FAQs • Ashland, MA • CivicEngage

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Town Clerk

1. Can I get my birth certificate here if I was born in another State but lived here for 20 years?: No. Births do not cross State Lines. Nor do any other Vital Records. i.e. marriage or death certificates.

2. Where do I file for a marriage license?: At any City or Town Clerk’s Office in the State and be married anywhere in the State but the record will always remain in the Town in which you filed. The couple must file their intentions together in person at the Clerk’s Office. The current filing fee is $40. Tara M. Ward, Town Clerk is a Justice of the Peace. Please contact her at 508-881-0101 to make an appointment for your special day.

State Senate President Karen Spilka from Ashland represents the Middlesex & Norfolk District as of January 4, 2023.

State Representative Jack Patrick Lewis from Framingham represents the Seventh Middlesex District. This was not changed.

6. Why did my precinct change?: Due to the 2020 Federal Census, changes were made to accommodate an additional precinct. The precincts must be equal; it is based on population. Please remember to fill out your census form each year. It is mailed to each household. Please include all children on the census form. I don’t want any information from my census form to be distributed to anyone without my prior consent. I actually want it on file with the Town Clerk only.

7. When is the next Town Meeting and Town Election?: Town Meeting and Town Elections are held at the Ashland High School, 65 East Union St. The first Night of the Annual Town Meeting begins at 7:00 PM sharp on Wednesday May 4, 2022. The Annual Town Election will be held on Tuesday May 17, 2022 - Polls open from 7:00 AM until 8:00 PM. Unless otherwise noted.
Town Clerk's Page.

8. I don’t want any information from my census form to be distributed to anyone without my prior consent. I actually want it on file with the Town Clerk only. Why can’t I do that?: The Law states that the census information is a public record unless you are a Public Safety Official or under the age of 17.

9. Why am I not listed as a registered voter?: You must fill out a voter registration form. The law states that a voter may be dropped after four years of no activity including not returning your annual census form.

10. Do I have to file a business certificate with the Town?: Yes. M.G.L. Chapter 110 states that anyone doing business under a name other than their own is required to file a DBA (doing business as) certificate in the Town the business is in. If you were incorporated, you would file with the Secretary of State in Boston. You will find the forms on the website. Please note that the Building Inspector must sign off on all business certificates are home-based businesses prior to filing with the Town Clerk.

11. I have a dog. Why do I have to register him?: Massachusetts General Law Chapter 140 Sections 137 and 137A states that you must license a dog. You must license the dog beginning at 6 months of age. Please include an updated rabies certificate and if the dog is spayed/neutered we will need that certificate as well. All paperwork that you submit will be returned with the license. If licensing the dog by mail, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Currently the fees are $15 for spayed/neutered dogs and $20 for intact dogs. Licensing begins January and you must license your dog by April 15th. If a dog is not licensed by April 15th you will be subject to a late fee of $50 per dog plus the license fee per the town bylaw.

12. I work all week. How can I come in when your hours are similar to mine?: We are open until 7:00 PM Wednesday evenings or you may send us a self-addressed stamped envelope; we will be pleased to accommodate you via the mail. With the exception of a marriage intention.

13. I need documents notarized. Where do I go?: It depends on the documents. The law has changed and the Town Clerk’s Office is prevented from notarizing certain documents. We are unable to notarize wills, Power of Attorney, Real Estate, etc. Please contact the office ahead of time to ask us if your particular document falls under this new rule. The current fee to notarize a document is $1.25 per signature. Please bring a valid ID you when you come. Do not sign the documents prior to your visit. There are notaries in the Town of Ashland that are listed on the website who are able to assist you outside of Town Hall.

14. I just became a Notary Public. I need to be sworn in. Where do I go?: The Town Clerk’s Office are Commissioners to Qualify. You will need to make an appointment to take your oath as two people must be present. There is no charge for this service at this time.