Post #1720570

2026-03-18 23:44 UTC

@SnarkWasABoojum Ah! Okay, so the other example I think might also constitute "impounded" records is that in MA, birth certificates of people whose parents were not married at the time of their birth – they were "born out of wedlock" – are not public. What appears on the state web page about this says they are only available to people who can prove they are the person whose birth certificate it is. Can this be overridden by a court order, do you know? (Not a problem I am having, but I am curious because this would be a serious obstacle for someone in my situation for whom it was true.) @ShadSterling @Fishercat @trisweb

Replies (1)

@SnarkWasABoojum@tech.lgbt 2026-03-19 00:35

@siderea @ShadSterling @Fishercat @trisweb My understanding is they're looking for a chain of documentation to connect the requestor to the record in question. If it's someone's own birth certificate and they have an ID that shows a matching name and birth date to the birth certificate, that might be enough. Failing that, they need to prove the steps in the chain. So if you changed your name, you would need to show your ID and name change, etc. If all else fails, you can file a motion with the court, but they'd likely ask the same question: prove your link to the birth certificate in question. If the overall intent is to prove parentage, though, there is a whole setup for specifically that (and yes, it goes through a judge). It's a common enough thing that there is a defined process for it.

Open ##1720571