entity, except there is a limitation on the file. Sometimes, the agencies withhold information, for instance, if the case is still under investigation.
Criminal records have data about the delinquent past of a convicted person. In Connecticut, you can get criminal records over the internet or by mail. However, to get comprehensive criminal documentation, you must pay an in-person visit to designated offices and submit a fingerprint.
The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) is accountable for malefactor documentation in Connecticut. So, for anything that has to do with a malefactor history, the DESPP should be your first point of call. Interested persons can peruse criminal records over the internet via the Judicial Branch of the State of Connecticut.
The Connecticut State Bureau of Identification (SPBI) holds malefactor data in Connecticut. Ask the DESPP located in Middletown, Connecticut for relevant information at:
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, Connecticut 06457
Telephone: (860) 685-8480
The services of the DESPP to obtain records are subject to fees. A name-only search is $36.00, and a Conviction History Record Search costs $75.00.
Connecticut Inmate Records
Connecticut arrest documents contain data around the detention of an individual as a result of their apparent involvement in a crime within Connecticut. These records are generated and kept by law enforcement bodies. Documents on arrest contain facts like; inmate’s full name and alias, incarceration details and expected release dates, convicted offense(s), mugshots, fingerprints, etc. and are open information for the knowledge and safety of the general public. Individuals can ascertain the current status of inmates over the internet, using their Connecticut Department of Correction (CT DOC) number, name, and date of birth. Individuals can conduct this search by contacting the local police station or the Sheriff’s office. A person can also obtain free arrest data through the state judiciary. Alternatively, interested persons may visit the Public Information Office of the Connecticut Correction Department at:
Connecticut Department of Correction
24 Wolcott Hill Road
Wethersfield, CT 06109,
Phone: 860-692-7780
Sex Offender Registry in Connecticut
There is a Connecticut Sex Offender Registry that is accessible to everyone in the state. This open portal provides up-to-date data on Sex felons in Connecticut. It is a requirement for sex offenders to register with The Connecticut Public Safety Department, Sex Offender Registry Unit at 1111 Country Club Road, Middletown, CT 06457. The registry is kept up to date and accurate to keep the public aware and cautious. People who want to, can contact the unit in person or call: (860) 685-8060, Fax (860) 772 – 1730, or email at [email protected].
Connecticut Business Records
Businesses registered in Connecticut have their data online serviced by the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is accountable for approving all certificates of incorporation, registration, and dissolution, Trademarks registration, and other business services. You can look up all business entities online by entering the name you are searching for and searching. Contact the Secretary Of State from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM on business days at:
Office of the Secretary of the State
P.O. Box 150470
165 Capitol Avenue, Suit 1000
Hartford, CT 06115-0470
Telephone: (860) 509-6200
Property Records in Connecticut
The Land Registry pilot of Connecticut is an internet service that allows users to retrieve State lands information, download copies of parcel documents, and ascertain property ownership. This registry is a publicly accessible mapping system maintained by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
The DEEP provides public records and notice of title, location information, ownership, acquisition details, deeds, easements, encumbrances, rights of ways, surveys, management, and stewardship plans. You can also get records on deeds and other documents at the Town Clerk Land Records Office.
Contact the Connecticut Energy and Environmental Protection Department at 79 Elm Street in Hartford, (860) 424-3000.
In a Nutshell
Whatever public records in Connecticut you seek to obtain are available without any hassles. The agency phone lines are there, and you can get proper directions on how and where to search for information and services you require all around the state.