Vital Records

The Town Clerk serves as the Register of Vital Records and Statistics for the Town of Great Barrington. The Clerk accepts for filing and maintains the records of all births and deaths, as well as filings for marriage licenses that occur in Great Barrington, as well as birth and death records of residents that happen in another community within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Providing certified copies of these records is an important service provided by the Town Clerk's Office. The fee for a certified copy of a birth, marriage, or death record is $10. The Public Records Law allows ten days to fulfill a request for a public record; however, in most cases, we can accommodate your request within a day.

Requesting a Vital Record

The records for Great Barrington's births, marriages, and deaths begin with the year 1850 and continue to the present. Copies may be obtained in person or by mail.  Please complete a Vital Record form (PDF) and mail a check, made payable to the Town of Great Barrington, for $10, as well as a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Please mail requests to:

Town Clerk's Office
334 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230

Under Massachusetts law, the marital status of the parents determines the accessibility of a vital record. If the record is that of a child born out of wedlock, then the document is restricted. The record may only be issued to the people whose names appear on the record (mother, child, and father if named). If you are requesting a certified copy of a restricted record, you will be required to produce a picture ID before obtaining the document. To request a restricted document by mail, please submit a notarized statement confirming your identity and relationship to the subject of the record. Additionally, include a notarized photocopy of your valid government-issued ID to ensure efficient processing

State Registry of Vital Records & Statistics

If you are not sure whether the record you seek is filed locally, you may contact the State Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The Registry maintains a central index and holds copies of records for all births, deaths, and marriages that have occurred in Massachusetts.

Certified copies may be obtained from the Registry in person, by mail, or by phone. You should be prepared to provide the name of the subject(s) of the record, the date of the event, and, if know,n the city or town where the event occurred.

For further information, please call 617-740-2600.

Their mailing address is

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon Street, 1st Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105