About this site
VitalRecordsByState explains how to get a certified birth, death, marriage or divorce record from the office that issues it, in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City and the five territories.
Why it exists
Each state publishes its own rules, usually spread over several web pages and PDF forms, in its own vocabulary. Commercial sites that rank for these searches often show old fees, the wrong payee or dead form links, or steer people to paid filing services. We gather the official rules in one consistent format so you can see, for the state you need, who may order, the ID required, every fee, how long each way of ordering takes and where to send the application.
What we are not
- Not a government site. We are not affiliated with any state, county, city or federal office.
- We do not sell certificates and do not order records for anyone. Every link to order goes to the official office or the vendor the office itself names.
- No advertising. The site shows no ads and has no paid placements.
- No legal advice. We explain published rules. The issuing office decides every application.
What we cover
57 issuing jurisdictions: the 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City (its records are separate from New York State's) and Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. For each one we publish a page once its records have passed our two-reader check; the list of states and territories links every published page and the official office of the others.
National guides explain federal rules that depend on these records: passports, REAL ID, Social Security, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and the National Death Index.
How we work
Every fact comes from an official source and is shown with it. Read how we check and our editorial policy. If you find a mistake, tell us: corrections.
Who publishes the site
The publisher is identified in the privacy policy. Contact: [email protected].