What Information Is Needed to Get a Wisconsin Birth Certificate?
If you are searching for a Wisconsin birth certificate, you'll need to contact the Wisconsin Vital Records Office. The Vital Records Office has different vital records on file including birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates and divorce records. To obtain a birth certificate, you'll need to provide specific information regarding the person on the birth certificate. You'll also need to provide your own personal identification information.
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Application Form
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To obtain a Wisconsin birth certificate, you need to complete a birth certificate application form, which you can find on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website (dhs.wisconsin.gov). On the application, provide your contact information and your relationship to the person named on the birth certificate. Provide birth record information including the birth name, birth date, birth county and the birth city, village or township of the person on the birth certificate. Fill in the names of the mother and father of the person on the birth certificate.
You can obtain a certified birth certificate, which you can use for legal purposes, such as for obtaining a driver's license. A certified certificate comes with a seal and the State Registrar's signature and is issued to the person named on the birth record or to a close relative of the person on the record. An uncertified copy has the same information as a certified copy, but you cannot use it for legal purposes.
Photo Identification
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If you are requesting a birth certificate by mail, include a photocopy of your current, valid photo identification, such as a driver's license, with your application. The photo identification must have your picture as well as your current address and an expiration date on it. If you pick up a birth certificate in-person at the Office of Vital Records, you need to provide a Wisconsin driver's license with a photo, a Wisconsin I.D. with a photo or an out-of-state driver's license with a photo. If you do not have one of these items, you must provide two of the following items: a U.S. passport, a checkbook or bankbook, a major credit card, a government-issued employee I.D. badge with photo, a health insurance card, a utility bill, a traffic ticket or a recently signed lease.
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Lacking Information
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You can request a copy of a birth certificate even if you cannot provide all of the necessary information. On the birth certificate application form, provide the person's name at birth. If you do not know the person's birth year, provide a range of possible birth years. The Office of Vital Records will perform any five-year period search between 1907 and 1947. If you are looking for a birth record before 1907, the Office of Vital Records can perform a multi-year search in records before 1907. If a birth occurred after 1947, the Office of Vital Records can perform a multi-year search from 1948 to the present. It will cost you $20 for a birth certificate search.
Turning in the Information
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Once you have gathered all of the necessary information to obtain a birth certificate, review your options of where to take your information. You can mail your application and a copy of your identification to the Wisconsin Vital Records Office (dhs.wisconsin.gov.; P.O. Box 309, Madison; 608-266-1373). Include a check or money order payable to Wisconsin Vital Records and a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope.
You can apply in person for a birth certificate at the Vital Records Office (1 W. Wilson St., Room 158, Madison; 608-266-1373). Make sure to bring your application form, personal identification and payment method. Another option is to fax your information to the Vital Records Office (608-255-2035). You will need to download the Fax Birth Certificate Application form from the Wisconsin Vital Records website and fill it out.
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