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1. How do I obtain a copy of my Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, or Death Certificate?

Certified copies of Vital Records can only be obtained through the Town Clerk's Office. Please visit the Town Clerk's Vital Records page to request a certified copy of a vital record.

2. My request for access to public records was denied. Is there an appeals process?

If you object to the Town’s response, in accordance with G.L. c. 66, §10 and 950 CMR 32.00, you may appeal to the following office via mail, fax, or e-mail: Supervisor of Public Records, Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Public Records Division, One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor, Boston, MA 02108. Fax: (617) 727-5914 Email: pre@sec.state.ma.us  

Under the Public Records Regulations, all appeals to the Supervisor must include a copy of the original request, any response by the RAO and a statement indicating the reason for the appeal. The requester must also provide a copy of the appeal petition to the RAO. By law, the Supervisor is required to respond within 10 business days of receipt of your appeal. In accordance with G.L. c. 66, §10A(c), you have the right to seek judicial review of an unfavorable decision by commencing a civil action in the Superior Court.

3. How do I submit a Public Records Request?

Some Public Records are digitized and available to the public on this site. Please use the search bar in the top right corner of the page to look for records that may already be available.

The easiest way to submit a request is by clicking the FOIA Direct button on the sidebar. This will direct you to a form you can fill out. You may also submit a request via first class mail addressed to the Records Access Officer (RAO): Connor Anderson, Archivist/Public Records Access Officer, 26 Court Street, Plymouth, MA 02360. Requests may also be made in-person at 26 Court Street., Plymouth, MA 02360.

Individuals making requests in-person are not required to give their names or contact information. For in-person requests that require additional time for a comprehensive response, requesters will be advised to check in periodically with the RAO, or requesters may voluntarily provide contact information. Voluntary Public Records Request Forms shall be available in all municipal offices.

To facilitate timely responses to public records requests, requests should be as specific as possible, detailing, if known, records custodian(s), and date and subject matter parameters. The more specific the request, the better able the RAO will be to respond, as broad requests often require more extensive staff efforts to locate, review and copy all possibly responsive records.

Written requests received during normal business hours will be considered received on that date. Written requests sent via email or facsimile after normal business hours shall not be considered received until the following business day. Business days shall not include Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.

The RAO may ask for more information to assist the requester to make an appropriate request and/or to enable the RAO to respond more efficiently.

4. What is a public record?

Every record that is made or received by a government entity or employee is presumed to be a public record unless a specific statutory exemption permits or requires it to be withheld in whole or in part. This includes digital records such as emails, social media posts, and other born-digital records.