Rhode Island Birth Records

rhode-island

Rhode Island has been maintaining birth records since January 1, 1894, although there are records that date back as far as 1636 which were put together in the James N. Arnold's Vital Record of Rhode Island archive. It's worth noting that many records before 1894 are available in the state archive.

Rhode Island is a closed record state, which means that certified copies can only be requested by the person named on the certificate, as well as their immediate family members (including spouse) and lawyers representing them. Birth records become public once they are 100 years old, which is for births in 1924 and before.

Rhode Island Vital Records Office

The office that handles birth records from 1894-2024 for the entire state of Rhode Island is The Department of Public Health, where they also provide marriage records, divorce records, and death records.


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