How to get a New Jersey birth certificate
In New Jersey, order a certified birth certificate from the New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry.1 The first copy costs $252 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $22. You can order online, by mail, in person, at a local office or by phone. Only the people the state lists below can order a certified copy. The fastest published option is in person: same day2.
On this page
Ways to order
| How | Cost per copy | Processing time | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online through VitalChek | $253 first, $22 each extra copy | – | Card4 |
| By mail: VitalChek | $255 first, $25 each extra copy, plus $63 processing fee + one extra charge | – | Check and card5 |
| By mail (option 2) | $256 first, $26 each extra copy + 2 possible extra charges | 10 to 12 weeks6 | Check and money order6 |
| In person | $252 first, $22 each extra copy | Same day2 | – |
| At a local office: Local Registrar of the municipality where the event occurred | See the details below | – | – |
| At a local office: Jersey City Office of the City Clerk - Division of Vital Records | – | – | – |
| By phone | $253 first, $22 each extra copy, plus $12.953 processing fee | – | – |
Online through VitalChek
Good to know
By mail: VitalChek
- Run by
- VitalChek2
- Fees
- Payment
- Check and card5
- Make payable to
- VITALCHEK5
- Mail to
- New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625-03701
Good to know
- Non-genealogical records only via this vendor mail channel2
By mail (option 2)
- Run by
- New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry6
- Fees
- Processing time
- 10 to 12 weeks6
- Payment
- Check and money order6
- Make payable to
- Treasurer, State of New Jersey6
- Mail to
- New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625-03701
Good to know
- No credit cards by mail; no cash6
In person
- Run by
- New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry2
- Processing time
- Same day2
- Office
- Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, 140 East Front Street, Trenton, NJ 086087
- Hours
- 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, excluding State Holidays; arrivals after 3:30 p.m. may only drop off applications1
Good to know
At a local office: Local Registrar of the municipality where the event occurred
Good to know
- Local copies cannot receive an apostille8
At a local office: Jersey City Office of the City Clerk - Division of Vital Records
By phone
- Run by
- VitalChek2
Good to know
- Supporting documents must be faxed to 1-888-489-95062
What a New Jersey birth certificate costs
Types of copies
| Copy | Accepted for | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy10 | Valid to establish identity; legal document10 | $253 |
| Certification10 | Not valid for identity or legal purposes; generally only useful for genealogy10 | $253 |
No-fee copies
- Homeless: one fee-waived birth certificate via social worker or shelter coordinator2
- No waiver for military personnel8
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 |
|---|---|---|
| By mail (option 2) | 10 to 12 weeks6 | Before shipping |
| In person | Same day2 | From receipt |
Who can order a New Jersey 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, a parent named on the record, legal guardian, attorney or legal representative, spouse, child, brother or sister, grandchild, government agency and person named in a court order: if the conditions in the state’s rule are met2
Proof: Valid ID; a certified marriage/civil union certificate if your surname changed2 - Executor or estate administrator2
Proof: Proof of appointment as executor2 - Ex-spouse: only on behalf of a minor child of the marriage8
- Stepparent: only with the biological parent's authorization, or after adoption/custody8
- Someone helping an eligible person: valid ID plus notarized written release and the eligible person's proof of relationship2
Other kinds of copies
- Informational copy Anyone:
Can I request the birth record of a non-family member? Yes, but you will receive a certification rather than a certified copy.
8
- Records open to the public after
- 80 years2
ID you need
- Photo ID
- Required2
- Accepted ID
- A current, valid photo driver's license or photo non-driver's license with current address2
- Notarization
- Not required for ID; a notarized letter is required only to have copies mailed to an address other than the one on your ID2
- 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 on the record
- City where the event occurred
- Exact date of the event (month, day and year)
- Mother's maiden name
- Father's name (if recorded on the record)
Forms
- Application for Non-Genealogical or Certified Birth Certificate (mail, processed by VitalChek) REV. 04/20255
- Application for a Non-Genealogical Certification or Certified Copy of a Vital Record (REG-27a) revision APR 197
- Application for a Genealogical Certification or Certified Copy of a Vital Record (REG-28a) revision MAY 1811
Special situations
- Adoption
- After adoption an amended "Official Birth Certificate" naming the adoptive parents replaces the original, which is sealed8 Details
- Adoption
- Adult adoptees may obtain a non-certified copy of their original birth certificate without a court order (P.L. 2014, c. 9, effective January 2017)8 Details
- Delayed registration
- First obtain a No Record statement, then request a delayed report of birth with documentary proof; Record Modification Unit 1-866-649-8726 option 48
- Sex marker
- Self-attestation (no surgery proof) using REG-L2 (adult) or REG-L3 (minor), since February 1, 201912 Details
- People without housing
- One fee-waived birth certificate requested by a social worker or shelter coordinator on agency letterhead; mailed to the agency2
- Paternity
- Add a father with the Certificate of Parentage plus the REG-34 amendment (or REG-60 per the correcting page)13
- Stillbirth
- Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth: use form REG-687
- Dual citizenship
- Check "Certified Copy for Apostille Seal" on the State application10
- People in prison
- Incarcerated applicants: legal imprisonment, conviction or release papers plus photo work ID from a prison/probation official2
Warnings from the office
- Missing proof of relationship is the most common reason certified-copy applications are rejected2
- Vital records are not public and cannot be searched online14
- Vital records are never faxed8
- Hospital complimentary birth certificates are not valid; some agencies require a copy issued within the last two years8
The state office
- Office
- New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry1
- Phone
- 877-622-7549 (toll-free; phone orders via VitalChek); status of mailed-in applications 1-866-649-87261
- Web contact form on the Contact Us page (not for ordering records)1
- Mailing address
- New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625-03701
- Walk-in address
- Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, 140 East Front Street, Trenton, NJ 086087
- Hours
- 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, excluding State Holidays1
- Website
- Official website14
Questions people ask
How much is a certified New Jersey birth certificate?
The first copy costs $25 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $2.2
How long does it take to get a New Jersey birth certificate?
Can I order a New Jersey birth certificate online?
Yes. Online through VitalChek.4
Who do I make the check or money order payable to?
Write it exactly as the office prints it: VITALCHEK.5
What ID do I need?
The state accepts: A current, valid photo driver's license or photo non-driver's license with current address.2
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.
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/contact-usNew Jersey Department of Healthdated July 1, 2022
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/order-vital/non-genealogical-recordsNew Jersey Department of Healthdated June 15, 2026
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/order-vital/feesNew Jersey Department of Healthdated August 13, 2025
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/order-vital/online-requestsNew Jersey Department of Healthdated July 9, 2021
- NEW JERSEY BIRTH Applications (PDF)New Jersey Department of Health application form, hosted by contracted vendor VitalChek (linked from nj.gov)dated April 1, 2025
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/order-vital/genealogical-recordsNew Jersey Department of Healthdated August 13, 2025
- Reg 27a (PDF)New Jersey Department of Healthdated April 1, 2019
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/contact-us/faqsNew Jersey Department of Healthdated January 3, 2022
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/order-vital/jersey-city-hudson-county-recordsNew Jersey Department of Healthdated March 10, 2022
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/order-vitalNew Jersey Department of Healthdated June 15, 2026
- Reg 28a (PDF)New Jersey Department of Healthdated May 1, 2018
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/correcting-vital/sexdesignationNew Jersey Department of Healthdated August 21, 2019
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vital/correcting-vitalNew Jersey Department of Healthdated August 13, 2025
- Department of Healthnj.gov/health/vitalNew Jersey Department of Healthdated June 15, 2026