by Through birth records we are able to trace our ancestors and learn more about our history. You can do the same for people who were born in New Hampshire. This guide is aimed at uncovering all methods on how to find birth records in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire is located in New England part of the United States with a population of about 1.3 million. Birth records registering in New Hampshire began in the 1600s. These records have been in possession of the town clerks. It was only in 1866 when statewide registration was observed. This is when a law was passed that copies of birth records were to be sent to the state government by town clerks.
Compliance was only achieved in the 1880s though the registration was not consistent. Half the population had been registered by this time and the establishment of the Bureau of Vital Records made total compliance a possibility in 1905.
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Birth Records Before 1905 in New Hampshire
There are a few databases where you can try searching for birth records in New Hampshire registered before 1905. These include Ancestry, New Hampshire, Births and Christenings Index, 1714-1904, Ancestry, New Hampshire, Births Records, 1659-1900, Family Search, New Hampshire, Births and Christenings, 1714-1904 (this is an index to birth, baptism, christening records. You can find microfilm copies of these records from Family History Library as well as some Family Search Centers).
Birth records in New Hampshire had been managed at town and state level since 1905 after the establishment of the New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records. The University of New Hampshire Digital Collection of Annual Reports of Towns have Annual Town Reports for Vital Records (births, deaths, marriages) in New Hampshire.
Birth records in New Hampshire normally show:
- The name of the child
- Sex/ gender of the child
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Parents’ names
New Hampshire Birth Records Restrictions
Birth records that have been registered within the last 100 years are considered confidential in New Hampshire and cannot be accessed by everyone. Individuals who are allowed access to these records are those with direct interest to them.
Birth records that are more than 100 years are regarded as public records and can be accessed by anyone who wants them in New Hampshire.
To get a copy of a birth certificate in New Hampshire you must be:
- The person the record.
- An immediate family member (mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, great-grandmother, great-grandfather, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece or any spouse of divorced or legally separated individual or individual whose previous marriage has been annulled).
- Guardian
- A legal representative with a legal interest such as an attorney (the legal interest must be listed in any written form with a copy of such legal document being produced).
These are the people that are allowed access to birth records that are less than a 100 years in New Hampshire. Cousins do not qualify.
How to Obtain Birth Certificates in New Hampshire
Obtaining birth records from the Town Clerks Office is much cheaper than from New Hampshire Department of State Division of Vital Records Administration. Town or city websites are sometimes very difficult to utilize. The Department of State Division of Vital Records Administration, however, uses VitalChek to speed up the processing of birth certificates requests. Their cost might be more than those incurred from Town Clerks Office.
The New Hampshire Department of State Division of Vital Records Administration, which keeps New Hampshire birth records from the 1600s to now, does not offer birth records services to applicants online. The available options are to get these records in person, by mail or at a local town clerks.
In Person Birth Records Application in New Hampshire
For in person requests of birth records in the state, applicants can visit the Office of the City or Town Clerk from 8 am to 5 pm on Mondays through to Fridays to submit their Request for Birth Certificate form. You will need to provide a legal photo identification document with the completed application plus the required fee.
Mail Birth Records Application in New Hampshire
After completing the Request for Birth Certificate form, you can then mail it with the appropriate fee and a copy of your valid photo identification document to:
New Hampshire Department of State
Division of Vital Records Administration
71 South Fruit Street
Concord, NH 03301-241
On top of all these requirements applicants should provide the full name, precise date and place of birth of the record owner when applying for birth records that are not theirs from the New Hampshire Department of State Division of Vital Records Administration.
For tips on how to find birth records in New Hampshire, you can hardly go wrong with these suggestions. With them you can find any birth record from the time birth records started being registered in New Hampshire to the present day.
