Certified Municipal Registrar Notes

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In this post, you’ll find our notes from the various certified municipal registrar videos and seminars we’ve watched or attended that can help you pass the CMR exam and use for reference.

Initial CMR

CMR: Certified Municipal Registrar

  • Offered by NJ OVSR
    • OVSR: Office of Vital Statistics and Registry
  • Certification Lasts three years
  • Only need one registrar per municipality
    • Alternate or substitute recommended

CMR Exam

Need 70%+ to pass CMR Exam

  • There are 82 questions
  • Issued last Friday of every month
  • It’s Open Book Exam, so you can use this guide for most of the answers (not all, as some of the 82 questions are your name, e-mail, have you reviewed the test)
  • Need to take the entire course over again if fail three times
  • Attempted to be graded same day

CMR License

  • CMR is delivered digitally – no paper
  • Top Page – CMR # (need this for events and tracking)
  • Also will find date of issuance and expiration
  • Renewal: 18 credits in a 3-year period
  • Get credits through watching videos, pre-recorded videos, and webinars

First Time

  • Local registrars serving in that capacity as of November 7, 2005 shall obtain CMR certification no later than December 31, 2006, as a condition of retaining their positions.
If It Lapses

You are required to do the initial CMR course over and pass the final exam

Hierarchy and Appointment

  • Hierarchy
    • The Mayor to the admin, to the local registrar to the deputy, then alternates and subs
    • You can have up to two deputies and unlimited subs
    • *(4/27/2023) There has been a modification where, if a Municipality justifies it, they can increase the number of deputies
  • At minimum, your office should have one registrar and one deputy
  • The registrar appoints people and the deputy does the same job as the local registrar
    • *Only the local registrar can sign on amendments
    • Subs can’t issue, sign or renew vital records
    • CMR appointed by email with a resolution by municipality sent to State
      • Resolution, name, municipality, email, and phone number needed – put into State database
    • *New resolution needed every 3 years for account
    • For sub and deputy, CMR would send information to State
    • Please let State know when anyone on the municipal account leaves
  • Also should do an oath of office that stays locally, and doesn’t need to be sent to the state

Systems We Use

VERI and EDRS are the main systems used

State Contact

  • CMR@DOH.nj.gov
  • Contact for questions about credits, webinars, classes
  • The State has updated its contact list. Please click here to find the OVSR Contact List. You must use one of the usual passwords (If you need them, e-mail the contact above from your Municipal e-mail address) to see the updated contacts. Please note the State advocates for e-mails due to them, once again, being understaffed and having a few bucket accounts to respond to.

Local Office Duties

  • The registrar is the middleman between the customer and vital records
  • The registrar’s office reviews, accepts, rejects, stores, and maintains birth, death, and marriage licenses
  • Also, you issue or make modifications to records

Records Retention

  • Permanent: Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates
  • Long Term: Marriage and Civil Union License applications– 75 Years
  • Mid-Range: Application For Vital Records, Daily accounting records, Stubs of Certified Copies – 6 Years
  • Short: Customer Copy of Certified Record – 1 year
  • Reg 25: Notification of Marriage or Civil Union – 30 Days

Storage

  • How you store files is up to you, but it should be in a fire-safe storage, and vital records should be separated from all other records in your office.
  • Safety papers should also be stored separately from other documents
  • DORES (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services): Offers secondary storage solutions

Forms

  • You can find which form you are looking at on the bottom left of the document

Common Forms

  1. Reg 14: Disinterring at Transit Permanent
  2. Reg 24: Marriage License
    • Must be ordered from State
  3. Reg 25: Notification of Marriage or Civil Union
  4. Reg 27: State application for certified copies (Non-Geo)
    • Reg 28 – Genealogical
  5. Reg 33 & 33B: Birth Certificates
  6. Reg 34: To amend vital records
  7. Reg 37: Local application for certified copies (Non-Geo)
    • Reg 38 – Genealogical
  8. 42 A & B: Safety paper for certified copies
    • A: Letter size, which is good for all documents
      • Short and Long form birth certified, long and short form marriage, short-form death certificates
    • B: Legal size, which is used exclusively for long-form death certificates
    • Are exclusively used for certified copy issuance
    • Must be ordered from State
  9. Reg 62: Purchase order for more paper
    • Include: Original PO or voucher, check or MO payable to vendor, and they don’t accept fax or e-mail because – government.
    • Only titled registrar staff only can receive shipments
    • Keep 3 to 6 months’ worth of paper at all times because you CANNOT borrow from other towns, and the only way for an immediate issuance is by driving to Trenton
  10. Reg 66: Log of voided safety paper
    • This is forwarded to the State monthly, as long as something is on the log
    • After logging the mistake, you can shred the certification that was messed up on
    • Make sure you have at least a three months
  11. Reg 68: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth
  12. Reg 77: Application for Marriage, ReMarriage, Civil Union and Reaffirmation of Civil Union
Genealogical vs. Nongenealogical

