Getting a Birth, Death or Marriage Certificate: Finding the Right Office

Who issues vital records

Birth, death, marriage and divorce records are kept by states, territories and, often, counties or cities — not by the federal government. The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics says the federal government does not distribute certificates, files or indexes with identifying information for vital records.

So the first step is to work out where the event happened — the state (and sometimes the county) of birth, death, marriage or divorce — because that is the office you need, even if you now live elsewhere.

Find the office

The CDC’s Where to Write for Vital Records (external site) page links to each state and territory. Select the place where the event occurred and follow its application guidelines; the state page explains what it issues, who can order, fees and how to apply.

Ways to order

Depending on the office, you may be able to order:

• online through the official state or county site, or a vendor the office itself names;
• by mail, using the office’s application form;
• in person, sometimes by appointment.

Look for the vendor link on the official .gov page rather than searching for one, so you don’t pay an unofficial middleman.

Preparing an in-person visit

1. Check whether the office requires an appointment or accepts walk-ins, and book through the official site if needed.
2. Bring ID and anything showing you are entitled to the record (for example, a parent ordering a child’s birth certificate). Offices set their own rules.
3. Know the details of the record: full names, date and place of the event, and parents’ names for a birth record.
4. Bring an accepted payment method.

Marriage licenses are different

A marriage license — permission to marry — is usually issued by a county or city clerk, and many clerks take appointments. A marriage certificate is the record after the marriage. Check your county clerk’s official site for requirements such as ID, waiting periods and whether both people must attend.

Using a certificate for a passport

If you need a birth certificate for a passport application, the State Department asks for physical citizenship evidence and does not accept digital birth certificates. See what to bring to a passport appointment.