Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Florida Records Access

US map with Florida highlightedIt is time for another in my continuing series on record accessibility. Information is taken from the Records Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC) white paper titled “Open Access to Public Records: a Genealogical Perspective.”

For Florida, as of 7 January 2012 the white paper lists record availability as follows

Record Type Year begins Access (Closed, Open, Restricted) Years Restricted Copy for Genealogical Purposes Statute Notes
Birth 1899 Closed    

Sec. 382.025 (1), .
(1995)

 
Marriage 1927 Open        
Divorce 1927 Open        
Death 1899 Restricted 50  

Sec. 382.008 (6), .
(1995

Excludes cause of death which is
considered confidential

Adoption   Closed     Sec. 63.162 (1) (b)

Operates the Florida Adoption Registry
(PDCFR)

How do you feel about having no access to birth records?

If you are a resident of the state, election year is a great time to let your state legislators know what you think about the state’s restrictions. Keep in mind the state’s legitimate need to prevent identity fraud. Then fight fear with facts.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled presidential election, already in progress…

1 comment:

  1. I don't like not having access to birth records. They are, of course, critical to helping determine or confirm a lineage. But death records can but just as critical and are also important in developing family medical histories. Now would be a good time to raise awareness of what could potentially happen to the SSDI, depending on the outcome of tomorrow's hearing of the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Social Security on Social Security's Death Records (http://waysandmeans.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=276835).

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