How Birth Certificates Work in Maryland

The Division of Vital Records in the Maryland Department of Health issues the state's birth certificates, and its birth certificate page sets out three routes: its own lobby, which serves all customers by appointment only, the post, and some local health departments, for which it publishes a list of locations. The division also publishes guidance on how to identify a certified birth certificate, which is worth reading for anyone who has been handed a document and is unsure whether it will be accepted.

Maryland's list of eligible applicants is short and specific. An individual requesting their own birth certificate. A parent named on the certificate. A court appointed guardian of the individual named on the certificate, who must submit proof of guardianship, with the division stating that a foster care appointment is not acceptable. A surviving spouse of the individual named on the certificate. And a representative of the individual, of a parent named on the certificate, or of the court appointed guardian, who must hold a letter signed by that person and certified by a notary public stating that the representative has permission to obtain a copy. Local offices that issue vital records appear on the Maryland county pages.

  • Ten dollars a copy: the birth certificate fee, with a twelve dollar certificate where a birth resulted in stillbirth.
  • Thirteen dollars to order online: an internet surcharge, with twenty dollars more for expedited shipping, which is only offered online.
  • A notarized letter for agents: a representative needs a letter signed by the individual, parent or guardian and certified by a notary.
  • Appointment only in Baltimore: the division's lobby serves customers by appointment, with post and some local health departments as alternatives.

Written by SearchSystems.net from Maryland's own systems: the Maryland Department of Health page on requesting birth certificates, the division's fees page, the division's questions and answers, the division's birth certificate application form, each read on October 15, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.

What each document costs

Maryland separates the price of the certificate from the price of the channel. A birth certificate costs ten dollars. Ordering it over the internet adds a thirteen dollar surcharge, and expedited shipping adds twenty dollars more, available only on internet orders. A certificate for a birth resulting in stillbirth costs twelve dollars. Adoption certificates are priced separately, with a domestic adoption certificate at ten dollars and a foreign adoption certificate at twelve, each carrying a twelve dollar additional processing fee.

For anyone not in a hurry, the postal route at ten dollars is less than half the cost of an expedited online order, and the division notes that expedited shipping is simply not available by post.

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Ordering by post

A postal application needs four things: the completed application form, the payment, a self addressed envelope, and a photocopy of the applicant's identification, sent to the Division of Vital Records post office box in Baltimore. Payment is by cheque or money order made payable to the Division of Vital Records. The division publishes the application form in English and a bilingual English and Spanish version, and keeps a recorded information line for birth certificates on both a Baltimore local number and a toll free number for anyone who wants to check the current requirements before posting.

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Ordering online, and the warning attached

Online requests go through an independent company the division has partnered with, which charges its own additional fee on top of the state charges and accepts the major credit cards. The division adds a caution that applies to every state with a single authorised vendor, and puts it more bluntly than most: neither its office nor that company has control over the services and fees that other internet vendors offer and charge, and it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any vital record data provided to vendors other than the one it has partnered with.

Anyone who has reached a site offering to obtain a Maryland birth certificate should check which company they are dealing with before entering a name, a date of birth and a parent's maiden name.

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Representatives, guardians and foster care

Two of Maryland's eligibility rules catch people out. A court appointed guardian must submit proof of guardianship, and the division states expressly that a foster care appointment is not acceptable, so a foster carer cannot obtain a child's birth certificate on the strength of the placement alone. And a representative, whether a relative, a friend or a professional, needs more than a request: they must hold a letter signed by the individual, the parent named on the certificate, or the court appointed guardian, certified by a notary public, stating that the representative has permission to obtain a copy of the certificate.

Arranging that letter in advance is the difference between collecting a certificate and making a second journey.

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When a new certificate is created

Maryland prepares a new birth certificate rather than amending the old one in several situations, and the division lists them: adoption, with separate published guidance for United States adoptions and for foreign adoptions, legitimation, adjudication of paternity, a sex change, and a diagnosis of an intersex condition. A person born in Maryland whose birth was never registered may instead apply for a delayed certificate of birth, and the division asks those applicants to telephone for the requirements, since the evidence needed depends on how long ago the birth happened and what documentation survives.

Corrections to an existing record travel through the division's separate corrections process.

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Local health departments, and genealogy

Not every Maryland local health department issues birth certificates, but some do, and the division publishes information on the nearest location, which is the quickest option for anyone who lives near a participating office and wants to avoid both the postal wait and the internet surcharge. For family history rather than identity, the division publishes separate genealogical information, since older records are handled differently from the certificates used to prove who someone is.

The practical sequence for most people is therefore: check whether a local office issues certificates, use the post if not and time allows, and keep the online route for when speed matters more than the surcharge.

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Questions about Maryland birth certificates

What does a Maryland birth certificate cost?
Ten dollars a copy, with a thirteen dollar internet surcharge on online orders and twenty dollars more for expedited shipping, which is offered only online; a birth resulting in stillbirth costs twelve dollars.
Who may apply?
The individual named on the certificate, a parent named on it, a court appointed guardian with proof of guardianship, a surviving spouse, or a representative holding a notarized letter of permission from one of those people.
Does foster care count as guardianship?
No. The division states that a foster care appointment is not acceptable and that proof of court appointed guardianship must be submitted.
What do I send with a postal application?
The completed application, the payment by cheque or money order payable to the Division of Vital Records, a self addressed envelope and a photocopy of your identification.
Is the state office open for walk ins?
No. The Division of Vital Records lobby serves all customers by appointment only, although some local health departments also issue certificates.
When is a new certificate issued instead of a correction?
On adoption, legitimation, adjudication of paternity, a sex change or a diagnosis of an intersex condition, while an unregistered birth is handled through a delayed certificate of birth.

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Maryland's other records guides on this site are the Maryland public records law guide for the Public Information Act, the Maryland death records guide for the same division, the Maryland court records guide for Maryland Judiciary Case Search, and the Maryland county pages for every county office.