Rhode Island Vital Records

What are Rhode Island Vital Records?

The Rhode Island State Department of Health is the government agency that handles all vital records for the state. They have records of births, deaths, marriages, and divorces in the state since 1853 and were generally complied with by the 1900s.

How Can I Get a Copy of a Birth Certificate in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island birth records are confidential and not accessible to the general public for the first 100 years. Until then, only the following individuals can receive a copy of a Rhode Island birth certificate:

• The individual named on the record.
• The parents of the individual named on the record.
• A legal guardian of the individual named on the record.
• The spouse of the individual named on the record.
• An immediate family member of the individual named on the record.
• A person with a court order.

Rhode Island birth records can be requested or ordered through email, in person, online, and by phone.

To request a birth certificate online, you can visit VitalChek. The cost for an online request is $35, and you will need to provide the following information:

• The full name of the individual is on the record.
• The date of birth.
• The city or town of birth.
• A credit or debit card for payment.
• An email address to receive the order confirmation.

They might require other proof of identification, such as a driver's license or passport. If you don't have access to a computer, you can call VitalChek at 888-388-1032 and request a birth certificate over the phone.

VitalChek accepts all major credit and debit cards, including American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa. There is an additional fee if you want to expedite shipping.

To request a birth certificate by mail, you can download and fill out theRhode Island Department of Health application form. The standard fee for mail orders is $25 for the first copy and $18 for every extra copy purchased or requested on the same day.

You will need to provide the following information:

• The full name of the individual on the record.
• The date of birth.
• The city or town of birth.
• A check or money order for the appropriate amount made payable to the Rhode Island State Department of Health.
• Proof of identification such as a driver's license or passport.
• Your mailing address and home phone number.
• Reason for requesting the birth certificate.

You can send the application and payment to the following address:

RI Department of Health
Office of Vital Records, Room 101
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5097

Note: The personal check and money order should be made payable to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island. Failure to submit all necessary information will delay the processing of your request.

To request a birth certificate in person, you can visit the Rhode Island Department of Health office.

RI Department of Health
Office of Vital Records, Room 101
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5097

The standard fee for in-person orders is $22 for the first copy and $18 for every extra copy purchased or requested on the same day. The search for one name and one record for two consecutive years is free for unknown birthdates. Every additional year searched after that is $2, and rush orders are an extra $7.

For payment, cash, checks, or money orders are accepted at the RIDOH Center for Vital Records. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island. If you are requesting from a city or town's clerks office, it is best to ask them in advance what payments they accept.

It will take one to two weeks to process your request and mail the certified copy to your mail. Expedited requests will take five to seven days.

Upon requesting, you will need to provide some required identification.

Acceptable forms of ID are:

• Driver's license from any US state or territory.
• Certificate of naturalization.
• Alien registration card.
• Passport from any country.
• Military ID card from any branch of the United States military.

If you can't provide any of the aforementioned IDs, you will need to provide two of the following documents:

• Utility bill.
• Bank statement.
• Car registration.
• Copy of income tax return.

The RIDOH office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call them at 401-222-5960.

How Can I Get a Copy of a Death Certificate in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island death records are confidential and not accessible to the general public for the first 50 years. Until then, only the following individuals can receive a copy of a Rhode Island death certificate:

• The decedent's spouse.
• The decedent's children.
• The decedent's parents.
• The decedent's siblings who are 18 years of age or older.
• A grandchild of the decedent if the child's parent is deceased.
• A legal representative of the decedent.
• A person who can demonstrate a direct and tangible interest in the record.

Rhode Island death records can be requested or ordered through email, in person, online, and by phone.

To request a death certificate online, you can visit VitalChek. The cost for an online request is $35, and you will need to provide the following information:

• The full name of the individual on the record.
• The date and location of death.
• Your credit or debit card information for payment.
• Your mailing address and email address.

They might require other proof of identification, such as a driver's license or passport. If you don't have access to a computer, you can call VitalChek at 888-388-1032 and request a death certificate over the phone.

VitalChek accepts all major credit and debit cards, including American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa. There is an additional fee if you want to expedite shipping.

To request a death certificate by mail, you can download and fill out theRhode Island Department of Health application form. The standard fee for mail orders is $25 for the first copy and $18 for every extra copy purchased or requested on the same day.

You will need to provide the following information:

• The full name of the decedent.
• The date and location of death.
• Your mailing address and phone number.
• Your relationship to the decedent.
• A copy of your valid photo ID.
• Your reason for requesting the death certificate.
• A check or money order for the total amount due. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island.

You can send the application and payment to the following address:

RI Department of Health
Office of Vital Records, Room 101
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5097

Note: Failure to submit the required items will result in the return of your application and a delay in processing your request.

