Vital Records

In the State of Maine, when a child is born, a birth certificate is filed in the municipal clerk’s office in the town where the birth happened, as well as in the municipal clerk’s office of the town of residence where the mother was living at the time of the child’s birth. For example, if a child was born at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, and the mother was living in the Town of Surry at the time of the child’s birth, a copy of the birth certificate would be filed with the City of Ellsworth and with the Town of Surry. Certified copies of the birth record can be purchased from either town office.

In addition, duplicate copies of all birth records are filed with the State of Maine Office of Vital Records, a division of the Department of Human Services in Augusta, Maine.

When adoptions take place, original birth certificates stay in the town that the child was born, in regardless of where the adoption took place. The adopted information gets forwarded to that town so the birth record can be amended/replaced. To order a certified, legal copy of a birth certificate, if the birth occurred in Ellsworth, or if the mother of the child was living in Ellsworth at the time, complete the Copy of Certificate Request (Marriage, Death, Birth) form or write a letter including the following information:

Full name of the child, including first, middle and last name
Date of birth
Child’s Mother’s first, middle and maiden names
Child’s Father’s first, middle and last names
Your relationship to the child named on the birth certificate
Name and mailing address where we should send the certificates
Number of certified copies you are ordering

The cost for a copy is $15.00 and $6.00 for each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time.

Make check or money order payable to The City of Ellsworth. Credit/Debit Cards are accepted in person or over the phone. Mail the Copy of Certificate form or letter and payment to: City Clerk’s Office, City of Ellsworth, 1 City Hall Plaza, Ellsworth, ME 04605

To order a copy of a death certificate, complete the Copy of Certificate Request (Marriage, Death, Birth) form or write a letter including the following information:

Full name of the deceased, including first, middle and last name
Date of death
Your relationship to the deceased
Name and mailing address where we should send the certificates
Number of certified copies you are ordering

The cost for a copy is $15.00 and $6.00 for each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time.

Make check or money order payable to: The City of Ellsworth. Credit/Debit Cards are accepted in person or over the phone.

Mail the Copy of Certificate form or letter and payment to: City Clerk’s Office, City of Ellsworth, 1 City Hall Plaza, Ellsworth, ME 04605

To order a copy of a marriage license or , complete the Copy of Certificate Request (Marriage, Death, Birth) form or write a letter including the following information:

Full name of both parties, including first, middle and last name (maiden name of bride)
Date of marriage
Place of marriage
Applicant’s name
Your relationship to the person on the requested record
Name and mailing address where we should send the certificates
Number of certified copies you are ordering

The cost for a copy is $15.00 and $6.00 for each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time.

Make check or money order payable to: The City of Ellsworth. Credit/Debit Cards are accepted in person or over the phone.

Mail the Copy of Certificate form or letter and payment to: City Clerk’s Office, City of Ellsworth, 1 City Hall Plaza, Ellsworth, ME 04605

Individuals who may access closed vital records include:

• The person named on the record;
• The person’s spouse or registered domestic partner;
• The parent(s) named on the record;
• Descendants of the person named on the record;
• Registrant’s legal custodian, guardian, or conservator or respective authorized representative (includes attorney, physician, or funeral director); and Genealogists who have a Maine CDC issued researcher identification card.

Anyone may purchase non-certified copies of birth, marriage, or death records that are open to the public according to the following time periods:

• Birth records: 75 years old or older
• Marriage records: 50 years old or older
• Death records: 25 years old or older

Proof of identity must be presented to the municipal and city clerks or state Vital Records Office staff. A brief application for securing a copy of the vital record must be filled out and presented, along with positive identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or other government issued picture identification that clearly shows that the person requesting the record is who they say they are. If one of these is not available, the requestor will need to show two items from the following: utility bills, bank statements car registration, copy of income tax return, personal check with address, a previously issued vital record, letter from government agency requesting vital record, Department of Corrections ID card, Social Security card, DD214, hospital birth worksheet, license/rental agreement, pay stub or W-2, voter registration card, or a disability card from SSA. Identification requirements apply whether the records are requested in person or by mail.