ALABAMA: The Bureau of Vital Stitistics, Dept. of Public Health, State Office Building, Montgomery, AL 36130. Birth and death records since 1908. Marriage records began 1936.

ALASKA: The Bureau of Vital Statistics, Department of Health & Social Services, PO Box H-02-G, Juneau, AK 99811. Births, marriages, divorces & deaths were registered since 1950. State registration began 1913 & complied w/by 1945.

ARIZONA: Vital Records Section, Dept. of Health Service, P. O. Box 3887, Phoenix, AZ 85030. Birth & death records since 1909. Birth & death from county seats 1887. Marriage records from Clerk of the Superior Court in each county.

ARKANSAS: The Division of Vital Records, Arkansas Dept. of Health, 4815 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. Birth & death records have been registered from 1914, marriage records from 1917, & divorce records from 1921.

CALIFORNIA: Office of the State Registrar, 401 "N" Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Birth, death & marriage since 1905.

COLORADO: Records and Statistics Sections, Colorado Dept. of Health, 4210 East 11th Avenue, Denver, CO 80220. Statewide registration of births & deaths began in 1907. Marriage records are kept by the counties.

CONNECTICUT: Connecticut State Department of Health Services, Vital Records Section, 150 Washington Street, Hartford, CT 06106. Birth, death & marriage records have been kept since July 1, 1897.

DELAWARE: Delaware Bureau of Vital Statistics, Jesse S. Cooper Memorial Building, William Penn Street, Dover, DE 19901. Birth & death records started 1861, stopped 1863, resumed 1881. State reg of marriage records began 1847.

FLORIDA: Bureau of Vital Statistics, P. O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231. State reg of birth & death records began in 1899, but was not generally complied with until 1920. Marriage records from 1927.

GEORGIA: Vital Records Service, State Department of Human Resources, 47 Trinity Ave. S.W. Room 217-H, Atlanta, GA 30334. They began registering birth & death records from 1919, marriage records are available from county clerks.

HAWAII: Office of Research & Statistics, State Dept. of Health, P. O. Box 3378, 1520 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96801. State-wide registration of births began in 1842, general compliance was attained by 1929. Birth, death, marriage & divorce records are available at above address. NOTE: Hawaii was not a state in 1842, but they still kept records.

IDAHO: Bureau of Vital Statistics, Statehouse, Boise, ID 83720. Birth & death records were kept statewide since 1911. Marriage & divorce records since 1947.

ILLINOIS: Office of Vital Records, State Dept. of Public Health, 605 W. Jefferson Street, Springfield, IL 62702. State registration of birth & death began 1916. Marriage records are in the custody of the county clerks.

INDIANA: Indiana State Board of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, P. O. Box 64-1964, 1330 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Birth records from 1917. Death records from 1900. Marriage records are in the county clerk's office where the license was issued.

IOWA: The Division of Vital Records, Iowa State Dept. of Health, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, IA 50319. Birth, marriage & death records after July 1, 1880. Copies only available to immediate family members.

KANSAS: The Bureau of Registration & Health Statistics, Kansas State Dept. of Health, 6700 South Topeka Ave., Topeka, KS 66620 has birth & death records since 1911, marriages since 1913, and divorce since 1951.

KENTUCKY: Office of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health Services, 275 East Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40621. They began registering births & deaths in 1911, marriage & divorce records from 1958.

LOUISIANA: Dept of Health & Human Resources, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Records of birth & death since 1914. No statewide registration of marriage or divorce.

MAINE: Division of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Human Services, State House, Station 11, Augusta, ME 04330. Statewide registration of births, deaths, and marriages began in 1892.

MARYLAND: Division of Vital Records, 201 W. Preston, P.O. Box 13146, Baltimore, MD 21203. Birth & death recording began in 1898 (Baltimore in 1875). Marriage records since 1777 are kept by circuit court in each county.

MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts State Archives, Columbia Point, 220 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125. Statewide registration began 1841. Vital records after 1890 are available from Registrar of Vital Statistics, 150 Tremont Street Room B-3, Boston, MA 02108.

MICHIGAN: Office of the State Registrar, Michigan Dept of Health, P.O. Box 30035, Lansing, MI 48909. County registration of births & deaths began in 1867 - generally complied w/by 1915 & these records are available from county clerks & from the state address listed above. Marriage & divorce are available from county courts.

MINNESOTA: Minnesota Dept of Health, Section of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 9441, 717 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55440. State registration of birth began in 1900, death in 1908. Marriage & divorce records are available from the administrator's office of each county.

MISSISSIPPI: Vital Records, State Board of Health, P.O. Box 1700, Jackson, MS 39215. State registration of birth & death began in 1912, but was not generally complied with until 1921. There is no mention of marriage & divorce records.

MISSOURI: Bureau of Vital Records, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Birth & death recording began in 1863, but was not fully complied with until 1911. Marriage records are in the counties.

MONTANA: Bureau of Records and Statistics, State Dept of Health, Helena, MT 59601. Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1907 -general compliance by 1920. Marriage & divorce records are kept by counties.

NEBRASKA: Bureau of Vital Statistics, State Dept. of Health, 301 Centennial Mall S., P.O. Box 95007, Lincoln, NE. Birth & death registration began in 1905 -generally complied w/by 1920. Marriage records were kept by the counties.

NEVADA: Nevada State Dept. of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, 505 E. King St., Rm 102, Carson City, NV 89710 has birth & death records from 1911. Marriage records are in the counties.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics, Health & Welfare Bldg., Hazen Drive, Concord, 03301 has "vital statistics" after 1901.

NEW JERSEY: State Registrar's Office, State of New Jersey, Dept of Health, John Fitch Plaza, P.O. Box 1540, Trenton, NJ 08625 has birth, death & marriage records from 1878.

NEW MEXICO: Vital Statistics Bureau, New Mexico Health Services, P.O. Box 968, Santa Fee, NM 87504. Some birth & death records as early as 1880 -registration was required after 1920. County clerks have marriage records.

NEW YORK: New York law forbids issuance of birth records for genealogical research unless it has been on file for at least 75 yrs. Marriage & death records must have been on file for at least 50 years. The Bureau of Vital Records, State Dept. of Health, Empire State Plaza Tower Building, Albany, NY 12237, has birth, death & marriage records since 1880, except for the 5 boroughs of NYC. Marriage records are kept here from 1847-1865. The Municipal Archives, Archives Division of the Dept. of Records & Information Center, 52 Chambers St, New York, NY 10007, has birth, death, & marriage records to 1898 for all 5 boroughs. Individual county offices have birth & death records for the boroughs. Birth, death, & marriage records for Albany, Buffalo, & Yonkers from 1914 are w/the registrars of each city. Other cities & towns have birth, death & marriage records from 1880.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Dept. of Human Resources, Division of Health Services, Vital Records Branch, Box 2091, Raleigh, NC 27602. Birth records from October 1913, death records from 1930, & marriage records from 1962. Death records from 1913 -1929 can be obtained from Archives & Records Section, State Records Center, 215 N. Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27602.

NORTH DAKOTA: Division of Vital Records, State Dept. of Health, First Floor Judicial Wing, Bismarck, ND 58505. Birth & death registration required 1893 -1895. After 1899, general compliance was reach about 1923. Marriage records are in the office of county judge.

OHIO: Division of Vital Statistics, Ohio Dept of Health, 65 S. Front Street, Columbus, OH 43216. Birth & death records have been kept here since 1908, marriage records since 1949.

OKLAHOMA: Registrar of Vital Statistics, State Dept. of Health, 1000 Northeast Tenth Street, P.O. Box 53551, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. Incomplete birth & death records from 1891. Statewide registration began 1908 & general compliance by 1930. Marriage records are kept by county clerks.

