Find Framingham Genealogy Records
Framingham genealogy records go back to the town's early colonial settlement, with birth, death, and marriage records held at the Framingham Town Clerk's office at 150 Concord Street. Researchers tracing Framingham family history can request certified copies from the Town Clerk, search state-collected records at the Massachusetts State Archives for the period from 1841 to 1925, and find land records at the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds. Framingham was a town for over three centuries before becoming a city in 2017, so the office still uses the Town Clerk title even though Framingham is now officially a city.
Framingham Overview
Framingham Town Clerk Genealogy Records
The Framingham Town Clerk's office at framinghamma.gov processes vital records requests for genealogy research, including births, marriages, and deaths registered in the town.
The Town Clerk office at 150 Concord Street handles both in-person and mail requests for certified copies of Framingham vital records.
Framingham's records go back to early colonial settlement. Pre-1841 records exist at the Town Clerk level and have not been transferred to the state system, since the state registration requirement under M.G.L. Chapter 46 only began in 1841. For families living in Framingham before that year, the Town Clerk holds what survives. Some early records have been transcribed and published in genealogical volumes, and FamilySearch has digitized portions of the early Framingham vital records series.
| Office | Framingham Town Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 150 Concord St Framingham, MA 01701 |
| Phone | 508-532-5515 |
| townclerk@framinghamma.gov | |
| Website | framinghamma.gov - Town Clerk |
| Records Available | Birth, death, and marriage records |
| Request Methods | In person, mail |
Certified copy fees at Massachusetts town and city clerk offices typically run $15 to $25 per copy. For mail requests to Framingham, include the name on the record, the event type, the approximate year, your relationship to the subject, and a check payable to the City of Framingham. Call 508-532-5515 to confirm the current fee before sending a request.
Massachusetts State Archives and Framingham Vital Records
The Massachusetts State Archives at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston holds Framingham vital records from 1841 through 1925. These are the state-collected copies of birth, death, and marriage records filed annually by the town under M.G.L. Chapter 46. The reading room is free and open to the public. In-person copies cost $3 each, which is lower than local clerk fees.
The state indexes for the 1841 to 1925 period are organized by year, then alphabetically. You need at least an approximate year to search efficiently. If you do not know the year, the Town Clerk's office may be able to do a name-based search across a range of years, though this may take more time. For Framingham genealogy, the 1841 to 1925 window covers a major growth period when the town expanded along the railroad line and attracted both local migrants and immigrant workers.
For vital records from 1926 to the present, contact the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester. Phone is 617-740-2600. Online orders cost $54 for the first copy, mail orders cost $32, and in-person visits cost $20. Order online at mass.gov.
Note: The State Archives at Morrissey Boulevard in Boston charges $3 per copy for in-person requests. Call 617-727-2816 to confirm current hours.
Framingham Land Records and the Middlesex South Registry
Framingham land records are held at the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds in Cambridge. The Middlesex South district covers Framingham and surrounding Middlesex County towns. Free online deed searches are available at masslandrecords.com/middlesexsouth, with records going back to 1629. No account or fee is needed to search or view deed images. Framingham deed records from the colonial period are part of this collection.
| Office | Middlesex South Registry of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 208 Cambridge Street Cambridge, MA 02141 |
| Phone | 617-679-6300 |
| Online Search | masslandrecords.com/middlesexsouth |
| Records From | 1629 to present |
Framingham land records are especially deep because the town was settled in the 1640s. Early deeds name original proprietors and their heirs, making land records a key tool for tracing colonial-era Framingham families. Later deeds from the 1800s reflect the town's growth along the Boston and Albany Railroad line and can help you track a family's property holdings across multiple generations.
Framingham City Status and Record Continuity
Framingham became a city on January 1, 2017, after a vote by residents. Before that date, it was a town governed by town meeting. The transition to city status changed the government structure but did not change how vital records are held. The office is still called the Town Clerk, and records continue to be held in the same office. Researchers do not need to treat the 2017 transition as a records break.
One thing to keep in mind is that Framingham has a large Brazilian immigrant community that arrived starting in the 1980s. More recent records in the city reflect Portuguese-language names and Brazilian-origin families. If you are researching a Framingham ancestor from the 1980s onward, the records system is the same, but the community context is different from the older Yankee and Irish families who settled the area in earlier centuries.
The FamilySearch Middlesex County wiki provides a good overview of Framingham-specific genealogy resources, including links to digitized vital records and the published vital records series for the town. Many early Framingham birth, marriage, and death records from the 1600s through the early 1800s have been transcribed and are accessible online for free.
Framingham State University and Regional Archives
Framingham State University at 100 State Street may hold regional historical records of use to genealogy researchers. The university has a long local history as one of the oldest public universities in the country, founded in 1839. The library's archives and special collections may include materials from the broader Framingham area. Contact the library directly to ask what is available for genealogy research before making a trip.
American Ancestors at the New England Historic Genealogical Society is a strong supplementary resource for Framingham research. Their databases cover Middlesex County probate records, vital records, and family histories. Some collections require a paid membership. Free searches are available for many records. This is one of the most complete genealogy resources for Massachusetts research anywhere.
Land records are free to search at masslandrecords.com. This covers all Massachusetts deed registries, including Middlesex South, where all Framingham deeds are held.
Middlesex County Genealogy Records
Framingham is part of Middlesex County, which holds a deep collection of genealogy resources going back to the 1600s. County-level records include probate, land deeds, and court records. The county page covers all major Middlesex County research options in one place.
Nearby Cities
Other cities near Framingham have genealogy records pages with local clerk and courthouse details.