How to Get Your Certified Birth Certificate for an Identification Card
A certified copy of your birth certificate is essential to obtain a driver's license or state identification card, to register for school, to get a Social Security number (although not a replacement card), to get a passport and to apply for benefits from any state or federal government agency. A certified copy of your birth certificate will have a raised seal from the agency that certifies it. The original certificate that has your baby footprints or other commemorative information will not be acceptable.
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Instructions
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Determine your place of birth. In some places, such as New York City, you are required to know not only the borough in which you were born but also the name of the hospital. Ask a parent or other relative for this information. If you only know the state in which you were born, you may be able to get the rest of the information with the help of the staff in the office of vital records for the state or county in which you were born.
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Visit Vitalchek.com to easily obtain a copy of your birth certificate. You will need to know your mother's maiden name, your place of birth and possibly your parents' birth dates (depending on the state), and you will need to have a valid credit or debit card in your own name to pay for it. If you are requesting a birth certificate for your child, the credit or debit card can be in your name. In most states, you cannot get a birth certificate for a spouse or other person online. You will have to have an affidavit or other legal document giving you this permission, and you will have to apply for it in person.
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Write or call your birthplace's office of vital records. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has links to all the vital records offices in the United States on its website. Here you can locate the address to which you should go in person, write or fax information to get a copy of your birth certificate. Bring at least one of the following documents with you to obtain your certificate: school or hospital records, a bank statement, a hunting or fishing license, a utility bill, loan or lease papers, or a paycheck stub. Anything "official" with your name, address or Social Security number on it will work in most cases. Even a record of care or prescription from your doctor should work. Call your specific office of vital records before bringing in documentation. Staff can tell you which documents are acceptable.
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Send in copies of the documentation or bring them, with the appropriate fee, to the office of vital records in your state or county of birth. If you order online, you should get your birth certificate within a week. By mail, delivery may take two to four weeks. Some states issue a same-day copy of your birth certificate if you make the request in person.
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