vitalrec.com - the most comprehensive resource for locating vital records
      Birth Certificates - How to obtain a certified copy

    • US Citizens Born Abroad
    • Birth Links & Searchable Databases
    • Death Records
    • Marriage Licenses
    • Divorce Decrees
    • Order Birth or Death Records Online!
    • Find vital records online
    • Search birth, death & marriage records
    • Search Marriage and Divorce Records Here
    • International Vital Records

    • A birth record contains information about the birth of an individual. On a birth record, you can usually find the mother's full maiden name and the father's full name, the name of the baby, the date of the birth, and county where the birth took place. Many birth records include other information, such as the birthplaces of the baby's parents, the addresses of the parents, the number of children that the parents have, and the race of the parents, and the parents' occupations.

      If you were born abroad, with US citizenship at birth, you can use our express ordering service to get your birth certificate.

      To obtain a copy of any of a birth certificate in the United States, write or go to the vital statistics office in the state or area where the event occurred. To ensure that you receive an accurate record for your request and that your request is filled with all due speed, please follow these steps:

      • Make your letters concise and to the point.
      • Do NOT include more than one or two requests at once, and be careful not to write confusing details of your family lines.
      • Type or print all names and addresses in your letter.
      • Provide complete information on an individual and event for which you need documents. Include all names that may have been used, including nicknames, alternate spellings, etc. List dates and type of event as completely and accurately as possible. If you don't know the exact date, specify the span of years you wish searched and be prepared to pay for searches that span several years.
      • Always provide an S.A.S.E., (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope).
      • County offices have limited personnel and are often swamped with paper work. Genealogical queries are done as a service which is outside of their realm of responsibility. They ask therefore that you exercise patience and courtesy in your transactions with their offices.
      • Be sure and include following information:
        • date of request
        • full name of person (last name in caps)
        • sex of that person
        • date of birth
        • place of birth (city or town, county, state, and name of the hospital, if known)
        • mother's maiden name
        • father's name
        • relationship to party
        • the purpose for which the record is needed
        • requestor's name & address
        • requestor's driver's license number & state (some counties require it)
        • requestor's signature

      For information on how to order a birth certificate, click on the State or Territory in which the birth occurred:
        American Samoa
        Canal Zone
        District of Columbia
        Guam
        Northern Mariana Islands
        Puerto Rico
        Virgin Islands

        Alabama
        Alaska
        Arizona
        Arkansas
        California
        Colorado
        Connecticut
        Delaware
        Florida
        Georgia
        Hawaii
        Idaho
        Illinois
        Indiana
        Iowa
        Kansas
        Kentucky
        Louisiana
        Maine
        Maryland
        Massachusetts
        Michigan
        Minnesota
        Mississippi
        Missouri
        Montana
        Nebraska
        Nevada
        New Hampshire
        New Jersey
        New Mexico
        New York
        North Carolina
        North Dakota
        Ohio
        Oklahoma
        Oregon
        Pennsylvania
        Rhode Island
        South Carolina
        South Dakota
        Tennessee
        Texas
        Utah
        Vermont
        Virginia
        Washington
        West Virginia
        Wisconsin
        Wyoming

        Order Birth or Death Records Online!


      US SEARCH - Public Records Search 2 with Flag
      Public Records Search
      First Last State
      Birth Certificate Links
      • Order Birth records online via Vitalchek
      • Direct ordering for U.S. Citizen's born abroad
      • Vital Records Information - where and how to obtain copies of birth records
      • Amazon Genealogy Bookstore - Birth Records
      • Search for Ancestors
      • Search Public Records - FREE Preview Search
      • New York Births & Baptisms CD - This collection of birth and baptism records was compiled from the New York church registers of 1660-1916 by Arthur C.M. Kelly. Containing over 75,000 records from Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester counties.
      • NEW Family Tree Maker 2012 software--Download Now!

      Find your ancestors in the U.S. Federal Census!

      Additional Birth Certificate Links by State

        AK . AL . AR . AZ . CA . CO . CT . DE . FL . GA
        HI . IA . ID . IL . IN . KS . KY . LA . MA . MD
        ME . MI . MN . MO . MS . MT . NC . ND . NE . NH
        NJ . NM . NS . NV . NY . OH . OK . OR . PA . RI
        SC . SD . TN . TX . UT . VA . VT . WA . WI . WV . WY