Geological is for old information – most will be non-geological

Non-Genealogical
  • Birth: Less than 80 years ago
  • Marriage: Less than 50 years ago
  • Fetal Death: Less than 40 years ago
  • Death: Less than 40 years ago
  • Domestic Partnership: All Records
  • Certificate of Stillbirth: All Records (issued by OVSR only)
Genealogical
  • More than 80 years ago (If living, the applicant must meet the same requirements as a Non-genealogical request)

Issuance

  • If you didn’t issue the original certificate, but the event takes place in your town, you’d forward it to the issuer
  • $28 fee for marriage and civil union
  • $25 goes to the Department of Children and Families, Division of Family and Community Partnership once a quarter

Certified Copy Basics

Informational Copy aka Certifications

Are for research, not legal purposes – so there isn’t a need to provide proof of relationship. However, cause of death and last sickness will not be included.

Identifying A Certified Copy

It will have a raised seal

Red Line Copies

This is a type of copy offered by the State but isn’t locally required, and it’s alternate name is a “Certification” or informational copy.

Requirements For Application

  1. Need a current and valid ID
    1. Specifically, a government-issued photo ID
    2. As an alternative, you can bring two forms of identification, such as a utility bill, green card, passport, county ID, voter registration, vehicle registration and insurance, school ID, bank statement, or federal state identification.
      1. Note: It can’t be multiple months of a utility bill or bank statement
    3. They need to be able to show linkage
      1. You are not to guide them or provide information (including confirming or denying the existence of a record) without documented linkage – ESPECIALLY OVER THE PHONE.
    4. Eligibility
      1. Can request own records, parents, children, grandkids, half-siblings, or family via adoption
        1. Can also request someone’s record who isn’t related via a notarized letter from the requestor (Such as you getting records for a neighbor who is disabled or unable to get to a registrar)
      2. Can be a State or Federal agent
      3. Can receive due to court order
        1. DO NOT ISSUE DUE TO SUBPOENA
      4. (If Looking For Other Person’s Record – You Related): You’ll need to bring a copy of their birth certificate, which proves your relationship and marriage certificates can also be used
      5. For a non-genealogical record, you need the full name on the record, the municipality where event occurred, the exact date of event, the mother’s maiden name, and the father’s name (if on record)

Notable Exceptions

Incarcerated

Acceptable documents include court documents, conviction papers, release authorization, or the parole officer can request on their behalf via a letter with their work ID on a proper letterhead.

Homeless

The homeless can get 1 free copy of their vital records via a social worker providing proper ID and a written request on their letterhead.

Not Exceptions

No halfway house, medical facility or long term care can have fee waived

State & Federal

The State generally doesn’t charge other agencies or the Feds for certified copies as a courtesy. The municipality isn’t held to this policy but is expected to be consistent.

Required On All Certified Copies

  • All must be sealed
  • Date of issue
  • Local registrar office name
  • Also your title
  • Name, place of death or birth (for death certificates), date of event, gender, issuance

Optional On Death Record

  1. Sickness and death particulars

Templates for Manually Made Certification or Certified Copy Issuance

Password-protected and fillable templates are available for birth, death, and marriage certificates.  However, these should only be made for records, not in VERI or EDRS.

Computer-Generated Certified Copy

You can use a saved template on your computer or software like Munidex or QS. However, you cannot save completed records on your computer and should check periodically for form updates. Lastly, you can make papers digitally if you have an approved indexing program.

Can You Go Digital

With an indexing program, you can make certain papers digital.

