July 11, 2010

Fee rising for copies of vital records

People seeking information on births, deaths and marriages will have to present personal identification, as well.

By AMY CALDER Morning Sentinel

People seeking records at municipal offices related to births, deaths and marriages will see a change in the rules governing access, starting Monday.

For more information, visit the state website.

Not only will the fees increase, but people seeking information also will have to present personal identification to get the records, according to Waterville City Clerk Arlene Strahan.

"You will have to show proof of your direct interest; plus, you have to show identification for yourself in order to purchase it, so that's a huge change," Strahan said Thursday.

The fee for obtaining vital records will increase from $10 to $15, she said.

People requesting copies of vital records filed less than 100 years ago must provide documentation establishing their right to the documents, according to a June 25 letter to clerks from State Registrar Donald R. Lemieux.

"We ask that those requesting a copy of vital records present, along with their application, positive identification including, but not limited to, a driver's license, passport or other government-issued picture identification," Lemieux's letter says.

Lemieux is director of the Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics.

His letter to clerks says if a person seeking vital records does not have a photo identification, he or she must submit an application form and photocopies of two items from the following list:

Utility bills, bank statements, car registration, copy of income tax return, personal check with address, a previously issued vital record/marriage license, letter from government agency requesting a vital record, a Department of Corrections identification card, Social Security card, hospital birth worksheet, license/rental agreement, pay stub, voter registration card, disability and award from the Social Security Administration.

Other secondary forms of identification may be considered.

 

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