Rhode Island, vital records
Locate Rhode Island state vital records. List of government and private entities that provide birth records, marriages and decrees, divorces and death.
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Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
Vital records
Official site, health.ri.gov.
Open official site Open official site Rhode Island Department of Health Office of Vital RecordsProperty records
The State Archives is home to more than 10 million letters, photographs, and important state documents that form a permanent, tangible record of Rhode Island’s.
Open official site Open official site Rhode Island State ArchivesState agencies
Official site, cdc.gov.
Open official site Open official site https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htmState agencies
Official site, cdc.gov.
Open official site Open official site https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/index.htmVital records
Official site, health.ri.gov.
Open official site Open official site Rhode Island Vital Records (official: health.ri.gov)State agencies
Official site, ssa.gov.
Open official site Open official site https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdfGuide
Rhode Island has no state divorce certificate. The Rhode Island Department of Health Center for Vital Records issues birth, death, marriage and civil union certificates, pre-adoption birth certificates and single status letters, and does not list divorce records among them, although Rule 1.7(a) requires the Rhode Island Department of Health Divorce Record to be filed with each complaint. Certified copies of the final judgment of divorce, the document with the property and support terms, come from the clerk's office of the Family Court where the case was filed. The Center's page is at health.ri.gov.
Guide
These federal and national sources complement Rhode Island's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when Rhode Island state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
CDC, Where to Write for Vital RecordsRecord guide
Guide
Useful local context without burying the official record links above.
At a glance
Rhode Island Vital RecordsStateRhode IslandOfficial sources6Vital records3Federal3Links checkedSep. 22, 2026Using these vital record sourcesMore Rhode Island records on this site: Rhode Island public records, Free Background Checks.
Straight answers
Guide
Open only the answer you need.
Does the federal government keep birth certificates?No. The CDC is explicit: 'The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records.' Every U.S. vital record is kept by the state where the event occurred.
What is the difference between a certified and informational copy?A certified copy has a raised seal and is accepted by SSA, passport offices, and courts. An informational copy is marked 'Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity' and cannot be used for legal ID.
How long does a mail request take?It varies by state, but a mail order to a state vital records office is typically 4, 8 weeks. Walk-in county clerk requests can be same-day. Online orders through VitalChek add a separate processing time on top of the state's.
Who is legally allowed to order a certified copy?Most states limit certified copies to the registrant, immediate family, and legal representatives. Informational copies are generally available to anyone after a waiting period defined by state law.
What if I was born abroad to U.S. citizen parents?You should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, form FS-240). Replacements come from the U.S. Department of State, not from a state vital records office.
All states
Record guide
Useful local context without burying the official record links above.
At a glance
More Rhode Island records on this site: Rhode Island public records, Free Background Checks, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
No. The CDC is explicit: 'The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records.' Every U.S. vital record is kept by the state where the event occurred.
A certified copy has a raised seal and is accepted by SSA, passport offices, and courts. An informational copy is marked 'Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity' and cannot be used for legal ID.
It varies by state, but a mail order to a state vital records office is typically 4, 8 weeks. Walk-in county clerk requests can be same-day. Online orders through VitalChek add a separate processing time on top of the state's.
Most states limit certified copies to the registrant, immediate family, and legal representatives. Informational copies are generally available to anyone after a waiting period defined by state law.
You should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, form FS-240). Replacements come from the U.S. Department of State, not from a state vital records office.
All states
Every state page lists that state's official vital record sources, each opened and verified.