Full Certified Copy

You may not have, so then OVSR can have it

Feds need a full certified copy – dual citizenship too

Short form good for all else

For State/ Feds, they cannot get the cause of death

Copy the image to safety paper

Transparency mask or sleeve required

Amendments

Note amendment dates

The amendment becomes page 2

Use the stamp on 2nd page – corrected see attached

The first page will note corrected

Both pages are sealed, and stapled, with corrected on the front

 

Apostille Seal

An Apostille Seal is an additional seal required for certain certified records that will be presented to a foreign government that is a member of the Hague Treaty. The seal is often required on documents for international adoptions or establishing dual citizenship.

– offered for treasury – foreign government thing – department of treasury does

Birth certificate in a foreign government, foreign documents, dual citizenship

Treasury has fees, processing, and more

Requires OVSR issue certified copy

No Match or No Record

No Match

Occurs when the information provided on the application does not exactly match what is on the vital record on file in your Office.

*Reveal only the data item that does not match and do not issue the record until you get matching information

No Record

Occurs when the registrar is unable to locate the vital record on file in your Office

Do not call neighboring municipalities searching for the record

Marriage Basics

Types of Marriages

  1. Marriage: Anyone over 18 in NJ
  2. Re-Marriage: Recognizes previous marriage, after divorce
  3. Civil Union: Is for same-sex couples over 18 only
  4. Domestic Partnership: Is not a license, is for only 62 and older, and has no gender requirements

Application

Pre-requisite: It has to take place in New Jersey and they have to pay $28

Where To Register

You will either apply where one of the applicants lives, or where the event takes place.

What if neither lives in the state?

Then they would do the application and get the license from the municipality where the event occurs.

Requirements

Proof of identification is needed for both, and it needs to be a government ID (Driver’s License or passport). Also, one has to prove residency.

*Can put they aren’t a US Citizen

*Foreign Driver’s licenses are accepted. SSN, TIN, and Green card number are fine

Your Responsibilities

You are not filling out the application or double-checking the information. Your job is to make sure it is completed properly, as this is a contract between the couple, and you are just making sure it was done.

You do not check if the social security number is right and don’t ask for a birth certificate, divorce papers, or anything beyond proper government ID.

Generally speaking, you sign where you are supposed to, and the couple and officiant handle the rest.

*Remember: everyone can only sign in one place, whether they are the witness, officiant, registrar, etc

Waiting Time

Once an application is completed, it is held for 72 hours, but they have six months to pick up the finalized application. They can ask for an additional 6-month extension to make it a year.

Issuance

You’ll create four copies of the marriage license and hand them to the applicant, who has 30 days to use the license to marry.

Officiant

Can be a current or retired judge, a mayor or deputy mayor, a county clerk, or some high-rank religious figure.

*Legal authority is important, and internet ministers count (The State doesn’t keep a database of officials)

**You are not obligated to check their credentials

Duties

The officiant fills out paperwork for the event and needs two witnesses who don’t need to be 18 or older.

Note: entries have to be in Blue or Black ink!

Post Wedding

The officiant keeps a copy, the couple keeps a copy, and the registrar of the town where the event takes place gets two copies

Double Checking

  1. Check if it happened in your town
  2. That all signatures and dates required are inputted
  3. The license was used within 30 days of issuance
  4. That the officiant has a valid title
  5. That the entire portion regarding the place of the event is filled out
  6. *If you aren’t the issuer and it happened in your town, you would send a Reg 25 to the issuing registrar

*Remember: You fill nothing in!

Final Steps

If there are issues, send it back to the officiant to fix. If there aren’t issues, you can send the State approved copies once a month unless the volume is high.

Marriage: Duplicate Originals

  1. Duplicate of marriage license = see and treat as original
    1. The process can’t be used to correct information

Damaged Record

  1. Ripped or cross outs
  2. Printed irregularly
  3. Whiteout marks
  1. If copy 1 is damaged, then look at copy 2 – send copy 2 to State
    1. Keep a photocopy for your records – and note copy two sent to State
    2. Send damaged Copy 1 to State
    3. Make sure the SS# is written on the backup copy before sending it to them
  2. Copy 1 and 2 – usually don’t have copy 3 or 4
    1. Copy 1 and 2 damaged
      1. All information needs to match original
      2. Information incorrect, needs to be amended properly
  • What’s on the lower portion of the record needs to be redone – including signatures
    1. So licensing registrar, officiant, and your signature needs to be original
      1. Witness doesn’t have have to be original
    2. If Registrar retired
      1. Someone at post can be retired registrar
    3. Use normal template, show as is on damaged
      1. Type witness signatures
      2. Officiant and registrar signature original
      3. Left hand side says duplicate original
    4. Use original information that was crossed out!

