Get your certified Kansas Birth Certificate

A certified copy of a Kansas birth certificate costs $15 from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Additional copies ordered at the same time are also $15 each. Expedited processing and shipping are available for additional fees.

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Yes, you can order a Kansas birth certificate online through an approved service provider. You can also apply by mail or in person at the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka.

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In Kansas, eligible requesters include the person named on the certificate, a parent, a legal guardian, a spouse, an adult child, or a legal representative. If you need someone else to request the certificate on your behalf, they may use a notarized Power of Attorney (PoA) or a signed affidavit from the authorized applicant.

Order for a family member — request a Kansas birth certificate through our secure service.

Kansas birth certificates are not public records during the individual’s lifetime. Access is restricted to eligible individuals with a direct and tangible interest as defined by Kansas law. The KDHE requires proof of identity and eligibility before issuing certified copies. Qualified requesters generally include the person named on the record, parents, legal guardians, spouses, adult children, grandparents, siblings, and legal representatives.

When do Kansas birth records become public? By state statute, a Kansas birth record becomes a public record 65 years after the date of birth. Once past this threshold, anyone can request a copy for genealogy, historical research, or other purposes without needing to show tangible interest. This makes Kansas birth records older than 65 years an excellent resource for family history research.

Learn more about tangible interest vs. public access for vital records if you’re unsure whether you qualify to request a specific Kansas birth certificate.

An officially certified birth certificate will have distinct features to indicate the KDHE-OVS issues it. The appearance of an official birth certificate may differ depending on the year it was issued. It will often include key information to verify a person's identity and the legitimacy of their citizenship at birth. A long-form official birth certificate is used for legal purposes, whereas a short-form informational copy is usually not. The KDHE-OVS defines specific guidelines for counties that may use unique colors and layouts. In all cases, official birth certificates will generally display features such as:

• Full Name of the Person: The full legal name of the person whose birth is being recorded.

• Date of Birth: The exact date of birth of the individual.

• Place of Birth: The city, county, and state where the birth took place.

• Parents’ Names: The full names of both parents, including the mother’s maiden name.

• State Seal: A raised, embossed, or printed multicolor or black and white seal of the issuing authority, which validates the document.

• Signature of State Registrar: The signature of the state registrar or authorized official responsible for issuing the certificate.

• Date of Issuance: The date when the state officially issued the birth certificate.

• Printed on Security Paper: Printed on specialized paper to prevent counterfeiting.

In some instances, a certified birth certificate may also include:

• Name of the Hospital where the birth was recorded.

• Name of the Physician who attended the labor.

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Not sure which type of birth certificate you need? Our birth certificate guide explains the differences between certified copies, long form, and short form certificates.

If you lose your birth certificate:

1.Submit a certified replacement copy application in person, by mail, or online through VRO. You must complete the application, gather the required identification and documents, and pay the fees determined by the KDHE-OVS.

a For in-person applications: Present the completed application and required documents to the KDHE-OVS office during hours of availability.

b. For applying by mail: Send your application, documents, and a check or money order for the replacement fee to the KDHE-OVS at:

Kansas Department of Health and Environment Office of Vital Statistics

1000 SW Jackson, Suite 120 Topeka, KS 66612-2221

c. For online submissions: Complete the application and upload your documents through the VRO website (payable by credit card online).

2. KDHE-OVS will mail the certified copy(s) after processing.

Replace yours — order a Kansas birth certificate replacement online.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment – Office of Vital Statistics (KDHE-OVS) offers a simple procedure for legally correcting or amending birth certificates. The forms vary based on the information that requires modification. When any amendments are made to birth certificates, such as a change in name or birthdate, an addendum is added to the initial document. The original document remains unaltered.

Typically, requests to correct or amend birth records will require the following:

1. A completed amendment application: The KDHE Amendment Request Form; signatures must be notarized.
2. Supporting documentation: Requirements depend on the type of certificate, the item requested for amendment, and whether the record applies to a minor or an adult. All supporting documents must be original certified records; KDHE does not accept photocopies.
3. Appropriate fee(s): The fee to amend a Kansas birth certificate is $20.00, and an additional $20.00 for a certified copy of the amended birth certificate.

If you would like to verify the information needed, contact the Amendment Unit at 785-296-1434.

