Town Clerk

Department Staff

Eva Wiseman, Town Clerk

Overview

The Office of the Town Clerk is most commonly associated with licensing and vital records, but it is also often the first stop when someone is looking for the town board or committee that deals with a particular matter.

As the clerk to the Board of Registrars, voter registration, Town Meeting records, and census records are maintained in the Clerk's office. Oaths of office are administered and recorded by the Clerk. Both General and Zoning Bylaw information is available in this office, with printed versions available for purchase.

Our frequently asked questions will hopefully provide some of the answers you're looking for and the links can direct you to a few helpful options. When in doubt, check it out. View more Election resources at the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website.

FAQs

How can I get a copy of my 1. Marriage Certificate? 2. Birth Certificate? 3. My grandfather’s death certificate?

Copies of vital records such as birth, death or marriage certificates can be requested for a fee of $5 apiece. A mail in request must be accompanied by a check made payable to the Town of Hampden. Please provide sufficient information, ie: full name(s), birth name, date of occurrence, etc, to limit search time. Enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope will help to expedite the process.

Marriages are recorded in the community where the couple filed their intentions to marry. This isn't always the same community where either lived, worked, or where the actual marriage took place.

Birth certificates are recorded in the actual community where the birth took place as well as the community of residence of the parents at the time of birth.

Death certificates are recorded in the actual community where the death took place as well as the community of residence of the decedent at the time of death.

If you're not sure where you filed your marriage intentions, where you were born or where you parents lived at the time of your birth, where a person died or his community of residence at the time, and you cannot locate the record you need, for a reasonable fee, the Registry of Vital Records will do a search of Massachusetts records back as far as 1916.

To request a copy of a vital record (birth, death or marriage) from the visit the Registry of Vital Records website.

Why is my name being removed from the voter list?

Voter lists are kept current by using information provided on the Annual Street List form because it’s our most effective method of verifying and maintaining our records. When a voter has not responded for at least three years, we assume that the individual is no longer a resident of Hampden, and they are notified that they will be removed from the voter list. In cases where a voter moves within the Town, chooses to change party affiliation, changes a name or otherwise makes a change to his or her voter affiliation, it is his or her responsibility to notify the Clerk’s office.

Why do I have to update and return the Annual Street Listing form?

State law requires that Street List forms be issued annually. The information garnered from these forms is used in several ways. Information on the form is used in part to determine the need for educational and senior programs, state and federal funding, reimbursements, the eligibility for grant money and voter eligibility.

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