Birth Certificate Information

Every state has its own rules and regulations regarding copies of vital records. Following is a general discussion of what you need to do to get a certified copy of your birth certificate for a passport application. You should carefully study the requirements of your own birth state on their official website for complete details.

All states have information on the Internet concerning requests for birth certificates and other documents. When applying for a copy of your birth certificate, remember to request the "long" form, which usually includes the names of your parents and their marital status. This (potentially embarrassing) information is often omitted from "short", "abstract" or "wallet size" forms. Ask for a certified copy, with the state seal embossed in the paper. You must submit a certified "long" form copy to the passport acceptance officer in order to prove US citizenship. In case of doubt, tell the state employee fulfilling your request for your birth certificate that you will be using the birth certificate for a passport application. They should know what to do.

If you are in a hurry, phone the state agency and ask about expedited requests. Many states and other jurisdictions contract with a private firm that will, for a fee, prepare your certified copy very quickly, then mail it to you by overnight courier. For more information, see VitalChek.

Without exception, the states and other government agencies will not release a birth certificate to anyone except the person (child) named on the document, to certain close relatives or by court order. If you need to ask a member of your family to get your birth certificate for you, carefully review the web page of your birth state for their requirements. No state prohibits parents from getting birth certificates for their own minor children. Finally, be aware that fraudulent applications for official document is a serious offence in every state.

Before contacting the state agency, have the following information ready:

• Your birth or adoptive name.
• Mother's maiden name.
• Father's name.
• Gender
• Month, day and year of your birth.
• City and county of birth.
• Relationship to the person named on the document, if you are calling on behalf of someone else.
• Purpose for requesting the birth certificate.
• Your mailing address and daytime telephone number.
• Credit card name, number and expiry date.
• Note that in some states, original birth certificates are available for adult adoptees. If you are an adoptee, you need to specify the birth certificate with your legal adoptive childhood (maiden) name.

Many states have downloadable forms for document requests. Most of those forms are PDF files, which require Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader at no charge.

Press this button to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Some forms are HTML documents, so in that case use your browser's print function to print the form on your printer. We recommend getting the forms and filling them out, even if requesting the birth certificate by phone, as you will, therefore, have all the information required by your birth state readily available when you make the phone call.

Find the state in which you were born, then click on the link to the state's web page. Read their instructions carefully to save time and trouble getting your birth certificate certified copy. You will expedite the process if you provide them with complete information to do the search.

Note: Most of these sites also have information about copies of death certificates and marriage licenses. You can also find, in some states, information on cross-registration of adult adoptees and birth relatives.

Updated 03/03/04