How to get a District of Columbia birth certificate

In the District of Columbia, order a certified birth certificate from the DC Health Vital Records Division.¹ Each certified copy costs $23². You can order online, by mail, in person or by phone. Only the people the District lists below can order a certified copy. The fastest published option is in person: same day³.

Last checked November 6, 2026 against official sources.

On this page

Ways to order
What a District of Columbia birth certificate costs
How long it takes
Who can order a District of Columbia birth certificate
ID you need
What the application asks for
Forms
Years held and older records
Special situations
Warnings from the office
The vital records office
Questions people ask
Sources

Ways to order

How	Cost per copy	Processing time	Payment
Online through VitalChek	$38.95 for one copy ($23³ plus $15.95³ processing fee)	2 to 4 weeks⁴	–
By mail	$29 for one copy ($23³ plus $6³ processing fee) + 2 possible extra charges	–	Check, money order and card²
In person	$23⁵	Same day³	Card, check, cash, money order and voucher³
By phone	$38.95 for one copy ($23³ plus $15.95³ processing fee)	2 to 4 weeks⁴	–

Not offered: online directly with the vital records office.³

Online through VitalChek

Vendor: VitalChek (LexisNexis)³
Fees: Per copy $23³
Processing fee $15.95³
Processing time: 2 to 4 weeks⁴

Good to know

Identity is checked electronically and approved orders go to DCVRD for fulfillment.³
If no record is found, both the certificate fee and VitalChek fee are kept.²

Go to the ordering site³

By mail

Run by: VitalChek (LexisNexis), on behalf of DC Health²
Fees: Per copy $23³
Processing fee $6³
UPS Next Day Air $20²
U.S. Postal Service Regular Mail $0²
Expedited service: $20. UPS Next Day Air delivery only; the form does not shorten processing²
Payment: Check, money order and card²
Make payable to: VITALCHEK⁶
Mail to: Vital Record Mail Services, ATTN: DC Vital Records, P.O. Box 222130, El Paso, TX 79913
²

Good to know

Submit one application and one payment per certificate.²

Open the application or mail instructions³

In person

Run by: DC Health Vital Records Division³
Fees: Per copy $23⁵
Processing time: Same day³
Payment: Card, check, cash, money order and voucher³
Office: 2201 Shannon Place SE, Washington, DC 20020
³
Appointment: Not required⁴

Good to know

Some old originals are not same-day.³
Orders are placed at touch-screen kiosks, with a 4 to 5 question identity quiz.³

Open the official page³

By phone

Run by: VitalChek (LexisNexis)³
Fees: Per copy $23³
Processing fee $15.95³
Processing time: 2 to 4 weeks⁴
Phone: 877-572-6332⁴

What a District of Columbia birth certificate costs

First certified copy: $23²
Each additional copy, same order: $23²
If no record is found: The fee is kept as a search fee³

Types of copies

Copy	Accepted for	Fee
Birth certificate⁵	Same as the original record for all purposes⁷	$23³
Certificate of Search³	–	$23⁵
Unofficial copy of an open birth record (DC Archives)¹	–	–

No-fee copies

Birth certificate fee waived for people released from BOP custody (one year) or in BOP custody at a DC halfway house⁸
No-fee birth certificate voucher for DC-born residents experiencing homelessness⁹

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

How you order	Processing time	Counted
Online through VitalChek	2 to 4 weeks⁴	Before shipping
In person	Same day³	–
By phone	2 to 4 weeks⁴	Before shipping

Who can order a District of Columbia birth certificate

The District names these people and bodies as able to order a certified copy. Each line gives the official wording.

The person named on the record: You can order your own birth certificate.¹
A parent named on the record: You must be named as the parent on the birth certificate.¹
Child and brother or sister¹
Proof: Your own certified birth certificate if born outside DC; DC-born relationships are checked electronically¹
Grandparent¹
Proof: Your child's certified birth record; your child must be a parent on the certificate requested¹
Legal guardian¹
Proof: Court order with seal¹
Attorney or legal representative¹
Proof: Retainer agreement, bar card and letter¹
Social worker¹
Proof: Letterhead letter, license/card, unexpired work photo ID¹
Power of attorney¹
Proof: Certified POA¹
Law enforcement¹
Proof: DC Superior Court subpoena or order and unexpired work photo ID¹

