What Documents are Required for Birth Certificate Replacement?

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Gathering the documents required for a birth certificate replacement can seem puzzling based on your situation. Here we explain what to expect and how some states require specific documentation to prove your identity. There are also special circumstances such as adoption or being born abroad which may require you to provide unique evidence for proof of identity or relation to the person who needs the replacement. Thankfully, services like vitalrecordsonline.com provide fast & convenient information and solutions to help you meet your state’s requirements when ordering a certified copy of your birth certificate online.

With this checklist, and a little personal research, you should have a better idea of what documents and information you’ll need to obtain your birth certificate. Depending on your circumstances and the availability of your personal time, you may want to consider ordering a replacement birth certificate online today to shorten the time it takes to get your certified copy.

Standard Requirements

Most states require general information to prove your identity and parental information, as well as basic information about the location and circumstances of your birth. When applying for a certified copy of your birth certificate, some states will want to know the county you were born in, while other states also want to know the city name, at least one parents’ full name, and the name of the hospital.

Proof of Identity

Today, Birth Certificates are required for almost all government-involved activities, such as acquiring passports, driver’s licenses, and security checks. Due to their importance, they are some of the most commonly abused documents when identity fraud occurs online. Applicants must also deal with the local government bureaucracy and meet additional requirements to protect your identity when making a request to obtain a birth certificate. Since anyone can claim to have family relations with anyone else, many clerks at state offices look for ways to reject these applications for security purposes.

Copy of you Drivers License

Copy of Your Driver’s License

Your driver’s license should contain most of the other required information, such as your genderfull name, and date of birth. Make sure your driver’s license is not expired, and use special care with the photocopy of your picture ID — this step in the process is rather intricate, so we go into more detail below.

Other acceptable forms of picture ID usually include student ID cards, and government employee ID. Private picture IDs, such as employer identification cards or the self-help cards available at Walmart, might be acceptable as well. Each state and each county have different requirements.

If you have none of these documents, a sworn statement establishing your identity or relationship to the person you are ordering for might be acceptable by your state.

Parental Information

Parental Information

This part of the birth certificate application process is fairly straightforward. Most states require applicants to list the mother’s first name and maiden name. A few states allow applicants to omit the father’s name. This is especially true if the father’s name was not on the birth certificate. Some states require additional information, such as your parents’ marital status at the time of birth.

Reason for Birth Certificate Replacement

Include the Reason for Replacement

In all these cases, you must include the reason you want a copy of your birth certificate. Common reasons include passport application, school registration, and driver’s license application.

Physical Mailing Address

Provide a Physical Address

Now that you’re ready to submit your application package, additional requirements for obtaining your birth certificate include a physical street address, as opposed to a P.O. box number. This is especially true if you select a UPS or other overnight delivery option. Most of these companies do not deliver birth certificate copies or anything else to P.O. boxes.

Check or Money Order

Include a Check or Money Order

Prepare and include a check or money order payable to your health department, and don’t forget to verify your state’s fees before sending your application package. As mentioned, a slight error could cause your application to be rejected. If you choose our Rush Package delivery option, a money order is already provided for you with quicker processing in all 50 states.

State required notarization

State Required Notarization

Depending on the state you are applying for, you may need to notarize your application form. Be sure to check your state’s requirements when you are ready to submit your application. You can get documents notarized at a local bank branch or a Fedex or UPS retail location.


Special Cases

Although each state in the US has its own requirements for vital records, there are unique cases where a US citizen was born abroad, adopted or applying for a relative.

Those Who Were Born Abroad

Being born abroad, or at a U.S. military base outside of the United States, can present challenges for getting the required documents — depending on the country you were born in.If you were born outside the United States, even on a military base, this means you do not have a standard U.S. birth certificate. You can order a birth certificate by requesting what is known as a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. For those born before December 2010, your Consular Report of Birth Abroad includes the form FS-240 or DS-1350. However, if your date of birth was after 2010, you will have a form FS-240. Learn more about the requirements for those who are born abroad.

Those Who Were Adopted

In addition to the standard requirements mentioned above, adoptees will need to also provide:

  • Your full name at birth.
  • Your adoptive names, if applicable.
  • The date and place of your birth.
  • Your passport information including date of issue, date of expiration, and passport number if available.

Note: Adoptees who were born abroad may not be able to obtain their original birth certificates, they only have access to the Amended Birth Certificate. A court order is still required in 25 states, however many states have changed laws to provide easier access to original birth certificates.

Applying For a Child or Relative

For security purposes, most people can only obtain birth certificate copies for themselves or their close relatives, usually spouse, parent, or child. On your application, be sure you indicate your relationship to that person. These statements usually do not require certification or verification, but be sure you check the rules for your state.


Apply for you Birth Certificate online

Save Time and Submit Your Application Online

Submitting your application online is a fast and reliable option to replace your birth certificate, especially if your state doesn’t allow applicants to submit paperwork via email or fax. Using a reliable service like Vital Records Online will help you gather your documents in a streamlined process, and build your application package online. Also, if you want to skip the process of physically mailing in your documents, we’ve provided the Rush Delivery and Full-Service package options. These packages are express services where the entire process of your application is done for you, including a check with the correct amount for your state application fees.

When you’re ready to place your order and submit your credit card information for payment online, the shipping and credit card billing addresses must be the same name and information of the person or legal representative submitting the application for the birth certificate copy.

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