How to Obtain a Birth Certificate
by Steve Johnson
A
birth certificate is one of the most valuable documents in any
genealogy research. Not only does it provide a person's full name,
date and place of birth, it also provides the full name of the
mother and father, including the mother's maiden name.
Obtaining a copy of a birth certificate depends largely on WHEN the person was born, and WHERE.
Most states and counties did not require a certificate of birth until the middle 1800's. In fact, some did not require them until the early 1900's. In these cases, there are no government sanctioned certificates of birth available, and you may need to search for baptism or christening records from a church.
Historically, genealogists obtained copies of birth certificates by writing to the State where the person was born. Each state has an office set up specifically for handling these requests. Most are handled by the State's Department of Health, while some are handled by the State's Secretary.
Later on, most states began delegating the task of recording births to the counties. Thus, the State may only have records up to a certain date. Most counties handle records requests through their Courthouse, County Clerk, or County Recorder.
To determine which state or county to write to for copies, visit Birth Certificates. You can also order copies of birth certificates online through this website.
Most offices will charge a fee, which might range anywhere from $5.00 to as much as $50.00, depending on whether you want a certified copy, or an uncertified copy. For genealogical purposes, an uncertified copy should suffice.