Amendments

  1. What causes duplicate originals is that registrars are pre-filling licenses.
    1. Reg 34 – for amendment
  2. Before sending a duplicate original – review it!
  3. Fee is $25 – Per conversation with State on 11/13/2023 (Check municipal ordinance if they charge as well)

Remarriages

Remarriage is registering a marriage that has already happened, whether in the State or not

When is it done?

When people wish to renew their vows, have their marriage done outside of New Jersey or out of the country.

The Process

Same application, but doing remarriage, and making sure they have a certified copy of their marriage license. Everything else is the same.

*If they don’t have a copy, they can order one right there

** There is no 72-hour waiting period

Double Check

The original information on the old license matches the marriage license used.

Which license is issued?

If they originally were married in NJ, and you have both the original and remarriage, you give them the marriage license unless they ask for the remarriage license

*Remarriage doesn’t overtake or replace marriage license

Civil Unions

You can reaffirm the civil union, and it isn’t the same as a remarriage.

VERI Basics

Verified Event Registration Information

Birth Types

  1. Hospital
    1. The hospital has to register the record and send to the local registrar
  2. En Route
    1. Destination responsible for making the record
  3. Homebirth – Attended
    1. Medical professional responsible
  4. Homebirth – Unattended
    1. Parents have 72 hours to see a medical professional, though the local registrar can also be responsible (this is rare)

Systems

VIP is the former system that OVSR used, which has data from 2016 to 2021, with VERI taking over since then, and containing all of VIP’s records.

However, anything older than 2016 would be found in your local office.

Web Address: veri.nj.gov

Access

To get access, you must do the following:

  1. Take all 3 VERI training videos
  2. Have a MyNJ Account
  3. Have a current CMR
  4. Request Access
    1. CMR: Name, title, municipality, and work e-mail to State
    2. All Others: Same, and have the Local Registrar request

From there, you’ll see under “DOH Applications” Veri NJ, select facility, and your municipality.

Why MyNJ

Allows for growth, such as having birth, fetal death, marriage in the future

Inside VERI

The first thing you’ll see are records created by others, followed by pending review (which need to be addressed), accepted/rejected records, records created by locals, and amendments.

Accessing Specific Records

Click on a name to access a record

Information Within A Record

Within each record you’ll find

  1. EBR Number: A number set by the hospital that generally we don’t use
  2. DOB (and Time)
  3. Note of how many days since the child is born (the acceptance should be within 5 days)
  4. Where The Record Is Assigned to
  5. C: Child’s Name
  6. A: Mother’s Name
    1. Birth parent always goes first
  7. B: Father’s Name
  8. Plurality: Whether or not there they were a single birth and, if not, the birth order
  9. Municipality (County): Where they were born (if en-route, home address is used)

Name Boxes

The longest name on record determines how many boxes will be seen for any line

Marital Status

Will note status of birth parent, in detail

Informant

Who noted the birth

Not Accessible

You won’t have access to medical records due to HIPPA – so no penal prenatal history, newborn screenings, and other medical screenings

Labor & Delivery

This being marked yellow is fine, and just mean the hospital has some medical information to enter

Things To Review

  1. PO Boxes not put as residence address
  2. Whether the child has a name
  3. Double-check addresses
  4. Consistency and completeness
  5. Note: A child’s last name doesn’t have to match their parents

Terms

  1. AOB: Attestation of Birth
  2. DOP: Denial of Paternity – For parent who isn’t a biological parent
  3. Sp: Spouse
  4. COP: Certificate of Parentage – For biological dad
    1. If this is needed, the option for a phone number is shown under “Father” or “Parent B.”

Attestation of Birth

You only need one signature, don’t need two. Unless the father is not married to the mother

Rejection

Select a reason, and have it sent either to the funeral director, medical certified, or both

Accept

Once you accept, the record is given a state file number

Issue Records

Two days after the issuance of a State file number, it is now searchable in the system and printable.