        Alaska
        • Alaska State Vital Records Office
        Alabama
        • Alabama State Vital Records Office
        Arkansas
        • Arkansas State Vital Records Office
        Arizona
        • Arizona State Vital Records Office
        • Arizona Birth and Death Certificates - an online search of birth (over 75 yrs old) and death (over 50 yrs old) certificates from the Arizona Dept of Health Services
        California
        • California State Vital Records Office
        • Sacramento Births 1858-9
        • Sacramento California, Sacramento Bee Newspaper 1889 - 1890: vital records - contains obituaries, marriages, births and divorces.
        • California Birth Index, 1905-10
        Colorado
        • Colorado State Vital Records Office
        Connecticut
        • Connecticut State Vital Records Office
        • Connecticut State Library - Vital Records - information on the vital records holdings at the Connecticut State Library
        Delaware
        • Delaware State Vital Records Office
        Florida
        • Florida State Vital Records Office
        • About Vital Statistics in Florida
        Georgia
        • Georgia State Vital Records Office
        • Augusta-Richmond County Public Library Vital Records Database - Online searchable index for 1982 to the present
        Hawaii
        • Hawaii State Vital Records Office
        Iowa
        • Iowa State Vital Records Office
        Idaho
        • Idaho State Vital Records Office
        • Idaho County Free Press, Vital Records, 1886-1903 - a collection of vital information printed in the newspaper between 1886 and 1903 including marriage, divorce, birth and death records.
        Illinois
        • Illinois State Vital Records Office
        Indiana
        • Indiana State Vital Records Office
        • Bartholomew County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1883-1920, Volume I
        • Clinton County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920, Volume I-II
        • Clinton County Vital Records Information
        • Elkhart County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920
        • Greene County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1885-1920
        • Jasper County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920
        • Lagrange County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920, Volume I
        • Lake County and Crown Point, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1921-41
        • Whiting, Lake County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1899-1920
        • Lake County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920
        • Montgomery County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920
        • Vital Statistics: Montgomery County, IN 1834-1963, 1965-66, 1968-9, 1973-2005, 2006 - online search from the Crawfordsville District Public Library
        • Pulaski County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920
        • Indiana Births, 1880-1920 - This database indexes births for thirty-one of the counties in Indiana
        • Pre-1882 Indiana Births From Secondary Sources - A book series that comprises nearly 10,000 births that took place in Indiana before recording of births was required by law
        Kansas
        • Kansas State Vital Records Office
        Kentucky
        • Kentucky State Vital Records Office
        • Kentucky Birth Collection, 1852-1999 - search an index to births recorded in the U.S. state of Kentucky between 1852 and 1999
        • Kentucky Vital Records Index - search indexes to Kentucky vital records
        Louisiana
        • Louisiana State Vital Records Office
        • New Orleans, Louisiana Birth Records Index, 1790-1899
        Massachusetts
        • Massachusetts State Vital Records Office
        Maryland
        • Maryland State Vital Records Office
        • Maryland State Archives - Vital Records Information
        Maine
        • Maine State Vital Records Office
        • Gardiner, Kennebec County Maine, Birth & Death records 1800 - 1892
        • Vital Records from Maine Newspapers, 1785-1820 - (book)
        Michigan
        • Michigan State Vital Records Office
        • Iosco County, MI, Iosco County Gazette Index, 1900 including births, marriages & deaths
        • Oakland County, Michigan Vital Records, 1800-1917
        Minnesota
        • Minnesota State Vital Records Office
        • Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002 - search approximately 5.2 million births occurring in the State of Minnesota, USA, between 1935 and 2002
        Missouri
        • Missouri State Vital Records Office
        • Livingston County, Missouri Birth Records, 1883-84, 1888-91 Volume I & III
        • Livingston County Births & Stillbirths Records Search - abstract of the births & stillbirth records recorded before 1909 that are available on microfilm at the Missouri State Archives
        • Missouri Birth & Death Records Database pre-1910 - searchable abstract of the birth, stillbirth, and death records recorded before 1909 and that are available on microfilm at the Missouri State Archives
        Mississippi
        • Mississippi State Vital Records Office
        Montana
        • Montana State Vital Records Office
        North Carolina
        • North Carolina State Vital Records Office
        • Edgecombe County, North Carolina Vital Records, 1720-1880
        • Nash County, North Carolina Vital Records Abstracts - provides information regarding the individual's birth, parents, marriage, spouse, children, and death
        • North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000
        • North Carolina Vital Records
        North Dakota
        • North Dakota State Vital Records Office
        Nebraska
        • Nebraska State Vital Records Office
        New Hampshire
        • New Hampshire State Vital Records Office
        • Londonderry, New Hampshire Vital Records, 1722-1910
        New Jersey
        • New Jersey State Vital Records Office
        • Second in Line: Vital Records in New Jersey - New Jersey vital records were mandated statewide in 1848, just the second state to do so. These and earlier vital records collections can fill pedigree holes.
        New Mexico
        • New Mexico State Vital Records Office
        Nevada
        • Nevada State Vital Records Office
        • Douglas County, Nevada Vital Records, 1862-1923 - This database contains birth records from 1885 - 1900, marriage records from 1862 - 1919, and death records from 1887 - 1923
        • Storey County Nevada Death & Birth records, 1862-1903
        New York
        • New York State Vital Records Office
