Licenses & Certificates
Certified copies of Vital Records are $20 each
Please call 860-342-6743 if you require additional information on copies of vital records.
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Birth Certificate Copies
A copy of your birth certificate is on file in the Town Clerk's office of the town in which you were born, and in the town in which your mother lived at the time of your birth. However, if you or your child was born after 2003, the Portland Clerk's Office has access to the birth certificate no matter the Connecticut town they were born. A certified copy of a full size birth certificate is $20.00. Birth certificates are confidential in Connecticut and are only available to the individual, his/ her spouse, parent, child, or grandparent. In order to obtain a copy of a birth certificate, you must give your name at birth, date of birth, photocopy of your driver's license or photo I.D., and your mother's maiden name.
To request a certified copy of a birth certificate through the mail, you will need to complete the
Birth Certificate Request Form. Print and mail the form to the Portland Town Clerk's Office. with your payment and a copy of a government-issued photo ID. You must sign this form before sending in your request.
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Death Certificate Copies
You may request a certified copy of a death certificate either by mail or in person. A certified copy of a death certificate can be obtained for anyone who was living in Portland at the time of the event or who died in the Town of Portland, Connecticut.
To obtain a certified copy of a death certificate by mail please complete this Death Certificate Request Form. Print and mail the form along with your payment to the Portland Town Clerk's Office.
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If the death took place after July 1, 1997 and the certified copy is for a family member, please provide proof of relation (The social security number will be redacted otherwise).
Marriage License Copies
You may request a certified copy of a marriage license by mail or in person. A certified copy of a marriage license is $20.00 per copy. In order to obtain a certified copy you will need to fill out the Marriage License Request Form.
Print and mail the form along with your payment to the Portland Town Clerk's Office.
NOTE: This form is for requesting a copy of a marriage license that has already occurred. If you are getting married, please SCROLL DOWN to the GETTING MARRIED Section of this page.
If the marriage took place after July 1, 1997 and the certified copy is for yourself, please also include a copy of your government-issued photo ID (Social Security Numbers will be redacted otherwise).
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Vital Record Copies
Dog License
Connecticut State Law requires that all dogs in the state be licensed by the age of six months. The license must be renewed each year in June. Proof of current rabies vaccination and a spayed/ neuter certificate must be provided.
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Annual fees are $8.00 for a spayed or neutered dog and $19.00 for an unaltered dog.
There is a $1.00 per each month per dog late fee starting July 1st. This applies to any renewals, or dogs that have not been licensed previously and have been owned by a Portland resident for more than 30 days. Online payments without the penalty amount added fill be returned.
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There are 4 Ways to License your Dog:
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1) MAIL -
1. Mail a Dog License Form
2. Cash, Check, or Money Order
3. Current rabies certificate, and
4. a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
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Michael Tierney
Town Clerk
P.O. Box 71
Portland, CT 06480
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2) EMAIL -
1. Complete a Credit Card Authorization Form,
2. Current rabies certificate and
3. Send to mtierney@portlandct.org
*Note: You must save the pdf form to your computer first in order to save
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3) ONLINE - Create a user ID at https://www.hitslabs.com/register-individual
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If licensing on the HitsLabs website, be sure to upload the rabies vaccination and spayed/ neuter
certificate
Once you have submitted your license request on the HitsLabs site, the Town Clerk's Office will
process and mail you the tag and license.
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4) IN PERSON - Come to the Town Clerk's office during regular business hours.
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Getting Married
MARRIAGE LICENSES REQUIRE AN APPOINTMENT
CALL 860-342-6743 TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT
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GENERAL MARRIAGE LICENSE INFORMATION:
If you are getting married in the Town of Portland, you will need to apply for your license in the Town Clerk’s Office, located on Ground Floor of the Town Hall. Once issued, the marriage license must be used (marriage date) within 65 days. There is no waiting period between your appointment and receiving your license.
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***Marriage Licenses Require an Appointment***
Call the Town Clerk’s Office at (860) 342-6743 to schedule an appointment.​ Appointments are available on a first come basis and need to be made no later than 1 business day in advance. Marriage licenses are processed during the following hours:
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Marriage License Appointments Are Available:
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 9AM - 11:30AM, 2PM - 3:30PM
Tuesday: 9AM - 11:30AM, 2PM - 6:30PM
Friday: 9AM - 11:30AM
The marriage officiator is responsible for returning the completed license to the Portland Town Clerk’s Office, once the marriage ceremony has been performed. In order to allow time for final processing, all completed marriage license certified copies will be mailed to the address on the license.
Eligibility requirements to be married, or to perform a marriage can be found on the State of Connecticut DPH website. We are happy to provide the couple with a list of Portland Justices of the Peace. Arrangements can be made directly with the Justice you select. Please see the Town Clerk Main Page Menu for a listing of Portland Justices of the Peace. The Town Hall does not perform marriages.
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BOTH applicants must appear in the office to sign the Marriage License and present photo ID's such as a driver's license or passport. Applicants need to complete marriage license worksheet in advance, and bring a copy of the completed worksheet to your appointment. We advise couples to apply for their license about two weeks before the ceremony.
The Town Clerk's office is frequently asked whether our staff is responsible for legally changing a person's last name with Social Security Administration once they been married. There are no provisions with the Connecticut Statutes to allow Town Clerks to perform this service. However, if you click here you can access the necessary form to submit to SSA along with a certified copy of your marriage license.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THOSE GETTING MARRIED AT ST. CLEMENTS CASTLE:
The River’s Edge Marina/ Boathouse Area of the castle grounds is located in East Hampton, CT. If your actual marriage ceremony is happening at this location, you will need to go to the East Hampton Town Clerk for your license.
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MARRIAGE LICENSE FEES:
The fee for a marriage license is $50.00. (The town keeps this original copy) Couples can pre-pay an additional $20.00 for each certified copy of the marriage license, which will be mailed to them automatically upon our receipt of the marriage certificate after the ceremony. A certified copy is required by social security and DMV to make a name change. We accept cash, personal checks, and credit cards.
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For further information, please call the Town Clerk’s Office at (860) 342-6743.
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Trade Names
State law requires that any person doing business in Connecticut under any name other than their own, must either register a trade name in the town where their business is conducted or register with the Secretary of State's office as a corporation or limited liability company.
The filing fee for a trade name is $20.00.
Effective 01/01/2025 - Trade Name Certificates must be renewed every 5 years from the filing date.
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Click here for Certificate of Adoption of Trade Name form for a Business Organization
Click here for Certificate of Adoption of Trade Name Form for a Natural Person
Click here for Cancellation Certificate of Trade Name form
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For more information about starting a business in Connecticut, please visit the web site: Business.ct.gov