How to Get a Birth Certificate in the USA

This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013.

This article has been viewed 135,469 times.

A birth certificate is often needed for satisfying guidelines for proving birth, age, name, parentage and place of birth. Many government entities demand a copy of the birth certificate for their records. Even carrying out simple activities such as signing up for little league or obtaining a passport will require you to have a copy of your birth certificate. Follow the steps outlined in this article to acquire a certificate for yourself or your child.

Getting a Copy of a Birth Certificate

• Visit the VitalChek website for more information.

Know the location of the birth. An official certificate of every birth should be on file in the state where the event occurred. The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records. These records are filed permanently in a state health or vital statistics office. A list of state health and vital statistics offices can be found here. [1] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source

• There are sometimes different options that you can select. For example, in Alaska you can chose between a regular birth certificate and one that is embellished by the work of a local artist. In Alabama, you have the option of getting either a certified or uncertified birth certificate.
• Also note that the fees vary from state to state. In Arkansas, the fee for a birth certificate is $12, while in California, the fee for a birth certificate is $25.

• The person named on the certificate.
• That person’s mother, father, or legal guardian.
• The husband or wife of person named on certificate.
• The son or daughter of person named on certificate.
• The sister or brother of person named on certificate.
• The legal representative of an authorized person.
• Some states also allow for registered genealogy groups or academics to access records.

• Full name of person whose record is requested.
• Sex.
• Parents' names, including maiden name of mother.
• Month, day, and year of birth.
• Place of birth (city or town, county, and State; and name of hospital, if known).
• Purpose for which copy is needed.
• Relationship to person whose record is requested.
• Day-time telephone number with area code.
• Also, keep in mind that your state may have further identification requirements. They may require a copy of your social security card or a photo identification card.

• Most state websites will offer an idea of what your waiting time could be.

Realize that it may be difficult to find birth records more than 100 years old. Keeping records was not in common practice until the end of the 19th century. Finding a birth certificate for someone who is over 100 years old may be difficult. You can check your individual state’s website for information about how to find these older records.

Getting a Birth Certificate for an Infant

• Get a birth certificate for your baby at the hospital after having your baby there. At most hospitals, it is mandatory that you be given the birth certificate before you leave. If you weren't given one forthright, ask the hospital staff for a birth certificate form before leaving with the baby.
• If you have already left the hospital, you can receive one online or through the mail. Simply go to the website for the department of health for the state that your baby was born in. Many have a “birth section” that should explain how you can obtain a birth certificate. The website of the CDC has a list of all state health departments (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm). [2] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Then, follow the directions to get a certificate online, or find the address and paperwork you need to get a certificate by mail.

• The hospital will usually submit the forms for you. There are no fees due immediately. Make sure to give them your current permanent address, as you will be receiving the official certificate in the mail.
• If you do not have a name for your baby, you can finish the form later and submit it to your local county health department. Make sure you ask the hospital how long they maintain birth records. You need to choose a name before the hospital throws away the birth record. Hospitals usually keep birth records for at least a year, though some will keep them longer.
• Keep in mind that your baby will need a birth certificate to travel internationally and receive medical care. It is important to pick out a name as soon as you can. The hospital should also provide forms to request copies of the birth certificate later.

• You can get a Social Security Number using the parent's vital information and a certified copy of the hospital's birth record. [3] X Trustworthy Source Social Security Administration Independent U.S. government agency responsible for the administration and management of Social Security Go to source You can obtain a SSN for a baby before you have received the official birth certificate.
• The application for the Social Security Card can be found online (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf).
• Some hospitals will provide Social Security Card application forms on site, but it is not standard practice. Ask if you can start the process there.

Getting a Birth Certificate after an Adoption

• When parents offer up their legal rights to their child, the original birth certificate becomes null and void. If you are seeking the original birth certificate, the adopted child may access this after the age of 18.

• The forms are typically completed at the same time as the certificate of adoption and honored immediately.
• In most cases, an amended birth certificate is issued that states the adoptive parents' names rather than the biological parents' names. This serves as the only legitimate birth certificate; the original is rendered illegitimate. [4] X Research source

• A re-adoption makes it easier to obtain a U.S. birth certificate for your child. It also ensures that a certificate will be filed with your municipality's vital records department. A legal name change can also be filed simultaneously. Filing a re-adoption allows you to follow the same processes you would to obtain the birth certificate of your biological child.
• Once the re-adoption is completed, complete the steps above for obtaining a birth certificate for your child.

Find your original birth certificate. If you were adopted but wish to find a copy of your original birth certificate, check the guidelines for the state in which you were born. Some states allow individuals over 18 to obtain these records. Some states allow for birth parents to have their names redacted from the records, so the records will only be partially available.

Expert Q&A

Some online companies will offer to look up and order a birth certificate for you. Some of these sites may charge additional fees for using their service. In most cases, it is easy to obtain the records yourself without the assistance of an outside company.

Certified birth certificates with a state seal are considered official documents. Printed certificates (such as the ones they give with the baby's footprints) from the hospital are typically not accepted as being official.

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1. ↑http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
2. ↑http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
3. ↑http://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
4. ↑http://adoption.com/birth-certificates-for-adoptees/
5. ↑http://international.adoption.com/foreign/adopting-re-adopting-in-the-us.html

About this article

This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013. This article has been viewed 135,469 times.

To get a birth certificate in the USA, you can use VitalChek, which is a fast, easy, government-approved electronic source. If you want to make a written request to a state agency, you will need the full name of the person whose record you are requesting, gender, parents’ names, place and date of birth, and purpose for copy. For newborns, most hospitals will give you a birth certificate before you leave. Otherwise, you can receive one through the mail by going to the department of health's website. To learn more from our Civil Litigator co-author, like how to get a birth certificate after an adoption, keep reading the article!