Find Death Records in Hartford County

Hartford County obituary records and death records are kept at the town clerk level across Hartford County's 29 towns and cities. Connecticut has no county government. Each town in Hartford County maintains its own vital records. The state capital, Hartford, sits within Hartford County. The State Vital Records Office is also located in Hartford County. You can search obituary records through Hartford County town clerks, state archives, and online databases that cover death certificates and burial records from the 17th century to the present day in Hartford County.

Hartford County Vital Records System

Connecticut vital records work differently than most states. There is no county vital records office in Hartford County. Each Hartford County town clerk keeps birth, marriage, and death records for their own area. This system dates back to colonial times. Town clerks in Hartford County have death records going back to the 1600s. Some towns in Hartford County have death records from the 1640s. These are among the oldest public death records in the United States. Hartford County was founded in 1635. It is one of the oldest counties in the nation. Hartford County residents can access these historic vital records at their local town clerk offices.

The State Vital Records Office in Hartford collects copies of all Hartford County town death records. They keep a statewide index of deaths from 1897 to the present day. This central office makes it easier to search death records across all towns in Hartford County. You can request death certificates from the state office instead of visiting each Hartford County town clerk. The state office is at 410 Capitol Avenue in Hartford. They serve all of Connecticut including every town in Hartford County. Hartford County residents benefit from this central resource.

Death records in Hartford County are public after 100 years. Recent death certificates in Hartford County have some limits. Only family members or legal reps can get copies of death records less than 100 years old in Hartford County. This rule applies to all towns in Hartford County. Older death records in Hartford County are open to anyone. You can search them at the Hartford County town clerk office, the state archives, or online through various genealogy sites that focus on Hartford County obituary records and burial data.

The State Vital Records Office in Hartford County

The State Vital Records Office sits in Hartford County at 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106. This office holds death certificates for the whole state including Hartford County. They have death records from 1897 to the present day for Hartford County residents. You can order death certificates in person, by mail, or online. The phone number is (860) 509-7700. Walk-in service is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This office is the main hub for all vital records in Hartford County and the rest of Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health runs this Hartford County office. Their website at portal.ct.gov/dph has full info on how to request Hartford County vital records. You can download forms from their site. Mail orders for Hartford County death records take about 6 to 8 weeks. Rush service costs extra. Online orders go through VitalChek with added fees. For genealogy research in Hartford County, the state archives have older Hartford County death records on microfilm. The state library is also in Hartford County.

The Connecticut Death Index is online at data.ct.gov. This free database covers deaths from 1897 to 2001 including Hartford County. You can search Hartford County records by name, year, and town. The index gives basic facts about Hartford County deaths. It does not show the full death certificate. To get the full Hartford County death record, you must order from the town clerk or state office. The index helps you find which Hartford County town holds the death record you need. This is useful for Hartford County obituary searches.

Major Cities and Towns in Hartford County

Hartford County has 29 towns and cities. Each Hartford County town keeps its own death records. The largest city in Hartford County is Hartford with about 122,000 people. It is also the state capital. Hartford City Hall has vital records going back centuries. You can search death records there in person. Other large Hartford County cities include New Britain with 76,000 residents, West Hartford with 64,000, and Bristol with 62,000. Manchester has 60,000 people. East Hartford has 51,000. These Hartford County cities have full-time town clerks who handle vital records requests and death certificate orders.

Medium-sized towns in Hartford County include Enfield with 41,000 people, Glastonbury with 36,000, and Newington with 32,000. Windsor has nearly 30,000 residents in Hartford County. Wethersfield has 27,000. South Windsor and Simsbury each have about 27,000 and 25,000 people in Hartford County. All of these Hartford County towns have vital records offices at their town halls. Smaller towns in Hartford County like Avon, Farmington, and Rocky Hill also keep death records at their clerk offices. Each Hartford County town sets its own fees for copies of death certificates and obituary records.

Finding obituary records in Hartford County means knowing which town holds the death record. Deaths in Hartford County are recorded where they happen. A person who lived in West Hartford but died in a Hartford hospital would have their death recorded in Hartford. Hartford County obituaries may appear in local papers. The Hartford Courant covers most of Hartford County. Town historical societies in Hartford County also keep burial records and cemetery plots. These can help you find Hartford County death records when official records are hard to locate.

How to Access Hartford County Obituary Records

You have several ways to find death records in Hartford County. The method you pick depends on what you need. Recent Hartford County death certificates must come from the town clerk or state office. Older Hartford County death records may be at the state library or online. Hartford County obituaries are often found in newspaper archives. Each Hartford County source has its own process and fees. Hartford County death records are spread across many offices.

To get a death certificate from a Hartford County town clerk, you must visit in person or send a request by mail. Most Hartford County town clerks need proof of your relationship to the person. You must fill out a form with the full name, date of death, and Hartford County town where the death took place. Fees vary by Hartford County town but are usually around $20 per copy of a death certificate. Some Hartford County towns accept credit cards. Many only take cash or checks. Call ahead to check what the Hartford County town clerk needs.

The Connecticut State Library in Hartford County has microfilm of death records for the whole state. Their genealogy section has Hartford County death records back to the 1600s. You can visit in person to search these Hartford County death records for free. The library is at 231 Capitol Avenue in Hartford County. They also have online databases you can use from home with a library card. The Barbour Collection is a key resource for Hartford County. It has early vital records for many Hartford County towns. This collection includes Hartford County death records from the colonial era.

Online Resources for Hartford County

Many Hartford County obituary records and death certificates are now online. You can search Hartford County death records from home. The Connecticut Death Index covers 1897 to 2001 for Hartford County. This is a free database. It lists name, death date, age, and Hartford County town. FamilySearch.org has Connecticut death records too including Hartford County. They have images of some Hartford County death certificates. You need a free account to view them. Ancestry.com has more Hartford County death records but requires a paid subscription. Many libraries offer free Ancestry access to card holders in Hartford County.

Newspaper archives have obituaries and death notices for Hartford County. The Hartford Courant archive goes back to 1764 for Hartford County. You can search it online for Hartford County obituary notices. Some years need a subscription. Smaller local Hartford County papers also have obituaries. Many are on legacy.com or newspaperarchive.com. Historical societies in Hartford County have put burial records online. The Connecticut Gravestone Network has photos of Hartford County headstones. Find a Grave has user-submitted memorials from cemeteries across Hartford County.

The main online resources for Hartford County death records and certificates are:

• Connecticut Death Index at data.ct.gov (free, Hartford County 1897-2001)
• FamilySearch Hartford County collections (free with account)
• Connecticut State Library Hartford County digital collections (free)
• Hartford Courant archives for Hartford County (subscription for some years)
• Find a Grave for Hartford County (free, user-submitted obituary records)

These online tools make it easier to search death records and certificates in Hartford County. Start with the free sources for Hartford County. Use paid sites if you need more detail about Hartford County deaths. Always verify online info with official Hartford County death records when possible. Hartford County has a rich history. Many Hartford County obituary records date back centuries.

Cities in Hartford County

Hartford County has many cities and towns that keep death records. Each Hartford County town clerk maintains vital records for their area. Click below to find death records in major Hartford County cities.

Other towns in Hartford County include Enfield, Glastonbury, Newington, Windsor, Wethersfield, South Windsor, Simsbury, Avon, Farmington, Rocky Hill, Cromwell, Berlin, Plainville, Southington, and Bloomfield. Each Hartford County town clerk keeps death records for their area.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hartford County. Death records are kept at the town level in these counties too. If you cannot find a record in Hartford County, try searching nearby counties.