Vital Records
Vital Records
Vital Records are birth, death, marriage, and civil union documents. They are legal documents that contain information about the vital events of people in Hopkinton. Certified copies of vital records are used for many purposes, such as to establish proof of age, receive social security benefits and receive death benefits from life insurance policies.
Applying for a Marriage License
Both parties applying for a marriage license must appear at the Town Hall and bring their driver’s licenses and birth certificates. If either of you have been married previously, we will also need certified original copies of your final divorce decree(s) and/or death certificate(s).
A marriage license can be obtained from the town of residence of either party to the marriage. Proof of residency is required. If both parties reside outside the State of Rhode Island, the license must be obtained in the city/town where the marriage will occur.
The fee for a marriage license is $24.00. Please note that this office only accepts cash or check. We ask that you arrive no later than 4:00 p.m. to ensure ample time to complete and issue the license. Once the license is issued, it is valid for ninety days. If the marriage does not occur within ninety days, the license must be returned to the town of issuance.
Once the ceremony has taken place, the executed license must be returned to the town of issue within 72 business hours. Once it has been recorded by the town registrar, you may obtain a certified copy of your marriage certificate by following the instructions listed above.
For additional rules and regulations, please refer to the General Marriage Requirements in the State of Rhode Island (PDF) or contact your local town clerk’s office
Vital records are not public. Therefore, only those individuals who have what is called a "direct and tangible interest" in the record may have access to record. The following individuals and/or groups make-up those having direct and tangible interest:
- The person named on the certificate, a member of his/her immediate family, his guardian, or an authorized agent of these individuals
- Attorneys-at-law, title examiners, or members of legally incorporated genealogical societies in the conduct of their official duties
- Persons requiring information for the determination or protection of a personal or property right
- A person who has been granted a court order instructing the registrar to provide disclosure
Fees:
- Mail-in: $25.00 for the first copy; and $18 for each additional copy of the same record obtained at the same time.
- Walk-in: $22.00 for the first copy; and $18 for each additional copy of the same record obtained at the same time.
- Certified copies of vital records may be obtained in person at the Town Hall. You will be required to complete an application and present a government issued photo ID.
- Certified copies may be requested by mail, using the appropriate application below and accompanied by a copy of your government issued photo ID, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check payable to the Town of Hopkinton.
Certified copies of birth records
A certified copy of a birth occurring from 1960 and forward can be obtained from any city or town hall in the State of Rhode Island. For births occurring prior to 1960, the Town Clerk’s Office maintains only the records of births which occurred in Hopkinton or for the birth of a child to a mother that resided in Hopkinton at the time of the birth.
See below for application for certified copy of birth record.
Certified copies of death records
The Town Clerk’s Office maintains copies of death certificates of individuals who died within Hopkinton or who were residents of Hopkinton at the time of their death.
See below for application for certified copy of death record.
Certified copies of marriage records
The Town Clerk’s Office maintains copies of marriages that occurred in Hopkinton or marriages of residents of Hopkinton that occurred in another city or town within Rhode Island. Certified copies will only be issued to the parties on the marriage certificate or persons with a legal right to the record.
See below for application for certified copy of marriage record.
In the event of an error on a vital record, contact the State Office of Vital Records for information on how to make record corrections and required documentation.
Contact Information:
Roseanne Giorgianni, Chief
State Registrar's Office
Office of Vital Records
401-222-2812; 401-222-3364
State Registrar's Office
Office of Vital Records
6 Harrington Road
Cranston, RI 02920
401-222-2812; 401-222-3364