Ch. DHS 142 NoteNote: Chapter HSS 142 was renumbered chapter HFS 142 under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 1., Stats., and corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 6. and 7., Stats., Register, June, 1997, No. 498. Chapter HFS 142 was renumbered chapter DHS 142 under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., and corrections made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register January 2009 No. 637.

DHS 142.01DHS 142.01 Authority and purpose. This chapter establishes procedures for controlling access to paper records of births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages, divorces and annulments that are maintained on file in the offices of local registrars or the department, for the purpose of protecting these vital records from mutilation, alteration or theft. The chapter is promulgated under the authority of ss. 69.02 (2) and 69.20 (4), Stats.

DHS 142.02DHS 142.02 Applicability. This chapter applies to the department, to local registrars, including county registers of deeds and city health officers in cities that are registration districts, and to all persons who wish to examine a vital record to which access is not prohibited under ch. 69, Stats., or any other statute.

DHS 142.03DHS 142.03 Definitions. In this chapter:

DHS 142.03(2)(2) “Local registrar” means the county register of deeds or the city health officer in a city which is a registration district.

DHS 142.03(3)(3) “Poor condition” in reference to a vital record in paper form means brittle, frayed, poorly attached to the book, faded or of poor legible quality.

DHS 142.03(4)(4) “Public index” means a list of key identifying items from vital records registered by the local or state registrar, which is issued by the local or state registrar and contains only information that is available to all persons with no restriction by statute or rule.

DHS 142.03(5)(5) “Records area” means a designated area in a registrar’s office where vital records are stored and where they are made available for public use.

DHS 142.03(7)(7) “Registration district” means a county or, for purposes of filing certificates of birth or certificates of birth and death, a city approved by the state registrar under s. 69.04, Stats.

DHS 142.03(8)(8) “Related data” means court orders, amendment forms of all types, affidavits, documentary proofs, correspondence and indexes associated with a specific vital record.

DHS 142.03(9)(9) “State registrar” means the state registrar of vital statistics appointed under s. 69.02 (1) (b), Stats.

DHS 142.03(10)(10) “Vital record” means a certificate of birth, death, divorce or annulment, a marriage document or a fetal death report, including related data.

DHS 142.03 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, June, 1991, 426, eff. 7-1-91; correction in (1) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register January 2009 No. 637.