Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find information that might help you understand how to find things or learn about information you might need to know about your city or town.
Town Clerk
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Town Clerk
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.
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Town Clerk
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.
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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.Town Clerk
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Town Clerk
The Town House auditorium is the polling place for all elections. State and federal election dates are well publicized. The annual town election is held the third Monday in May.
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You can register to vote in this or any City or Town Clerk’s office statewide during regular business hours. To participate, you must be registered at least 20 days before a regular town meeting or election or 10 days before a special town meeting. Offices are open extended hours between 9:00 am and 8:00 pm on the last day of registration. For the past several years, the state Elections Division has made voter registration possible at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and now has updated to allow for online registrations. Mail-in cards are also available for citizens who are not able to register in person. They can be found in the Clerks’ offices as well as many local post offices or libraries and even some high schools or senior centers.Town Clerk
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Mass General Law requires that any person conducting a business as an individual or a partnership in Massachusetts under anything but his real name must file with the city or town clerk. The simple process involves providing and attesting to the names and addresses of both the business and owner(s), completing a workers’ compensation insurance coverage affidavit, and certification of tax status. The certificate must be renewed every 4 years.Town Clerk
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Town Clerk
Hunting and fishing/trapping licenses are no longer available in the Town Clerk’s office; however, they are available at most Massachusetts Walmart or Dicks Sporting Goods locations or online through the state website at https://massfishhunt.mass.gov/.
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Town Clerk
Marriage intentions filed in the Clerk’s office can be used in any Massachusetts community. You must be at least 18 years old .Both parties must be present and both are now required to have proper identification. Fees vary by municipality. In Hampden, the $15 fee is due at the time of filing. The license itself isn’t released for three days and it is only valid for 60 days from the original filing date.
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State law requires that all dogs over the age of 6 months be vaccinated against rabies and licensed. Licenses are issued annually from April 1st thru the following March 31st. You will need a current copy of the dogs rabies and neuter certificates or a copy of you prior year’s registration form showing that his or her shots are up to date. Fees are $5 for a spayed or neutered dog or $10 for a male or female.Town Clerk
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Town Clerk
- Dog license - Spayed/neutered: 5$
- Dog license - Male / female: 10$
- Dog license - Kennel - Up to 4 dogs: 10$
- Dog license - Kennel - 4 to 10 dogs: 25$
- Dog license - Kennel - More than 10 dogs: 50$
- Attested Copy (birth, death, marriage): 5$
- Marriage License: 15$
- Business Certificate (dba): 20$
- General bylaws: 10$
- Street List: 10$
- Voter's List: 10$
- Voter's List on diskette: 10$
- Voter Registration Card: 5$
- Subdivision Control Law: 7$
- Zoning By-Law: 10$
- Zoning Map: 20$