Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-28.8-8. Birth certificates--Flagging required

(a) Upon receipt of information by the missing children's information center that a person born in this state is missing, the state registrar of vital statistics shall transmit such information to the local registrar. Both the state registrar and the local registrars shall flag the birth certificate records of the missing person in such a manner that whenever a copy of the birth certificate or information regarding the birth record is requested, the registrars shall be alerted to the fact that the certificate is that of a missing person. Upon notification by the missing children's information center that the missing person has been recovered, the state registrar shall remove the flag from the person's birth certificate record and shall notify any other previously notified local registrar to remove the flag from his or her records.

(b) In response to any inquiry, a registrar or his or her employees shall not provide a copy of a birth certificate or information concerning the birth record of any person whose record is flagged pursuant to this section except as approved by the missing children's information center.

(c) When a copy of the birth certificate of a person whose record has been flagged is requested in person, the registrar's personnel accepting the request shall immediately notify his or her supervisor. The supervisor shall inform the person making the request that the birth record is not available at that time but that the copy will be mailed to the requestor's address. The supervisor shall immediately notify the missing children's information center as to the request and the address given by the person making the request.

(d) When a copy of the birth certificate of a person whose record has been flagged is requested in writing, the registrar's personnel receiving the request shall immediately notify his or her supervisor. The supervisor shall immediately notify the missing children's information center as to the request and shall provide a copy of the written request. The custodian shall retain the original written request unless the missing children's information center requests otherwise.