Birth records: How to find them and place an order

If you are in need of birth records, there are a variety of methods you can use to obtain them. First of all, you can call the Vital Records office of the Department of Health to request a copy of your birth certificate. You can choose between an uncertified copy or a certified official copy.

If your goal is to apply for a passport, driver’s license or other government document, you will have to get a certified copy. Certified copies are only available to you if they are your own, or if they belong to someone in your immediate family. It is impossible to look up certified birth certificates for a stranger or someone unrelated to you.

However, if you need to look up birth records simply for informational purposes, such as to build a family tree and conduct genealogy research, investigate the details of someone you know, or even to help find long lost friends and relatives, an uncertified copy is all you will need. You are able to get copies of birth records for anyone you wish, provided you know their name and location.

Vital Records requires a fee (usually around $20), and will often take two weeks to process. There is no guarantee that they will be able to find the birth records you seek. Sometimes documents get lost, destroyed, or misplaced, especially in offices where paper documents are still used and they haven’t switched over to a digital filing system.

There is another option, however. You can go online to search for birth records, and sometimes you can even do this for free! It is a much quicker and easier option. Birth records databases are incredibly easy to use and you will be able to find the information you need very soon, at your convenience.

Looking for birth records? Click the link to find out how to get them for free!
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