How to get a Mississippi birth certificate
In Mississippi, order a certified birth certificate from the Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Records.1 The first copy costs $172 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $62. You can order online, by mail, in person or by phone. Only the people the state lists below can order a certified copy. The fastest published option is in person: same day1.
On this page
Ways to order
| How | Cost per copy | Processing time | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online through VitalChek | $171 | 7 to 10 business days3 | Card1 |
| By mail | $174 first, $64 each extra copy | 7 to 10 business days3 | – |
| In person | $171 first, $61 each extra copy | Same day1 | Cash, money order, cashier's check and card1 |
| By phone | $171 | 7 to 10 business days3 | Card1 |
Online through VitalChek
- Vendor
- VitalChek1
- Fees
- First copy $171
- Processing time
- 7 to 10 business days3
- Expedited service
- Express shipping option through VitalChek; the amount is not stated by MSDH1
- Payment
- Card1
Good to know
By mail
- Processing time
- 7 to 10 business days3
- Make payable to
- Mississippi Vital Records3
- Mail to
- Mississippi Vital Records, P.O. Box 1700, Jackson, MS 39215-17004
Good to know
In person
By phone
What a Mississippi birth certificate costs
- First certified copy
- $172
- Each additional copy, same order
- $62
- If no record is found
- The fee is kept as a search fee3
- Fees in effect since
- Rules revision dated October 10, 20255
Types of copies
| Copy | Accepted for | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy of birth certificate (long form, raised seal)1 | Passport, driver's license, school registration, traveling, etc.1 | $172 |
| Short form or abstract: no longer issued1 | – | – |
| Certification of Not-On-File4 | – | $173 |
| Plain paper copy for genealogy3 | – | $175 |
No-fee copies
- Free birth certification for armed services volunteers5
- Free copies for Mississippi veterans' or claimants' benefit claims5
- One-time example: free birth certificates after May 2026 tornadoes6
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 | 7 to 10 business days3 | From receipt |
| By mail | 7 to 10 business days3 | From receipt |
| In person | Same day1 | – |
| By phone | 7 to 10 business days3 | From receipt |
Who can order a Mississippi 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:
Registrant (the child named on the record), if of legal age.
3 - A parent named on the record:
Parent(s) listed on the birth record, if VR office has not been notified of termination of parental rights.
3 - Spouse, brother or sister, grandparent and child3
- Grandchild5
- Legal guardian:
Legal Guardian;; guardianship papers must be provided.
3 - Attorney or legal representative:
Legal representative of one of the above persons; proof of representation must be provided.
3 Licensed adoption agencies working within the statutory authority of §93-17-205.
3- Person named in a court order:
Other person(s) by court order; certified copy of court order must be provided.
3 - Government agency:
Authorized agents of local, state and federal government law enforcement agencies when the record is required for investigation, warrant or court purposes.
5 Individuals, groups or other entities needing the information for determination or protection of a personal or property right.
5
Who cannot order a certified copy
The natural parents of an adopted child if that parent does not have legal custody.
5Commercial, political, for-profit, and not-for profit firms or entities requesting copies of records, specific information on an individual record or listings of names and addresses from a series of records.
5
Other kinds of copies
- Genealogy copy Genealogist or family researcher:
Genealogy researchers with family ties to the records, and professional genealogists who are working with the written endorsement of a family member will be considered to have a legitimate and tangible interest in death records filed more than fifty (50) calendar years or birth records filed more than one hundred (100) calendar years prior to the date of the request.
5
- Records open to the public after
- 100 years5
- Social Security number on the copy
- Parents' SSNs are not to appear on a certified copy7
ID you need
- Photo ID
- Required3
- Accepted ID
- Photo Driver's License
- Photo State Issued ID
- Employment ID
- School, College or University ID
- US Military ID
- Tribal ID
- Alien Registration/Permanent Resident Card
- Temporary Resident Card
- US Passport3
- Without that ID
- Social Security Card
- Utility Bill (showing address)
- Medicaid Card
- Snap/EBT card (showing address)
- Work Identification
- Veteran Universal Access ID Card
- ID copy with a mail order
- Include a copy of your ID3
What the application asks for
Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.3
- Full name on birth record
- Date of birth
- Sex
- Place of birth (county, city, state)
- Name of mother or parent, and race
- Name of father or parent, and race
- Relationship or interest of requester
- Purpose
- Signature and date
- Requestor's name and mailing address
- Email and phone
Forms
- Application for Certified Mississippi Birth Certificate (Form No. 522) Revised 02/20263
- Solicitud de Acta de Nacimiento Certificada2
Years held and older records
- Years the issuing office holds
- November 1, 1912 to today4
Special situations
- If no record is found
- Not-On-File certification; first-copy fee kept, additional-copy fees refunded4
- Delayed registration
- $28.00, includes one certified copy; needs a prior 'Not on File' finding5
- Births at home
- A home birth filed within a year may need extra proof; insufficient proof means a court order5
- Adoption
- $55.00 to create the new record, including one certified copy5
- Adoptees born abroad
- A Mississippi certificate can issue for a foreign-born child adopted by Mississippi residents5
- Sex marker
- Marginal notation on a certified Mississippi chancery court order5
- Name change
- Marginal notation on a certified chancery order; birth name stays5
- Stillbirth
- Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth: $17.00, for a parent named on the fetal death report5
- Military and veterans
- Free certification for armed services volunteers through a recruiting officer5
Warnings from the office
- Obtaining a copy under false pretenses carries penalties3
The state office
- Office
- Office of Vital Records1
- Phone
- 601-206-82001
- [email protected]1
- Mailing address
- Mississippi Vital Records, P.O. Box 1700, Jackson, MS 39215-17004
- Walk-in address
- 222 Marketridge Dr., Ridgeland, MS 391571
- Hours
- Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; closed state holidays1
- Website
- Official website1
Questions people ask
How much is a certified Mississippi birth certificate?
The first copy costs $17 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6.2
How long does it take to get a Mississippi birth certificate?
Can I order a Mississippi birth certificate online?
Yes. Online through VitalChek.1
Who do I make the check or money order payable to?
Write it exactly as the office prints it: Mississippi Vital Records.3
What ID do I need?
The state accepts: Photo Driver's License; Photo State Issued ID; Employment ID; School, College or University ID; US Military ID; Tribal ID; and the other documents listed above.3
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.
- Vital recordsMississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated October 14, 2026
- Birth certificatesMississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated November 4, 2026
- Mississippi State Department of Health Revised 02/2026 Form No. 522Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated February 1, 2026
- Birth Certificate Application InstructionsMississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated August 31, 2026
- 1 Rev. October 10, 2025Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated October 10, 2025
- MSDH to Offer Free Tetanus Shots and Vital Records in Lincoln CountyMississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated May 12, 2026
- SB2750 (As Introduced) - 2026 Regular SessionMississippi Legislature