        • New York City Births, 1891-1902 - an index of births reported in New York City between 1891 and 1902
        • Births, marriages, deaths, New Paltz, Ulster County, New York 1847-1850
        Ohio
        • Ohio State Vital Records Office
        • Knox County, Ohio Vital Records, 1800-82 - the names of over 8600 persons who were born, were married or died in the county
        • Lucas County, Toledo Ohio Birth Records: 1888 - 1890
        • Lucas County, Toledo Ohio Birth Records: 1891 - 1895
        • Morrow County, Ohio Vital Records, 1830-93 - provides birth information, parents' names, marriage information, and death date
        Oklahoma
        • Oklahoma State Vital Records Office
        Oregon
        • Oregon State Vital Records Office
        • OHD - Center for Health Statistics (and Vital Records)
        • Oregon State Archives - Vital Records
        Pennsylvania
        • Pennsylvania State Vital Records Office
        • Berks County, Pennsylvania Births, 1876-1906
        • Search birth, marriage and death records in Berks County - from the Register of Wills
        • Search Berks County Birth, Death & Marriage Records - from the Register of Wills
        • Reading, Pennsylvania Births, 1876-1905
        • Fayette County, Pennsylvania Vital Records, 1750-1890 - a wealth of information including the resident's name, birth date, parents' names, marriage date, name of spouse, children's names, and death date
        • Births, baptisms (3683) of the First Lutheran Church, Westmoreland County, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 1792-1853
        Rhode Island
        • Rhode Island State Vital Records Office
        • Rhode Island Births, 1636-1930 - search this collection of birth records. Each record provides the child's name, parents' names, and birth date
        South Carolina
        • South Carolina State Vital Records Office
        South Dakota
        • South Dakota State Vital Records Office
        • South Dakota Births, 1856-1903
        • South Dakota Birth Record Search Site - for birth records over 100 years old (from the SD Dept of Health)
        • Search Newspaper Vital Records Index - search births, deaths, marriages & more from South Dakota Historical Society
        Tennessee
        • Tennessee State Vital Records Office
        Texas
        • Texas State Vital Records Office
        • Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997
        • State of Texas Vital Records
        • Texas Birth Records: 1926 - 1993 All Counties - search online
        • Article about Texas Legislation on Vital Records Indexes and Adoption Birth Record Access
        Utah
        • Utah State Vital Records Office
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Beaver County 1897-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Carbon County 1898-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Davis County 1898-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Emery County 1898-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Grand County 1898-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Iron County 1898-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Kane County 1900-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Piute County 1898
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Rich County 1898-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Uintah County 1895-1905
        • Uintah County Vital Records
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905 - includes Weber County 1898-1905
        • Utah Births, 1895-1905
        Virginia
        • Virginia State Vital Records Office
        • Accomack County, Virginia Births, 1853-65
        • Accomack County, Virginia Births, 1878-81
        • Accomack County, Virginia Births 1882-92
        • Albemarle County, VA Births, 1886-89
        • Albermarle County, VA Births, 1890-96
        • Alleghany County, Virginia Births, 1853-96
        • Amelia County, Virginia Births, 1853-96
        • Alexandria County, Virginia Births, 1853-59 - Alexandria County was formed in 1789 and renamed Arlington County in 1920
        • Alexandria County, Virginia Births, 1865-96
        • Augusta County, Virginia Births, 1888-96
        • Caroline County, Virginia Births, 1859-68
        • Births from the Bristol Parish Register of Henrico, Prince George, and Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia, 1720-1798 - The births found in this volume are among the oldest known to exist for Bristol Parish, which was established in 1643
        • Frederick County Virginia Birth Records, 1855-96
        • Hanover County Virginia Birth Records, 1853 - 1896
        • Births from the Bristol Parish Register of Henrico, Prince George, and Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia, 1720-1798 - The births found in this volume are among the oldest known to exist for Bristol Parish, which was established in 1643
        • Henrico Health Dept Vital Records
        • Highland County Virginia Birth Records, 1853-1896
        • Isle of Wight County Virginia Birth Records, 1867-96
        • James City County Virginia Birth Records, 1853-96
        • Mecklenburg County Virginia Birth Records, 1866-85
        • Births from the Bristol Parish Register of Henrico, Prince George, and Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia, 1720-1798 - The births found in this volume are among the oldest known to exist for Bristol Parish, which was established in 1643
        Vermont
        • Vermont State Vital Records Office
        • Vermont Births, 1981-2001
        Washington
        • Washington State Vital Records Office
        • Washington State Birth Index 1907-19
        • Vital Records Certificate Ordering Instructions
        Wisconsin
        • Wisconsin State Vital Records Office
        • Wisconsin Births, 1820-1907 - over 985,000 births recorded in the state of Wisconsin prior to 1907
        • Search Pre-1907 Vital Records - dating back to the 1840s (Wisoncsin Historical Society)
        • Wisconsin Vital Records - from Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services
        • Wisconsin Vital Records
        West Virginia
        • West Virginia State Vital Records Office
        • Raleigh County, West Virginia Birth Records, 1853-75
        • Search WV Birth, Death, and Marriage certificates on-line - from the West Virginia Division of Culture & History
        Wyoming
        • Wyoming State Vital Records Office
        • Vital Records Service - Wyoming Dept of Health

      U.S. Map . Related Links . Feedback

      The Genealogy Register Banner - Ancestry.com n Association with Amazon.com