Fetal Death in VERI – Method of Disposition

  1. Funeral director does attestation before registering with the state
    1. Record must be registered with the state before burial permit or certified copy
  2. Open record by clicking name of mother
    1. Record of disposition must be done first
    2. When yellow square turns green, things are good
  3. Disposition
    1. Confirm with funeral director
    2. Cremation, burial, or removal from state – funeral information needed
    3. Add funeral home
    4. Then funeral director
    5. Enter name of cemetery
    6. Then save
  4. AFD can be done next
    1. Funeral Director will sign at registrar office or they can upload a AFD
    2. Can then print burial permit – CAN BE DONE ON PLAIN PAPER
    3. Then can accept

EDRS Basics

Electronic Death Registration System was launched January 1st, 2016, and has records from 2006 to the present.

Purpose

To review, register, and issue death certificates

The Funeral Director

Their role is initially gathering demographic information to start the record.

Medical Certifier

The person who treated the person during their life who handles the medical particulars. They’ll list illnesses, cause of death, and secondary, and then send things back to the Funeral Director.

To The Registrar!

Which registrar gets the record is chosen by where the death occurred, where the funeral home is, or where the person is buried. But, ultimately, the record belongs to the municipality where the death occurred.

Time To Issue & Finance

You are supposed to have things review and done within 5 days, and finance handles most of the financial component.

EDRS System

  • Welcome Tab: presents username and last login
  • Notifications: Presents system issues’
  • To Do: New cases for Review
  • Recent Accessed Cases: DO NOT USE- Use “Find Case”

Acceptance and Acknowledgements

State ID

A State ID won’t be produced until a case is accepted

Transferred Files

For transferred files, another registrar handled the 3Cs (completeness, consistency, and continuity) and you simply would acknowledge receipt. You can’t reject it due to it not meeting the 3C standards.

Files Assigned To Your Municipality

When reviewing the case, you are looking for completeness

Funeral Director – Demographics

1 – 25 covers the demographics

  • AKA can’t be the same name as 1a.
  • Review age and date of birth matching up
  • Municipality and county
  • Spelling of street and whether it is in your town
  • Names being consistent
  • Checking whether occupation matches the industry

Pronouncement of Death

The pronouncement isn’t required in EDRS and can be transmitted in writing outside of EDRS

Who Can Pronounce Death

  1. Registered nurses
  2. Doctors
  3. Medical Residents
  4. County or State Medical Examiners

Medical Information

  1. Review names of cause of death
  2. Review line 46, and compare to immediate cause of death
  3. Make sure it was signed

*You can accept if the application says the matter of death is pending investigation or undetermined

Printing Certified Copies

  • Access summary screen – find case
  • *Veterans get free copies – Get 1 free copy for veteran information
  • Specific to certain military departments?
  • ONLY GET ONE – automatic process
  • Funeral homes may elect for alternate method of payment
  • Can do cash, check, or credit
  • Formatting: Based on option chosen
  • Four options: Long form, with or without cause of death, certificate with or without cause of death

Sub-registers – can’t register, review, accept, or register any record

Fees

$15 for the first copy, and $5 for each additional copy

Pending or Under Investigation

  • Can issue for pending or under investigation
  • Don’t get a free replacement when no longer pending or under investigation

Finding Records

Go to Find Case to find records

*means wildcard search (can go by letters)

Can use by date of death for search

Reports

Municipality Profile Report

Account Information

Fees: Fees currently advertised – can be changed by ordinance

Local/Historical Names There

Postal Codes in your municipality

See who is associated with account

State updates new funeral homes or nursing locations

Update Profile

Changes to profile only show up in this EDRS
Communication – Useful for facilities

Can see credits, CMR number,s and expiration

New accounts, not transfers

State changes the facility (you do fees)

Certified Copy (Effective From)
The state does $25, and $2 per additional copy

State Registrar Can Suspend People (including Municipalities)

Manuals

Not suggested to be used by State due to outdated information

Forms

Find worksheets that other users are working with

37 & 38 request forms are here

ERDS Helpdesk phone

Hours

877-797-4796 is for all

Death unit – 609-292-4087