Every year, all dog owners in Sudbury must obtain a license for their dog (s) by the end of March. You may get a license at the Office of the Town Clerk in Town Hall. To obtain a license, you must present evidence of a current rabies vaccination. The fee for a dog license in Sudbury is $15.00 for a spayed or neutered dog, $20.00 otherwise. All owners or keepers of dogs kept in the Town of Sudbury during the preceding six (6) months and who, on the first day of April of each year, have not licensed said dog(s), as prescribed by Section 137, Chapter 140 of the General Laws, shall be subject to a penalty of $25.00 payable to the Town, in addition to the license fee, for each dog so unlicensed.  

 Form for Licensing your Dog

CONTROL OF DOGS - All dogs in the Town of Sudbury shall be restrained. A dog shall be deemed to be under restraint if it is on the premises of the owner accompanied by a person who shall have the dog under control, or is in a suitably enclosed area including an effective electric invisible fence, or is tied, or if outside the premises of the owner, is accompanied by a person who shall have the dog under control by holding it firmly on a leash no greater than six (6) feet in length. The owner or keeper of a dog who violates this bylaw shall be fined $50.00.

If you are a registered voter and are interested in working the polls on election day please contact the Town Clerk at 978-639-3351.

Presidential primaries are held once every four years in March.

 State elections occur every other year in even numbered years. The primary is conducted in September and the election in November.

Town elections usually occur every year sometime between February and June. Each town sets its own date.

Where do I vote?

Voter Registration

How to register to vote in Massachusetts

If you are a U.S. citizen, a Massachusetts resident, and you will be 18 years old on or before election day, you may register to vote at any city or town hall in person, or by mail, by contacting any city or town clerk’s office. Social service, welfare, Registry of Motor Vehicle offices, and offices providing services for the disabled also have walk-in registration services available. Colleges, universities, high schools, and vocational schools will have registration availability for enrolled students. Registration in Massachusetts is permanent, but you must register again if you move or change your name. For more information contact:
Elections Division
Offices of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, 17th floor
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 727-2828
www.sec.state.ma.us/ele

The contact information for the Sudbury Town Clerk's office:

Town Hall

322 Concord Road

Monday-Friday
9:00 - 5:00 (Summer Hours may differ)

 Phone: (978) 639-3351

Fax: (978) 443-0264

Email: clerk@sudbury.ma.us

To find your precinct, please visit www.wheredoivotema.com.

Polling location for precincts 1, 2 and 5:
Fairbank Community Center
40 Fairbank Road
Sudbury, MA 01776

Polling location for precincts 3 and 4:
Town Hall
322 Concord Road
Sudbury, MA 01776

The Sudbury Town Clerk will have birth records of anyone whose parents were Sudbury residents at the time of their births. A Birth Certificate may be obtained by mail or in person at the Town Clerk's office. The Town Clerk is authorized to issue certified copies of birth certificates and administers adoption and recording change depositions.

 There is no fee for filing a vital record, however there is a fee for obtaining a certified copy of a vital record. The Certificate of birth is $15.00 and $10.00 for additional certified copies ordered at the same time.  Cash and checks are accepted for payment.

The contact information for the Sudbury Town Clerk's office:

Town Hall

322 Concord Road

Sudbury, MA 01776

Monday-Friday
9:00 - 5:00 (Summer Hours may differ)

 Phone: (978) 639-3351

Fax: (978) 443-0264

Email: clerk@sudbury.ma.us

If you are not sure where the record you seek is filed locally, you may contact the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The Registry maintains a central index and has copies of records for all births, deaths and marriages which occurred within the state.

Certified copies may be obtained through the Registry in person, by mail or by phone. Regardless of how you request copies, you should be prepared to provide the name of the subject(s) of the record, the date of the event and, if know, the city or town where the event occurred.

Call or write for the fee schedule and hours:

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon St., 1^st Fl.
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105
617- 740-2600

The Sudbury Town Clerk will have death records of anyone who was a Sudbury resident at the time or who passed away in Sudbury. A Death Certificate may be obtained by mail or in person at the Town Clerk's office.

A Death Certificate is $15.00 for the first copy and $10.00 for additional certified copies ordered at the same time.  Cash and checks are accepted for payment.

There is a $10.00 fee for a burial permit.

