How to get a Maryland birth certificate

In Maryland, order a certified birth certificate from the Maryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration, Division of Vital Records.¹ Some local health departments also issue Maryland birth certificates.² Each certified copy costs $10³. You can order online, by mail, in person or at a local office. Only the people the state lists below can order a certified copy. The fastest published option is in person: same day⁴.

Last checked November 5, 2026 against official sources.

On this page

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

Ways to order

How	Cost per copy	Processing time	Payment
Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.	$10³, plus $13³ internet surcharge + one extra charge	5 weeks with regular shipping; 3 weeks with expedited shipping⁴	Card²
By mail	$10¹	Up to 6 weeks⁴	Check and money order³
In person	$10³	Same day⁴	Card³
At a local office	Set by each office, for example $20⁵, $25⁵ or $25⁵	–	Cash, check, money order and card⁵

Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.

Vendor: VitalChek Network, Inc.²
Vendor status: The state's only authorized vendor⁶
Fees: Per copy $10³
Internet surcharge $13³
Expedited shipping (internet orders only) $20³
Processing time: 5 weeks with regular shipping; 3 weeks with expedited shipping⁴
Expedited service: $20. Expedited shipping; MDH lists online time as 3 weeks with expedited vs 5 weeks with regular shipping³
Payment: Card²

Good to know

Other internet vendors are not controlled by MDH²
Other online services only request the record by mail on your behalf⁶

Go to the ordering site²

By mail

Fees: Per copy $10¹
Processing time: Up to 6 weeks⁴
Expedited service: Not offered²
Payment: Check and money order³
Make payable to: Division of Vital Records³
Mail to: Division of Vital Records, P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036
²

Good to know

Do not send cash by mail¹

Open the application or mail instructions²

In person

Run by: Division of Vital Records, Baltimore lobby⁷
Fees: Per copy $10³
Processing time: Same day⁴
Payment: Card³
Office: Division of Vital Records, 6764B Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown Road Plaza (rear), Baltimore, MD 21215
⁷
Hours: By appointment only, Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:00 pm⁷
Appointment: Required²

Good to know

Same-day lobby service is only for applicants with valid photo ID; others are mailed⁸

Open the official page⁷

At a local office

Run by: Maryland local (county) health departments⁵
Fees: Per copy $20⁵
Per copy $25⁵
Payment: Cash, check, money order and card⁵

Good to know

Baltimore City and Baltimore County health departments do not issue certificates⁵
Local fees vary by county³

Find a local office⁵

What a Maryland birth certificate costs

First certified copy: $10³
Each additional copy: $10¹
Expedite fee: $20³
If no record is found: The fee is kept as a search fee¹

Types of copies

Copy	Accepted for	Fee
Certificate of Live Birth (certified copy)⁹	REAL ID: only certified copies of birth certificates (or a current U.S. passport) are accepted⁹	$10³
Commemorative Birth Certificate¹⁰	Legal document; same evidentiary status as the original birth certificate¹¹	$50³
Certificate of Record Search³	–	$10¹¹

No-fee copies

Who: current or former armed forces member (own certificate), or member/surviving spouse/child for a dependent or beneficiary claim; Fee: none; Proof: proof of service¹
Who: homeless individual; Copies free: 1; Proof: signed statement from a Maryland homeless services provider¹¹

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
Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.	5 weeks with regular shipping; 3 weeks with expedited shipping⁴
By mail	Up to 6 weeks⁴
In person	Same day⁴

Who can order a Maryland birth certificate

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

The person named on the record: An individual requesting his/her own birth certificate.²
A parent named on the record: A parent named on the certificate.²
Legal guardian: A court-appointed guardian of the individual named on the certificate.²
Proof: Proof of court-appointed guardianship; foster care appointment not acceptable²
Spouse: A surviving spouse of the individual named on the certificate.²
Attorney or legal representative: A representative of: (1) the individual or a parent named on the certificate; or (2) the court-appointed guardian of the individual named on the certificate.²
Proof: Notarized letter of permission signed by the registrant, parent or guardian²
Person named in a court order¹¹
Proof: Court order directing issuance¹
An individual permitted to obtain a certificate under Md. Code Ann., Family Law Title 5, Subtitles 3A or 4B relating to adoptions¹

