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Obtain certified birth certificates from the State of Pennsylvania

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An applicant must be eighteen (18) years of age or older to apply for a certified copy of his/her birth record or the record of an immediate family member. The Division of Vital Records issues only certified copies of birth with the raised seal that are acceptable for numerous uses, i.e. passport, Social Security, employment, and personal identification. Records are available from the Division of Vital Records for births from 1906 to the present. Records before 1906 are available from the Register of Wills in the county where the event occured.

Application forms, eligibility requirements, fees, and additional information, including how to apply online or by fax with a credit card is available at Pennsylvania Vital Records.

Eligible Persons Who May Request a Record

• Person named on the birth record
• Legal representative
• Immediate family members (husband; wife; parent/step-parent; brother/sister/half brother/half sister; son or daughter; stepson/stepdaughter; grandparent/great grandparent (specify maternal or paternal); grandchild/great grandchild). If the person named on the birth record is deceased, a family member who is not an "immediate family member" must submit a copy of the death certificate to be eligible to receive the birth record. A step-parent or step-child is required to submit additional documentation supporting their relationship.
• Power of Attorney: If you have been granted Power of Attorney (POA) for the person named on the record, it will be necessary to submit a notarized POA document that contains the original signatures of the parties involved, including the original notary's signature and seal. If you do not wish to send the original POA, you may file the original notarized POA with the Clerk of Orphans' Court division of the Court of Common Pleas (usually in the county where the person granting the power of attorney resides) to obtain a certified copy of this document issued by the court. You may then submit the certified copy of the POA document that includes the seal of the court, to our office to process your request. We will return this document to you upon completion of your request. If you cannot comply with these instructions, an eligible requestor is required to apply for this record.

Information Required to Obtain a Birth Certificate

• Full name at birth of person named on the birth record (if name has changed since birth due to adoption, court order, or any other reason other than marriage, include changed name)
• Date of birth
• City and County of birth
• Gender of person named on birth record
• Parents' names, including mother’s maiden name
• Relationship to the person
• Reason for the request (if applicable, include specific information, such as name of foreign country for which certified copy is needed, etc.)
• Applicant's signature
• Applicant's daytime telephone number
• Applicant's mailing address