OREGON: Oregon State Health Division, Vital Statistics Section, P.O. Box 116, Portland, OR 97207 -Birth & death records from 1903 (an index for 1903 to 1984 is available from the Oregon State Archives, 1005 Broadway N.D., Salem, OR 97310). Marriage records are w/county clerks.

PENNSYLVANIA: Division of Vital Statistics, State Dept. of Health, 101 S. Mercer St, P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Birth & death registration began 1906. Marriage records (as well as birth & death prior to 1906) are in the counties.

RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island Dept. of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Cannon Building, Rm 101, 75 Davis St, Providence, RI 02908 -Statewide registration of birth, death & marriages began in 1853 -general compliance by 1915.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Office of Vital Records & Public Health Statistics, 2600 Bull St, Columbia, SC 29201 -birth & death records from 1915 -marriage records from 1950.

SOUTH DAKOTA: State Dept. of Health, Health Statistics Program, 523 East Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501 -Birth death, marriage & divorce from 1905.

TENNESSEE: Division of Vital Records, State Dept. of Health & Environment, Cordell Hunt Building, Nashvill, TN 37219. Official registration of birth & death began 1914, but records from 1908 are available while death records are from 1936. Marriage records from 1945 are available from Div. of Vital Records - prior to that they are available from county clerks.

TEXAS: Bureau of Vital Statistics, Texas Dept. of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756. Birth & death records registration began in 1903. Marriage since 1966.

UTAH: Bureau of Vital Records, Utah State Dept. of Health. 288 North 1460 W. P.O. Box 16700, Salt Lake City, UT 84116. State registration of birth & deaths began in 1905. Marriage records are with county clerks.

VERMONT: Vital Records Office, Public Records Division, State Administration Building, 6 Baldwin Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 will search indexes kept by town clerks since 1760. Division of Vital Statistics, 60 Main Street, P.O. Box 70, Burlington, VT 05402 has birth, marriage & death records since 1955 & divorce records since 1968.

VIRGINIA: The Archives Division of the Virginia State Library, 11th Street at Capitol Square, Richmond, VA 23219 has copies of all existing Virginia birth & death records prior to 1896 & marriage records 1853 -1935.

WASHINGTON: State Dept of Health, Vital Records, P.O. Box 9709, ET-11, Olympia, WA 98504. Birth & death records since 1907. County Auditors have marriage records as well as birth & death records prior to 1907.

WEST VIRGINIA: Division of Vital Statistics, State Dept. of Health, State Office Building No.3, Charleston, WV 25305. Statewide registration of birth & death began in 1917 however, most state records were destroyed in a fire in 1921.

WISCONSIN: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706. State wide birth & death registration began in 1907 although there are some records as far back as the 1850.

WYOMING: Vital Records Section, Division of Health & Medical Services, Hathaway Bldg, Cheyenne, WY 82002.

Social Security Administration
Office of Central Records Operations
FOIA Workgroup
P O Box 17772
300 N Greene Street
Baltimore MD 21290

Re: Freedom of Information Act Request

Dear Freedom of Information Officer,

I am writing this request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U. S. C. Section 552. I hereby request the Social Security File (including the SS-5, Application for Social Security Card) for the following individual:

(LAST NAME of ancestor here), (FIRST NAME of ancestor here)
SSN #: (of ancestor here)
Birth: (DAY/MONTH/YEAR of ancestor here)
Death: (DAY/MONTH/YEAR of ancestor here) *

This individual is deceased, having been listed in the Social Security Administration's Death Master File. I understand the fee for this service is $7.00 when the Social Security Number is provided. Included is a check for $_________ made out to the Social Security Administration to cover any administrative costs required by this request.

Barring "unusual circumstances," please respond to my request within ten working days of the receipt of this initial correspondence. Thank you for your attention and assistance.

Sincerely,

(Your Name and/or Signature here)
(Your Address here)

(Your Daytime Phone Number here):

End of letter. * It is good to spell out the dates. This letter was compiled and submitted by Nalora Burns. With her permission, I use it here.