Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 46, § 1B

Any resident of the commonwealth who is the parent of a child born outside the commonwealth may personally present to the town clerk of the town where such parent was domiciled at the time of such birth, or in the case of an adopted child, at the time of such adoption, an original certificate or other written evidence of the birth, and a certified copy of the adoption decree if adopted, or a duly authenticated photostatic copy thereof. The town clerk may file such documents as evidence establishing such birth or adoption, or may make a copy thereof, which he shall attest as a true copy, and which he may then file as such evidence.

If such evidence is not, in the opinion of the town clerk, sufficient to establish such birth or adoption, and he refuses to file the same, a judge of probate in the county where such town lies may, on petition and after a hearing at which the clerk shall have an opportunity to be heard, order him to receive such certificate, written evidence or photostatic copy as sufficient evidence to establish such birth or adoption, whereupon such clerk shall file the same.