Template:MA Vital Intro

It is easiest to start with the state vital records indexes (listed below) for births, marriages, and deaths since 1841. Massachusetts was the first state to bring a unified recording of these events. More details can be found on the Massachusetts Genealogy Guide and Massachusetts Vital Records pages.
In Massachusetts, the original vital records are found with the clerk of the town or city where the event occurred. The records start as early as 1639, though not all places followed the law.