BIRTH CERTIFICATES
Public record if parents were or are married. All copies of long form
birth extracts contain the True Copy Attest and the Town Seal to
authenticate the document. The original birth record before 2000,
stays with the town and after 2000, is sent to the Department of
Public Health.
The exception is a RESTRICTED RECORDS, i.e. child(ren) born
out of wedlock. Restricted records have limited access, as ONLY
Mother, Father, (if father is named on the birth record), and child
(16 years or older) can receive a copy with a valid Mass Picture
identification (license or I.D.).
If you are a guardian or custodial relative appointed through the
court, and you are not listed on the birth record, we would need
to see the court custody papers (original document with the
court seal) and a Mass Picture identification. Attorneys are only
allowed copies of restricted records through a court order.
Restricted birth records can be legitimized if the parents marry after
the birth. We would need the parents to return to the office with a
certified copy of the marriage certificate. Parents would be
requested to sign the Affidavit of Correction of Birth. There is a
fee to amend this record (see clerk fees). There are only three
instances where the child's name can be changed: i.e. when
adding the father, after a marriage and upon adoption. Should
you find yourself in this situation and would like further clarification,
please call the Clerk's Office at 508-291-3140.
Temporary license or lerner permits will be accepted as
identification, along with one other form of identification.
You would need to obtain a valid Mass Identification from the
Registry of Motor Vehicles.
If one was born in another city or town and the parents were not
residents of Wareham at the time of the birth, one would need to
obtain a copy of the birth record from the city or town clerk in the
city or town where they were born. If you are searching for a
birth record and do not know where the birth occurred, you can
call Vital Records in Boston. The number is 1-617-740-2600.
To fill out and complete a proof of birth request through the
Wareham School Department for student work permits, there
is a small fee of $2.00.
We do not accept out-of-state personal checks, so please
send a bank check or money order made payable to the Town
of Wareham. Anyone living out of state having been born at
Tobey Hospital in Wareham, would need to send a written
request with name at birth, date of birth, and number of copies
(fees listed under Clerk's Fee Schedule). You would send
that request to Town Clerk, 54 Marion Road, Wareham, MA
02571. You would need to enclose a self-addressed, stamped
envelope, or we would not mail it back to you. If you need to
receive the record quickly, one can over-night express the
request with a second express envelope enclosed.
We make every effort to get it back in the mail as soon as
we receive it.
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