The website FamilySearch is an amazing resource for Connecticut vital records. Most pre-1900 vital records were microfilmed by FamilySearch and placed online after 2018. These records can be accessed by searching for the town name in the catalog.
When you make that search, you’ll notice that a few catalog entries still have microfilm reel images instead of the camera image you’d normally see. The camera image tells you can access the records online from home. The microfilm image means they can only be accessed on microfilm. Why?
It typically has to do with Connecticut vital records law. The short version: by law, birth certificates less than one hundred years old are not open to the public. If the microfilm contains records (even not restricted death and marriage records) created more recently than 2023, FamilySearch has restricted the film to protect the more recent records.
So, how do you access the records? Microfilms are onsite at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City and the Connecticut State Library. Depending on the contracts and restrictions on older records, both institutions may be able to retrieve copies. Check with them for details. Provided you meet the requirements of Connecticut vital records law, you can also order copies from the local town clerk or health department.
Connecticut Roots by Charter Oak Genealogy 