Birth Certificates in Every State

Birth certificates are the most restricted vital record: nearly every state limits recent certificates to the person named, close family, and legal representatives. The research story is the opening clock — every state eventually opens old birth records, but the wait ranges from a few decades to over a century.

All 51 jurisdiction guides linked below are maintained individually. Content reviewed July 30, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.

How the States Differ

The clocks are wildly different: Delaware opens birth records at 72 years, Montana's restriction effectively runs 30 years, Pennsylvania opens at 105, Oklahoma at 125 — and a few open-record states, led by Ohio, Massachusetts, and Vermont, will sell most birth certificates to anyone right now. Nevada sits at the other pole and never opens them by age.

Where you order also varies: some states issue only centrally, others through any county office, and a few have oddball issuers — North Carolina's Register of Deeds, Virginia's DMV counters, Wisconsin's Register of Deeds network.

Pick Your State

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Frequently Asked Questions

I need a certificate for a passport — certified or informational?

Certified, with the seal. Informational and genealogy copies prove content, not identity.

How do I get an ancestor's birth certificate?

Check the state's opening clock in its guide — once past it, records open at the state archives or through genealogy platforms; before it, you'll need to document the relationship.

Why does the hospital say they can't help?

Hospitals file the record; only the state or county vital records office issues it.

Related National Directories

The companion rules live in death records and vital records; name changes route through court records.