To request a death certificate in person, you can visit the Rhode Island Department of Health office.

RI Department of Health
Office of Vital Records, Room 101
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5097

The standard fee for in-person orders is $22 for the first copy and $18 for every extra copy purchased or requested on the same day. For unknown dates of death, the search for one name and one record for two consecutive years is free. Every additional year searched after that is $2, and rush orders are an extra $7.

For payment, cash, checks, or money orders are accepted at the RIDOH Center for Vital Records. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island. If you are requesting from a city or town's clerks office, it is best to ask them in advance what payments they accept.

It will take one to two weeks to process your request and mail the certified copy to your mail. Expedite requests will take five to seven days.

Upon requesting, you will need to provide some required identification.

Acceptable forms of ID are:

• Driver's license from any US state or territory.
• Certificate of naturalization.
• Alien registration card.
• Passport from any country.
• Military ID card from any branch of the United States military.

If you can't provide any of the aforementioned IDs, you will need to provide two of the following documents:

• Utility bill.
• Bank statement.
• Car registration.
• Copy of income tax return.

The RIDOH office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call them at 401-222-5960.

How Can I Get a Copy of a Marriage Certificate in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island marriage records are confidential and not accessible to the general public for the first 100 years. Until then, only the following individuals can receive a copy of a Rhode Island marriage certificate:

• The bride or the groom.
• The bride's parents.
• The groom's parents.
• A legal representative of any of the people listed above.

Rhode Island marriage records can be requested or ordered through email, in person, online, and by phone.

To request a marriage certificate online, you can visit VitalChek. The cost for an online request is $35, and you will need to provide the following information:

• The full name of both the bride and groom.
• The date of the marriage.
• Your mailing address and phone number.
• A copy of your valid photo ID.
• Your reason for requesting the marriage certificate.

VitalChek accepts all major credit cards, including American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa. You can also request a marriage certificate by phone by calling VitalChek at 888-388-1032.

To request a marriage certificate by mail, you can fill out the application form on the Rhode Island Department of Health website. The cost for a mail-in request is $25 for the first copy and $18 for each additional copy of the same record. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island.

You can send the application and payment to:

RI Department of Health
Office of Vital Records, Room 101
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5097

Note: Failure to submit the required items will result in the return of your application and a delay in processing your request.

To request a marriage certificate without a form, you must provide the following information:

• The full name of both the bride and groom.
• The date of the marriage.
• The city/town where the event occurred.
• Your mailing address and phone number.
• A copy of your valid photo ID.
• Your reason for requesting the marriage certificate.
• Your signature and printed name.
• Your mailing address and home phone number.

To request a marriage certificate in person, you can visit the Rhode Island Department of Health office.

RI Department of Health
Office of Vital Records, Room 101
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5097

The standard fee for in-person orders is $22 for the first copy and $18 for every extra copy purchased or requested on the same day.

For payment, cash, checks, or money orders are accepted at the RIDOH Center for Vital Records. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island. If you are requesting from a city or town's clerks office, it is best to ask them in advance what payments they accept.

It will take one to two weeks to process your request and mail the certified copy to your mail. Expedited requests will take five to seven days.

Upon requesting, you will need to provide some required identification.

Acceptable forms of ID are:

• Driver's license from any US state or territory.
• Certificate of naturalization.
• Alien registration card.
• Passport from any country.
• Military ID card from any branch of the United States military.

If you can't provide any of the aforementioned IDs, you will need to provide two of the following documents:

• Utility bill.
• Bank statement.
• Car registration.
• Copy of income tax return.

The RIDOH office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call them at 401-222-5960.

How Can I Get a Copy of a Divorce Certificate in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island divorce records are generally open to the public and can be obtained if they are not sealed. However, certified copies of divorce records contain sensitive information and are only available to the divorced parties and pre-authorized persons/agencies.

If you are eligible to receive a copy of the Rhode Island divorce certificate, you can request it by querying the office of the Clerk of Family Court in the judicial district where the divorce was granted. The address and contact information of the court can be found on the Rhode Island Judiciary website.

To request a certified divorce record from a court clerk, you will need to submit all the necessary information, including:

• The full name of the divorced parties.
• The date of the divorce.
• The case number (if known).
• Your mailing address and phone number.
• Your reason for requesting the divorce certificate.
• Your signature and printed name.

In addition to providing the aforementioned information, you will also be required to submit a copy of your valid photo identification. The standard fee for ordering a certified divorce certificate varies from one county to another.

Helpful State Resources

• Rhode Island Driving Records
• Rhode Island Plate Lookup
• Rhode Island Arrest Records
• Rhode Island Inmate Search
• Rhode Island Court Records
• Rhode Island Property Records