Birth certificate: how to get a certified copy
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
A US birth certificate is issued by the vital records office of the state where you were born, and in some states by the county or city. To get a copy, order a certified copy from that office, online, by mail or in person, with proof of identity. Agencies usually want the certified copy with a raised or official seal, not a photocopy.
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What is a birth certificate?
The certificate records your full name at birth, date and place of birth, and your parents’ names. A certified copy carries the registrar’s signature and a raised, embossed or multicolored seal on security paper.
Many states also issue an informational or short-form copy, often marked as not valid for identity purposes. Passport, Social Security and REAL ID applications usually require the full certified copy.
Who sends it, and when
The vital records office of the state where the birth happened keeps the record and issues certified copies. In some states, the county recorder, county clerk or city health department issues them too. US citizens born abroad have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, issued by the US Department of State.
Where to get a birth certificate
- The vital records office of your birth state, found through the CDC’s “Where to Write for Vital Records” page.
- The county or city office where you were born, in states that issue copies locally.
- An online ordering service authorized by your birth state, linked from the state vital records website.
- Your own records: you may already hold a certified copy, kept with your passport or Social Security card.
- For a birth abroad to US parents, the State Department, for a copy of the Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
Wrong files people send instead
- A hospital souvenir certificate with footprints, which is not an official record.
- A photocopy or scan of a certified copy, when the original certified copy was requested.
- An informational copy stamped not for identity purposes.
- A request sent to the state where you live now instead of the state where you were born.
Questions people ask
How do I get a copy of my birth certificate?
Order a certified copy from the vital records office of the state where you were born, online, by mail or in person, with a copy of your ID.
What is a certified copy of a birth certificate?
It is a copy issued by the vital records office, with the registrar’s signature and an official seal. It is the version agencies accept as proof of birth.
Can I get my birth certificate from the state I live in now?
No. Only the state, county or city where you were born holds the record, even if you have moved since.
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a birth certificate or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.