VITAL RECORD CONFIDENTIALITY

Birth records are considered private and confidential, with access limited to those individuals who have a "direct and tangible" interest in the record. The only exception is birth records more than 100 years old which are considered public and are open to the public.

Copies of birth records may only be obtained by:

• The registrant OR
• A member of his/her immediate family, guardian, OR
• A representative with a "direct and tangible interest" such as an attorney, physician, funeral director or other authorized representative acting on behalf of the registrant.  . In order to determine if the "legal representative" may have access to the record, the direct and tangible interest must be listed in any written correspondence with a copy of such legal document being provided.

Definition of immediate family: mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, great-grandmother, great-grandfather, nephew, niece or any spouse of divorced or legally separated person or person whose former marriage has been annulled. It shall not include cousins.