Records open to the public after: 100 years¹

ID you need

Photo ID: Required¹²
Accepted ID: Valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID displaying issued and expiration dates
State issued driver's license or non-driver photo ID with requestor's current address
Passport¹
Without that ID: Pay stub
Current car registration
Bank statement
Letter from a government agency requesting a vital record
Lease/rental agreement
Utility bill with current address
Copy of income tax return/W-2 form
¹²
ID copy with a mail order: Include a copy of your ID¹

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.¹

Requester signature and date
Requester name, current address, daytime phone, email
Relationship to the person named
Name at birth
New name if changed (other than by marriage)
Date of birth
Current age
Sex
Place of birth (county or Baltimore City)
Hospital
Certificate number (if known)
Full maiden name of mother
Full name of father
Number of copies

Forms

Application for Certified Copy of Maryland Birth Record Rev. 10/21¹

Years held and older records

Older records: Maryland State Archives (births over 100 years old; Baltimore City 1875-1925, counties 1898-1925)¹

Special situations

Delayed registration: Delayed certificate of birth for a Maryland birth never registered; call DVR 410-764-3038² Details
Adoption: New birth certificate after adoption: Certified Certificate of Adoption, $12 processing fee plus $10 per copy¹³ Details
Adoptees born abroad: Maryland Certificate of Foreign Birth for a foreign-born child adopted by a Maryland resident; $12 to prepare, $12 per copy; not proof of citizenship¹³ Details
Sex marker: New Certificate of Live Birth with changed sex designation; no court order needed unless the name also changes¹⁴ Details
Paternity: Affidavit of Parentage adds the other parent; can be used until the child's 18th birthday¹⁵ Details
Stillbirth: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth for parents where a fetal death certificate was registered in Maryland; $12¹⁶ Details
Births at home: Home births are registered by the attending clinician through the EBRS system¹⁷ Details
People without housing: One free birth certificate copy per transaction for a homeless individual¹¹ Details
Military and veterans: Who: current or former armed forces member (own certificate), or member/surviving spouse/child for a dependent or beneficiary claim; Fee: none; Proof: proof of service¹ Details

Warnings from the office

Vital Chek is the only authorized online vendor; other online services just request the record by mail⁶
Phone scam targeting people who misdial the DVR number¹⁸
Phishing scams: VSA does not upload records to external accounts¹⁸
Old 'Certification of Birth' registration notices are not certified birth certificates (not valid for REAL ID)⁹

The state office

Office: Division of Vital Records (DVR), Vital Statistics Administration¹⁹
Email: [email protected]¹⁸
Mailing address: Division of Vital Records, P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036
²
Walk-in address: Division of Vital Records, 6764B Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown Road Plaza (rear), Baltimore, MD 21215
⁷
Hours: By appointment only, Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:00 pm⁷
Appointments: Required²
Website: Official website¹⁸

Questions people ask

How much is a certified Maryland birth certificate?

Each certified copy costs $10.³¹

How long does it take to get a Maryland birth certificate?

Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.: 5 weeks with regular shipping; 3 weeks with expedited shipping. By mail: up to 6 weeks. In person: same day.⁴

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

Write it exactly as the office prints it: Division of Vital Records.³

What ID do I need?

The state accepts: valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID displaying issued and expiration dates; State issued driver's license or non-driver photo ID with requestor's current address; passport.¹

Where are older Maryland birth certificates kept?

Maryland State Archives (births over 100 years old; Baltimore City 1875-1925, counties 1898-1925).¹

Sources

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

Application for Certified Copy of Maryland Birth RecordMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationdated October 1, 2021
Request Birth CertificatesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Maryland Department of Health: FeesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Processing TimeMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Local Health DepartmentsMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Division of Vital RecordsMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
DVR Location, Directions and HoursMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Application for Verification of Divorce Record (VRC-81)Maryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationdated June 1, 2017
How to identify a certified Birth CertificateMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Commemorative Birth CertificatesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Md. Code, Health-General § 4-217Maryland General Assembly (Annotated Code: Health-General Article)
ID RequirementsMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
AdoptionsMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Obtaining a Court Order for Birth CertificatesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Affidavit of Parentage (information)Maryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Certificate of Birth Resulting in StillbirthMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Register a Home BirthMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Vital Statistics Administration homeMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration
Maryland Department of Health: ContactMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration