US Vital Records

Rhode Island Vital Records
Though earlier vital records have been gathered and abstracted in James N. Arnold's Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636–1850, 21 vols. (Providence, R.I.: Narragansett Historical Publishing Co., 1891–1912), statewide reporting did not begin until 1853. From that time, copies of vital events recorded in towns were sent to what is now the Rhode Island Division of Vital Statistics. Many records prior to 1894 are now in the state archive. Towns, for the most part, still hold originals in the clerk's office.
For birth and marriage records from 1 January 1894 and death records from 1 January 1948, write:
State of Rhode Island, Dept. of Health, Division of Vital Records, Cannon Building, Room 101, 75 Davis Street, Providence, RI 02908

For earlier records, write:
Rhode Island State Archives, 337 Westminster Street, Providence, RI
02903

Rhode Island Department of Health - Vital Records

Rhode Island Research Sources

Andrews, Charles M. The Colonial Period of American History. 2 vols. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1938.
Fiske, Jane Fletcher. "Genealogical Research in Rhode Island." New England Historical and Genealogical Register 136 (July 1982): 173–219. (It is reprinted in Ralph J. Crandall, ed., Genealogical Research in New England. [Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1984].)
Sperry, Kip. Rhode Island Sources for Family Historians and Genealogists. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1986.

Rhode Island Consortium of Genealogical and Historical Societies
http://users.ids.net/~ricon/

Rhode Island Historical Society
http://www.rihs.org/

Rhode Island Department of Health - Vital Records
http://www.health.ri.gov/chic/vital/index.php

Rhode Island State Archives
http://www.sec.state.ri.us/Archives/

Rhode Island State Library
http://www.sec.state.ri.us/library/