Editorial policy
We write for people who need a certified record and want the official answer quickly. These are the rules every page follows.
On this page
Accuracy first
- Every fact comes from an official source and links to it.
- Numbers are copied, never rounded or estimated. A state that publishes "20 to 25 business days" is shown that way.
- Generated sentences only combine verified facts; if one part is missing, the sentence is dropped rather than guessed.
- Quotes are shown exactly as the source prints them. Our own words never appear inside quotation marks.
Independence
- No advertising, no sponsored content and no affiliate links.
- We name a commercial vendor only when the state names it as its own ordering channel, and we show its added fees.
- We do not sell certificates or order records on anyone’s behalf.
Plain language
We use the words people search for (birth certificate, death certificate) and explain the official terms states use (abstract, long form, informational copy, verification). Pages start with the answer.
Sources we do not use
We do not take fees, forms or rules from commercial ordering sites, genealogy sites, forums or other reference sites, including summaries of state rules published by other organizations. Federal summaries such as the CDC's list of state offices are used only to cross-check; a state's own page decides.
Not legal advice
We describe published rules. For questions about a particular case, ask the issuing office or a lawyer.
Dates
Each page shows one "Last checked" date, the most recent check of the sources it cites, and each source in the list shows its own date when it has one, such as a form revision or a fee's effective date. We do not change dates without checking the sources again.
Corrections
We fix errors as soon as we confirm them against the official source, and record fee changes in the change log. See corrections to report one.