To obtain an apostille for a Kansas birth certificate, you can submit a request through VRO or directly through the Secretary of State. An apostille is required when submitting a copy of a vital record to a foreign government.
You can obtain an apostille for Kansas birth certificates through the Secretary of State or VRO’s Apostille Express Service.

If you choose to make your request manually, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Completed Request for Document Certification.
2. The certified copy of your birth certificate.
3. Payment of $7.50 for each document.
4. Submit the application, documents, and payment to the following address:

For Express or Standard Courier (UPS, DHL, or FedEx):

A long-form birth certificate (also called the "full" or "certified" copy) is a complete reproduction of the original Kansas birth record. It includes your full legal name, date and place of birth, parents' names, birthplaces, and occupations, the attending physician or midwife, and the file date and registration number. This is the version you'll need for passports, REAL ID, Social Security, adoption, immigration, dual citizenship, and most legal purposes.

A short-form birth certificate (sometimes called a "certification" or "abstract") is a condensed version that shows only your name, date of birth, place of birth, and sex. It does not include parents' information. The short form is accepted for many everyday purposes, like enrolling in school, applying for a driver's license, or joining sports leagues, but it is not always accepted for federal documents or international travel.

When you order a Kansas birth certificate through VitalRecordsOnline, you receive the long-form version by default, since it is the most widely accepted. If you're unsure which version you need, check with the agency requesting the document.

Need a certified copy? Order your Kansas birth certificate online.

Processing times for a Kansas birth certificate depend on how you order and which delivery speed you choose. Standard government processing through the Kansas vital records office generally takes 4 to 12 weeks by mail. In-person requests at the state office or authorized county location are often completed the same day or within a few business days.

When you order online through VitalRecordsOnline, we review your application within 24 hours to catch errors before submission, then forward it to the issuing authority. Most customers receive their certified Kansas birth certificate in 2 to 3 weeks with standard shipping. Expedited processing and rush shipping options are available at checkout for urgent needs like passport applications or upcoming travel.

If the issuing office returns your request because of missing information, our team contacts you immediately so the correction can be made without starting over. You can track your order status at any time through your account.

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Yes. Kansas is one of the few states that issues a certified birth certificate at no charge when the applicant needs it specifically for obtaining a state-issued voter ID. Under the Kansas Secure and Fair Elections Act, eligible residents born in Kansas who don’t currently have an acceptable photo ID can request a free birth certificate from the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics.

To qualify, you must sign a statement affirming that the certificate is being requested for voter ID purposes and that you lack a driver’s license, non-driver ID, passport, or other qualifying photo identification. The free certificate is issued only for this narrow purpose — regular Kansas birth certificate orders are still subject to the standard $20 fee.

For other uses (passport applications, school enrollment, Social Security, family history), VitalRecordsOnline can handle your full-fee order online so you don’t have to mail paperwork or visit Topeka in person.

The $20 Kansas fee isn’t technically a per-copy fee — under state law, it is a five-year record search fee. When you submit an application, the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics searches its records for a five-year window around the year of birth you provide. If the record is located, you receive a certified copy. If the record isn’t found within that window, the $20 is non-refundable because you’ve paid for the search effort, not the document itself.

Practical takeaway: make sure the date of birth on your application is as accurate as possible. If you’re uncertain of the exact year, KDHE can extend the search for an additional fee. This is why we ask for your best-known date of birth and double-check the details on every order before we submit to the state.

Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $20 each — Kansas does not discount additional copies the way some other states do.

Learn more and order your Kansas birth certificate online.

All Kansas birth records — no matter which city you were born in — are centrally held and issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka. Whether you were born in Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City (Kansas), Topeka, Olathe, Lawrence, or any smaller Kansas community, the same application process and $20 fee apply.

Important disambiguation: Kansas City straddles two states. If you were born in Kansas City, Missouri (the larger side of the metro), you need a Missouri birth certificate, not a Kansas one. If you were born in Kansas City, Kansas (Wyandotte County), this page is for you.

When ordering through VitalRecordsOnline, simply enter your city of birth and we’ll route the application to KDHE correctly. We verify the state before submission so you don’t pay a fee to the wrong agency.

Learn more and order your Kansas birth certificate online.