How to Get a Copy of Your Divorce Decree in Connecticut

You need certified copies of your Connecticut divorce decree to change your name, transfer a car title, refinance your mortgage, and update retirement accounts. Here is exactly where to get them, what they cost, and the common mistake that sends people to the wrong office.

Where Connecticut Divorce Records Are Kept

Connecticut divorce records are maintained exclusively by the Superior Court clerk in the judicial district where your divorce was finalized. They are not available from Town Clerks or the Connecticut Department of Public Health Vital Records Office.

This trips up many people — in some states, vital records offices handle divorce certificates. In Connecticut, the court system retains sole custody of dissolution records.

How to Request Certified Copies

Step 1: Find your docket number. Use the Connecticut Judicial Branch's online Civil/Family Case Look-up tool to search by party name. Note the docket number and the judicial district.

Step 2: Contact the Superior Court clerk. Visit or call the clerk's office in the judicial district where your case was heard. You can request copies in person or by mail.

Step 3: Pay the fee. Certified copies cost approximately $25 each. Most clerk's offices accept cash, money orders, and certified checks. Personal checks are frequently rejected — call ahead to confirm accepted payment methods.

Order at least five copies. You will need separate certified copies for the Social Security Administration, the DMV, your mortgage lender, your retirement plan administrator, and your passport application. Agencies typically require original certified copies — photocopies are not accepted.

Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate

These are different documents with different uses:

Divorce decree (judgment of dissolution): The full court order that includes the terms of your separation agreement — property division, custody arrangements, support obligations, and name restoration language. This is the document you need for name changes, asset transfers, and QDRO filings.

Divorce certificate: A shorter vital statistics record confirming that a divorce occurred, listing the parties and the date. Some agencies accept this for basic verification, but it does not contain the detailed terms needed for property transfers or name restoration.

For most post-divorce administrative tasks in Connecticut, you need the full certified decree — not just the certificate.

If You Cannot Find Your Records

If your divorce was finalized many years ago and you cannot locate the judicial district, the Connecticut Judicial Branch maintains a centralized records system. Contact the Records Center of the Superior Court for historical case files.

For more recent cases, the e-Services portal may have electronic copies of your file if you or your attorney registered for the system during the proceedings.

Using Your Certified Copies

Once you have your certified copies in hand, the post-divorce administrative sequence begins — starting with the Social Security Administration (which must update before the DMV will accept any name change), then working through your driver's license, vehicle titles, and financial accounts.

The Connecticut After-Divorce Checklist walks through the exact order and forms you need at each agency, so you do not waste a certified copy on the wrong step.

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