Mission Statement

It is the goal of the Town Clerk's Office to provide the highest quality of customer service to the public with the recording and issuance of the following:

• Birth, marriage, and death certificates
• Marriage licenses
• Preservation of all permanent and some temporary records
• Processing of all town business licenses
• Proper dissemination of information in accordance with Rhode Island state law and in the most convenient manner possible
• Timely completion of Town Council meeting minutes

Responsibilities of the Town Clerk

The Town Clerk is responsible for the following:

• Acts as the repository of the land evidence and the probate records for the Town of Portsmouth. Land evidence from 1834 to the present day can also be accessed online and printed for a fee utilizing the real property records resource
• Is the Filing Coordinator for the Town Council appointed committees, commissions and boards reporting to the Rhode Island Secretary of State's Office
• Issues certified copies of Portsmouth birth, marriage, and death records, and Rhode Island birth records (from 1960 forward)
• Issues dog licenses 
• Maintains the town's lists of all elected and appointed persons. To become a member of a board or committee an individual must file an application and resume with the Town Clerk. Indicate the board or commission in which you are interested. The Town Council appoints members of most town-related boards
• Offers notary public services. You must provide an unexpired government issued photo identification and sign the document in the notary's presence
• Receives all applications for licenses in the town in accordance with established town ordinances and state law and performs all other duties as required by Town Charter, law, or ordinance
• Receives all Town Council correspondence, prepares the Town Council's meeting agenda and minutes, gives notice of the meeting, keeps a journal of its proceedings, and certifies all actions of the Town Council