A glimpse of vital records laws elsewhere

Alabama
Birth records are confidential with restricted access for 125 years; death records are restricted for 25 years.

Alaska
Access to records is restricted for 100 years for birth records and 50 years for death, marriage, and divorce records.

Arizona
Births that occurred more than 75 years ago and deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago are public records.

Arkansas
Births that occurred more than 100 years ago and deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago are public records.

California
Any interested person can, however, obtain a Certified Informational Copy.

Colorado
Births that occurred more than 100 years ago (unless that person is still alive) and deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago are public records.

Connecticut
Connecticut restricts access to birth records for 100 years; however, all marriage and death certificates are open to the public.

Delaware
Births 72 years old, and marriage and death records less than 40 years old.

Florida
Birth records are restricted for 100 years, death records for 50 years (though anyone can order a death certificate "without cause of death").

Hawaii
Records of events that occurred more than 75 years prior to the current year can be ordered by persons working on genealogy projects. For vital records that occurred less than 75 years prior to the current year, the applicant must establish a direct and tangible interest in the records.

Idaho
Birth certificates are restricted for 100 years. Death, stillbirth, marriage, and divorce certificates are restricted for 50 years.

Illinois
Uncertified copies of birth records older than 75 years and death records older than 20 years are available for genealogical researchers and others on a restricted basis; contact Vital Records for more information.

Indiana
Indiana law (IC16-37-1-10) specifically requires a purchaser of a birth or death certificate to have a direct interest.

Iowa
Records from this office are not open to the public. (Many counties have transcribed vital records and made them available online)

Kansas
The Office of Vital Statistics does allow requests for genealogical research. Pre-1940 records may be requested by an individual related as at least a cousin; post-1940 records must be requested by an immediate family member

Kentucky
Nothing uncertified, just indexes.

Louisiana
Birth records for the past 100 years and death records for the past 50 years.

Maine
Birth records less than 75 years old, death records less than 25 years old, and marriage records
less than 50 years old are restricted.

Maryland
Birth records are restricted for 100 years or until the death of the named individual; state law allows researchers to obtain death certificates over 10 years old.

Massachusetts
Records from 1841 to 1925 from Massachusetts Archives, else certified.

Michigan
Birth records are restricted for 100 years and a photo ID is required, but anyone can order a death or marriage record

Minnesota
certified or non-certified no restrictions?

Montana
Informational copies of a birth certificate are available from the Vital Records Office to anyone as long as the event occurred more than 30 years prior to the date of application

Nebraska
Genealogy requests to the Vital Records Office must be made by mail and not through the Internet. Only records that are 50 years old or older may be requested for family history.

New Hampshire
Birth records are restricted for 100 years; death, marriage, and divorce records are restricted for 50 years.

New Jersey
The Office of Vital Statistics issues genealogical copies of vital records, which are not valid for legal purposes. Genealogical records are defined as birth, death, and marriage records for people who are deceased and where the birth occurred more than 80 years ago, the marriage more than 50 years ago, and the death more than 40 years ago.

New Mexico
New Mexico birth records are restricted for 100 years, death records for 50 years.

New York
Birth records are restricted for 75 years, while marriage and death records are restricted for 50 years.


North Carolina
The North Carolina Vital Records Office will provide uncertified copies of certificates to anyone who requests them, unless legal restrictions apply

Oklahoma
Birth records are restricted for 125 years and death records for 75 years.

Oregon
Oregon Vital Records can provide birth certificates less than 100 years old, death certificates less than 50 years old, and marriage and divorce returns less than 50 years old.

Pennsylvania
Birth records are restricted for 105 years, and death records for 50 years.

Rhode Island
Birth and marriage records 100 years or older and death records 50 years or older are considered public records.

South Carolina
Death certificates become public records after 50 years and then any person may obtain an uncertified copy of the death certificate.

South Dakota
Informational copies of a vital record exist.

Tennessee
Birth records older than 100 years and death, marriage, and divorce records older than 50 years are available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives

Texas
Birth records are restricted for 75 years, death records for 25 years.

Utah
Birth records are restricted for 100 years, marriage and divorce records for 75 years, and death certificates for 50 years.

Virgina
Birth records are restricted for 100 years; death, marriage, and divorce records are restricted for 25 years

West Virginia
Access to certified copies of birth certificates is restricted for 100 years and to death and marriage records for 50 years.

Wyoming
Birth records in Wyoming are restricted for 100 years; death, marriage, and divorce records are restricted for 50 years.


(State info from the “International Vital Records Handbook”, by Thomas J Kemp, 7th ed (2017))