Who cannot order a certified copy

Spouse and domestic partner: By law, cousins, nephews/nieces, aunts/uncles, friends, neighbors, and even spouses and domestic partners are NOT allowed to order an individual’s birth certificate.¹

Other kinds of copies

Genealogy copy Open records only (125 years after birth), as unofficial copies from DC Archives¹⁰

Records open to the public after: 125 years¹

ID you need

Photo ID: Required⁷
Accepted ID: State-issued driver's license or non-driver's ID card
Passport or passport card
Permanent resident card
Employment authorization card
Department of State card
Military ID Card
Law enforcement ID (must also present DC Superior Court subpoena)
Government employee ID (applies only to licensed social workers or government representatives with pre-existing approval from the State Registrar)¹
Without that ID: Walk up kiosk passed no photo id: two alternate IDs from the list on the page; Walk up kiosk failed: three IDs, at least one primary; Vitalchek mail: 1 primary and at least 2 secondary, unexpired¹
ID copy with a mail order: Include a copy of your ID²

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.²

Full name of child at birth
Father's full name
Mother's full name including maiden name
Date of birth
Hospital
Gender
Still living (yes/no)
Reason for request
Applicant name, address, relationship, email, phone
Signature

Forms

Birth Certificate Application (mail-in) revision June 2022²

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds: August 1874 to today¹
Older records: DC Archives (unofficial copies of open records)¹

Special situations

Delayed registration: Births registered more than 364 days after birth need an appointment and evidence¹¹ Details
Births at home: Out-of-institution births need an appointment and evidence; no same-day processing¹¹ Details
People in prison: BOP-provided identifying information must be accepted as one form of ID⁷
People without housing: No-fee voucher through a homeless services provider; the voucher is not proof of identity⁹
If the person has died: Copies from a birth record matched to a death record are marked deceased⁷
If no record is found: Certificate of Search; a second search within one year with a new date is free¹²
Use abroad: Apostille comes from the DC Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications³
Adoptees born abroad: New DC record possible; the certificate states it is not proof of citizenship⁷

Warnings from the office

Report deceptive businesses to the DC Attorney General³
Carrier delays after handover are the customer's to claim³
Exchange if ID or entitlement fails: the application fee is returned.¹²

The vital records office

Office: DC Vital Records Division (DCVRD)¹
Email: [email protected]³
Mailing address: Vital Record Mail Services, ATTN: DC Vital Records, P.O. Box 222130, El Paso, TX 79913
²
Walk-in address: 2201 Shannon Place SE, Washington, DC 20020
³
Website: Official website³

Questions people ask

How much is a certified District of Columbia birth certificate?

Each certified copy costs $23.²

How long does it take to get a District of Columbia birth certificate?

Online through VitalChek: 2 to 4 weeks. In person: same day. By phone: 2 to 4 weeks.⁴³

Can I order a District of Columbia birth certificate online?

Yes. Online through VitalChek.³

Who do I make the check or money order payable to?

Write it exactly as the office prints it: VITALCHEK.⁶

What ID do I need?

The District accepts: State-issued driver's license or non-driver's ID card; Passport or passport card; Permanent resident card; Employment authorization card; Department of State card; Military ID Card; and the other documents listed above.¹

Where are older District of Columbia birth certificates kept?

DC Archives (unofficial copies of open records).¹

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked between November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

Birth certificatesDC Health, Vital Records Division
DC Birth Application (PDF)DC Health (form hosted by VitalChek; linked from the DC Health vital records page)dated June 1, 2022
Vital recordsDC Health, Vital Records Division
Dc vital records important noticesDC Health, Vital Records Division
DC Health Vital Records fee schedule pageDC Health, Vital Records Division
DC Birth Mail-in ApplicationDC Health (form hosted by VitalChek; linked from the DC Health vital records page)
DC Official Code § 7-231.25 (Council of the District of Columbia, code.dccouncil.gov)Council of the District of Columbiadated October 30, 2018
DC Official Code § 7-231.27 (Council of the District of Columbia, code.dccouncil.gov)Council of the District of Columbiadated March 16, 2021
DC DHS no-fee birth certificate programDC Department of Human Services
DC Official Code § 7-231.24 (Council of the District of Columbia, code.dccouncil.gov)Council of the District of Columbiadated October 30, 2018
DC Health registering records pageDC Health, Vital Records Division
DC Health Search Exchange Return of Fees policy PDFDC Health, Vital Records Division