Connecticut Free Public Records Directory

Although Connecticut is considered part of New England, much of its southwestern territory is also part of the New York metropolitan area. Bounded by New York on the west, Massachusetts on the north, Rhode Island on the east and Long Island Sound on the south, Connecticut is named after the river that divides it into nearly equal eastern and western halves. Originally settled by the Dutch, English settlers from Massachusetts established the first major political entities: the Connecticut, Saybrook, and New Haven Colonies. In 1662, the three colonies merged to become a single Crown Colony. The Connecticut Colony had previously adopted the Fundamental Orders, which set forth the structure and powers of the government. The Fundamental Orders are considered to be the first written constitution in the New World, earning Connecticut its nickname as “The Constitution State.” That nickname was reinforced after the American Revolution, when the Connecticut Compromise led to the establishment of a bicameral legislature in the United States Constitution.

After Rhode Island and Delaware, Connecticut is the third smallest state at 5,576 square miles. It is the 29th most populous state and the fourth most densely populated. Most of that population resides in the industrial cities along the southern coast and northward through the Connecticut River Valley. The northeastern and northwestern portions of the state are mostly rural and agricultural. Hartford, on the Connecticut River, is the capital and is also known as the “Insurance Capital of the World” thanks to the many insurance company headquarters located there. Port cities on the Long Island Sound coast include Bridgeport, the largest city, as well as New Haven, Stamford, Greenwich, and New London. In addition to insurance, the state’s diverse economy includes finance, manufacturing, shipbuilding, and tourism. Connecticut residents enjoy the nation’s highest per-capita income and 6th highest household income.

Most of Connecticut has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and mild, wet summers. The coastal region has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and milder winters. Average monthly temperatures range from lows in the 20s to highs in the mid-80s. The state’s long coastline moderates the climate, and also provided seaports that facilitated its early industrial expansion. That maritime tradition may have also been responsible for Connecticut’s second nickname – “The Nutmeg State” – when sailors returned to port with nutmeg, a prized spice in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Connecticut is divided geographically into eight counties, but Connecticut and its neighbor Rhode Island are the only states with no county government. Counties in Connecticut exist today mainly as subdivisions of the state court system. As in the other New England states, the unit of local government is the town. Connecticut is divided into 169 towns, each with its own government. Connecticut also has 21 cities that occupy the boundaries of their towns and have merged city/town governments. Nine boroughs, smaller units within a town, make up the rest of Connecticut’s local governmental units.

Connecticut public records may be found by visiting our directory below of all types, including criminal records, government agencies, and official documents.

Abbreviation	CT
Capital	Hartford
Population	3,576,452 (2016 est.)
Area size	5,567 sq. mi
Demonym	Connecticuter, Nutmegger
Primary languages spoken	English
Governor	Dannel Malloy
Lieutenant Governor	Nancy Wyman
U.S. Senators	Richard Blumenthal, Chris Murphy
U.S. House Delegation	5 Democrats
Time Zone	Eastern: UTC −5/−4

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records: 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them.

Connecticut’s first public records law, enacted in 1975, covers all data or information “relating to the conduct of the public’s business” that is under the control of any public agency. It permits any citizen to make a request without providing a reason, and gives public agencies four days to respond. The state has a Freedom of Information Commission, which provides a website with information about the law.

When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, city, town, or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.