What a town clerk does
States where town and city clerks keep land and vital records.
On this page
What the office does
In parts of New England the town (or city) is the main unit of local government, and the town clerk keeps records that a county office keeps elsewhere. Connecticut and Rhode Island have no county governments1, so land and vital records are at the town or city hall: in Connecticut the town clerk records deeds (see the Connecticut guide). Vermont law also gives land recording to the town clerk: "A town clerk shall record in the land records"2. In Massachusetts and Maine deeds go to registries of deeds, while city, town or municipal clerks keep marriage and other vital records (see Massachusetts and Maine). The table lists the states whose official titles name a town or municipal clerk.
The office in each state
| State | Deeds | Vital records | Marriage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Town Clerk | Town Registrar of Vital Statistics (usually the Town Clerk) / DPH State Vital Records Office | — |
| Maine | Register of Deeds (county; Aroostook has North and South registries) | Municipal Clerk; State Registrar / Maine CDC Data, Research and Vital Statistics | Municipal Clerk |
| Massachusetts | Register of Deeds (Registry of Deeds district) | City/Town Clerk; state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (DPH) | City/Town Clerk |
| New Hampshire | Register of Deeds (County Registry of Deeds) | City/Town Clerk; state Division of Vital Records Administration (Secretary of State) | City/Town Clerk |
| New Jersey | County Clerk | Local Registrar (municipal) / NJ Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry | — |
| Rhode Island | City/Town Clerk or Recorder of Deeds (land evidence records) | RIDOH Center for Vital Records / City or Town Clerk (local registrar) | — |
| Texas | County Clerk | DSHS Vital Statistics Section (state registrar); local registrar (justice of the peace / county clerk / municipal clerk) | County Clerk |
| Vermont | Town Clerk / City Clerk | Town/City Clerk; State Registrar, Vermont Department of Health Office of Vital Records; VSARA (issuing agent) | Town Clerk / City Clerk |
Each state links to its guide, where every office and fee carries its official source and check date. Fees shown are the state’s fee for a copy; the state guide lists the others.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 2 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
- 24 V.S.A. § 1154, Recording of instrumentsVermont General Assembly