The contact information for the Sudbury Town Clerk's office:

Town Hall

322 Concord Road

Sudbury, MA 01776

Monday-Friday
9:00 - 5:00 (Summer Hours may differ)

 Phone: (978) 639-3351

Fax: (978) 443-0264

Email: clerk@sudbury.ma.us

If you are not sure where the record you seek is filed locally, you may contact the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The Registry maintains a central index and has copies of records for all births, deaths and marriages which occurred within the state.

Certified copies may be obtained through the Registry in person, by mail or by phone. Regardless of how you request copies, you should be prepared to provide the name of the subject(s) of the record, the date of the event and, if know, the city or town where the event occurred.

Call or write for the fee schedule and hours:

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon St., 1^st Fl.
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105
617- 740-2600

The Clerk will have marriage records of any couple who filed their intentions in Sudbury. The fee for records available at Sudbury Town Hall is $15.00 for the first certified copy and $10.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

The contact information for the Sudbury Town Clerk's office:

Town Hall

322 Concord Road

Sudbury, MA 01776

Monday-Friday
9:00 - 5:00 (Summer Hours may differ)

 Phone: (978) 639-3351

Fax: (978) 443-0264

Email: clerk@sudbury.ma.us

 If you are not sure where the record you seek is filed locally, you may contact the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The Registry maintains a central index and has copies of records for all births, deaths and marriages which occurred in the state.

Certified copies may be obtained through the Registry in person, by mail or by phone. Regardless of how you request copies, you should be prepared to provide the name of the subject(s) of the record, the date of the event and, if know, the city or town where the event occurred.

Call or write for the fee schedule and hours:

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon St., 1^st Fl.
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105
617- 740-2600

The Town Clerk issues marriage licenses. People wishing to obtain a license file their intentions with the Town Clerk in person (except for cases where one person is in the military or incarcerated, or a physician's written confirmation of an illness of one of the parties is produced) at least three days before the ceremony (an application for a time waiver may be filed by both of the parties at a probate or district court if a problem exists). The fee for filing your marriage intentions in Sudbury is $40.00 and includes one certified copy of the Marriage Certificate. The license is valid for sixty days from the time of filing, and may be used for a ceremony conducted in any Massachusetts city or town. The member of the clergy or Justice of the Peace who performs the ceremony must sign the license and return it to the city or town where it was issued.

Persons seeking a marriage license must be at least eighteen years old or have a court order providing for an exception.

Those desiring a civil ceremony should contact the Town Clerk or call the Secretary of State's Commissions Section at (617) 727-2836 to obtain a list of local Justices of the Peace.

All fictitious name certificates for businesses (commonly known as "doing business as" or "dba" certificates) are filed with the Town Clerk. The dba files allow consumers to identify and locate the proprietor of a business which goes by a name other than that of the proprietor. Sudbury maintains a database of dba information which includes records for the preceding five years. Once filed, a certificate is valid for four years. The fee for filing is $50.00.

 What is a Business Ceritificate and Who Must File?

Click here for DBA Form

The contact information for the Sudbury Town Clerk's office:

Town Hall

322 Concord Road

Sudbury, MA 01776

Monday-Friday
9:00 - 5:00 (Summer Hours may differ)

 Phone: (978) 639-3351

Fax: (978) 443-0264

Email: clerk@sudbury.ma.us

Please click this link for a practical guide to living in Massachusetts.Welcome to Massachusetts!

 

FILING A BUSINESS CERTIFICATE (DBA)

 ( Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 110, Section 5, 6; 227:5A)

 WHAT IS A BUSINESS CERTIFICATE, DBA (doing business as)?

 A Business Certificate is a local registration of a business that is conducted within the Town and filed with the Town Clerk, either in person or by mail, in every city/town where a business of any such person, partnership or corporation may be situated. It is commonly referred to as a “d/b/a” (doing business as).  The primary purpose of filing is to protect consumers or creditors by identifying the names and addresses of the owners of the business.  Essentially, the public has a right to know who “is” a particular business, since a customer will not know who owns the business simply by the name of the business. 

 NOTE:  A business certificate is not a license to do business in the Town of Sudbury.  Additional licenses/permits issued by other town departments or state agencies may be required in order to do business.  Please refer to the Town of Sudbury Zoning Bylaws for conducting a business in the business district or the residential/home business.  If needed you may be required to check with the Building Inspector/Zoning Enforcement Officer (978) 443-2209 ext.1361.

