Connecticut Public Records: How to Perform a Connecticut Public Records Search

Public records are official documents created by government agencies to account for events that happen in the state and the people who are affected by them. 

The general public can refer to these public records whenever they need to by either contacting their traditional custodians (government agencies) or third-party websites.

Here, we will discuss the various possible (and most common) routes that you can take to find public records in Connecticut.

How to Find Public Records in Connecticut?

If you want to find Connecticut public records, you can use the methods that we will discuss later. 

You can also perform a Connecticut free public records search online with websites that aggregate public records, like backgrouncheck.co. 

You can perform an online background check on people with such websites, and get access to various public records. If you need to find one type of record, here is what you need to know:

Connecticut Public Records: Criminal Records

The past and active criminal activities of persons in Connecticut are mostly featured in its statewide official criminal records. 

These Connecticut public records contain information ranging from arrest data, court reports, sentencing information, warrants, and the personal information of the record holder. 

Connecticut's criminal records are mostly maintained by law enforcement officers across all levels of government, from the police department to the sheriffs across all of its counties.

Persons in search of public records in Connecticut that are criminal records can start by submitting a Criminal History Record request form to the state police, an arm of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). 

They can run a name-based search for $36 or more accurately perform a Conviction History Record Search for $75. 

An alternative(which comes at no cost) is to resort to the State Judicial Branch Criminal / Motor Vehicle Case Look-up page.

Public Records Connecticut: Court Records

The easiest way to find your court records is to stop by the courthouse that has presided over your case and then enlist the help of the court clerk in finding the relevant court record. 

The court record should be available in either print archives or electronic databases where they are kept for future reference. 

You may also need to meet some eligibility criteria and pay the necessary copy fees, in most cases, $3 per copy and one extra per page for expedited copies.

The Connecticut Judicial Branch runs a website that allows you to find case files via either of the following search options—search by Case Name, Case Number, Party Name, or Attorney. 

There, you can find court records from cases filed at the supreme courts, probate courts, appellate courts, etc, as long as they are not sealed records, as with juvenile cases and certain sex offense-related cases. 

Public Records in Connecticut: Vital Records

The major reason for the existence of Vital records is to provide a means of reference and proper documentation as regards the occasion of vital events—births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. 

The custody and maintenance of vital records in Connecticut fall under the purview of the Vital Records Section of the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

They are responsible for providing the bulk of the content contained in these public records as well as being authorized to issue the records to eligible requesters. 

Below is a well-detailed overview of how to find these vital records in Connecticut. 

Connecticut Public Records: Marriage and Divorce Records

The office of the Town clerk offers you one of the best routes to finding marriage records in the judicial district that is responsible for issuing the marriage license. 

The Vital Records office is another good option to explore, with both of these options requiring eligible persons to fill out completely and submit the marriage record request form. 

This form is to be submitted along with the necessary fees and a valid ID to either of the aforementioned offices. 

Below is the address to which you are expected to forward your marriage record request forms, either in person or by mail.

Connecticut Department of Public Health
Vital Records Section
Customer Services, MS#11VRS
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308

For divorce records requests, you can direct your inquiries to the office of the court clerk in the Connecticut Judicial District Court as can be found in your county (where the divorce was settled). 

You can request copies of your case files containing the divorce decree and all the relevant gist of the court judgment. 

You should also be able to provide your first and last name, the parties to the record, the vase file number, and the name and place where the divorce was issued. 

Public Records in Connecticut: Birth & Death Records

Connecticut Birth records take stock of all the births registered in the state. Once again, you can commence your search at the Connecticut Vital records office. 

But first, you must download and complete a birth record application form and then submit it together with the specified fees and a valid government-issued ID.

The application packet should also contain all the relevant documents that can prove you to be eligible to view the records, either as a family member of the record holder, their legal representative, or any other authorized person. 

You can now submit the total package via mail or in person to the following address:

Connecticut Department of Public Health
Vital Records Section
Customer Services, MS#11VRS
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308

Death records are also Connecticut public records, and they can be obtained in much the same way as birth records, with a few minor exceptions. 

It involves sending a death record application form to the state's Vital Records office, submitted along with the applicable fees and the required personal identification. Only veterans are exempted from paying this service fee.