 WHO MUST FILE?

 Any person conducting a business under any title (business name) other than the complete real name of the person conducting the business must file a certificate.  A person is defined as an individual, a partnership, or a corporation.

 Exemptions to filling are allowed under section 6 if the corporation is doing business in its true corporate name, or if a legal partnership is doing business under any title which includes the true surname of any.  Certain other exemptions exist for trusts and limited partnerships.

   WHO MUST SIGN THE BUSINESS CERTIFICATE?

 If the business is owned solely by one person, only that person needs to sign.  If it is a partnership of two or more people (but not a formal legal entity), both or all of the “partners” must sign.  If it is a legal partnership, any officer who has authority to sign on behalf of the partnership may do so.  If it is a corporation, an officer who has signatory authority must sign – which is usually the President, but not always.  All signatures must be made in front of a notary, the Town Clerk or the Assistant Town Clerk.  Do not sign the certificate unless it is in front of one of these three individuals.  An individual must be 18 years of age or older to legally sign a business certificate.

  HOW LONG IS MY BUSINESS CERTIFICATE GOOD FOR?

 Business Certificates are valid for a period of four (4) years from the date of its original filing.  They must be renewed every four (4) years for as long as the business is being conducted.

  WHAT IF I “GO OUT OF BUSINESS”, CHANGE MY RESIDENCE; CHANGE THE LOCATION OF THE BUSINESS OR WANT TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE BUSINESS?

 Change of Residence as listed on certificate, change of location of the business within town (but keeps the same business name): You must file either a Statement of Change of Residence, or a Statement of Change of Location of Business.

 Discontinuance of business, retire or withdraw from conducting business (i.e.: go out of business or move it to another town:  You must file a Statement of Discontinuance.  If you will be conducting a “Going Out of Business Sale” please contact the Town Clerk’s office regarding the legal requirements for this type of sale.

 Change the name of the business: You must first file a Discontinuance and then file a new Certificate for the new business name.  You cannot simply change the name of the business as technically you are stopping business in one name and starting business in a new name.

In case of death of the owner of the registered business(d/b/a):  A statement may be filed by the executor or administrator of the estate.

 DOES THE FILING OF A BUSINESS CERTIFICATE PROTECT ME FROM OTHER USING THE SAME NAME?

 No, The protection of a trademark (wood, name, symbol or device) in Massachusetts is accomplished through the Secretary of State’s Office.  (See website below)

 WHAT IS THE FEE TO FILE A CERTIFICATE OR STATEMENT?

Filing/Renewal of a Business Certificate- $50.00 (4 years).

Statements:$25.00

Certified Copies:$4.00

Photocopies: 20 cents/page

 MUST I DISPLAY A COPY OF MY BUSINESS CERTIFICATE?

 The law states that copies of your certificate must be available at the address at which the business is conducted, and shall be produced for inspection upon request during regular business hours to any person who has purchased goods or services from such business.

 WHAT IS THE PENALTY IF I DO NOT FILE A CERTIFICATE OR STATEMENT?

 The law states that violations will be punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300.00) for each month during which the violation continues.

  WHERE DO I GET THE FORMS AND HOW DO I FILE?

 All forms may be obtained from and filed at the Town Clerk’s office during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 9am – 5pm) or downloaded here. DBA Form

Forms can be notorized at the Town Clerk's office or by another notary and mailed to the Town Clerk at 322 Concord Road with a check made out to the Town of Sudbury.

  WHERE DO I GET TAX INFORMATION REGARDING MY BUSINESS?

 The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) can answer all of your questions regarding collecting sales tax or other tax questions you may have.  The Taxpayer Assistance Bureau is open from 8:45am – 5pm, Monday – Friday.  The toll free number is 1 (800) 392-6089 or (617) 887-6367.  The DOR has a publication entitled “A Guide to Sales and Use Tax” which answers the most commonly asked questions about sales/use tax.

 You obtain an FID number from the IRS at (800) 829-1040 or (617) 523-1040.

 Websites:

Department of Revenue          http://www.dor.state.ma.us/

Secretary of State’s office      www.state.ma.us

 Where do I apply for a DBA Certificate/Business Certificate?

Click on this link for the list of  Federal, State and County Officials .

Click here for the list of Sudbury's Elected Town Officials.