Birth Records & Certificate Search

A birth record, also known as a birth certificate, is considered a “vital record” documenting information about an individual’s birth. The record describes the child’s name, date of birth, gender, state and town of birth, and the names of the parents of the child.

For genealogists, birth records are extremely valuable because they provide precise and reliable information about individuals in their family trees and their relationships to others in the family. These records help fill out the picture of a family history and develop the links that help genealogists trace their backgrounds. Birth records are important historical markers and can tell you many things about your family tree.

Birth records, like other vital records, such as death and marriage certificates, are used for civil registration purposes to protect the rights of individuals by legally recording their status. The accuracy of these documents is highly important, and they are reliable sources for genealogists.

Official and Indexed Birth Records

There are two types of birth records, official and indexed. Depending on the amount of time and money you want to invest and the accuracy you require, you will need to select between the two carefully.

Official Birth Records:

These can be obtained (typically for a fee) through the local health department where your birth records are stored. These records are also available at the state’s Department of Health and Vital Records office. Different states have varying requirements regarding who can access official birth certificates. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers useful links on its website that will direct you to each state explaining how to obtain vital records and who can obtain them. To search for this information, visit the CDC’s search page. The advantage of obtaining the official government birth record is, of course, the accuracy of the document. The fees for these documents vary by state, but they typically cost between $12 and $15.

Indexed Birth Records:

These records can be accessed on many websites. Some of them are free, but the accuracy of these records is not always guaranteed. Two of the more reliable sites that charge a fee but have greater accuracy are Archives.com and VitalChek.com.

Birth records, like other vital documents, help to create a fuller and more interesting portrait of your family history. Whether you are a professional or just a passionate amateur, your genealogical research will be greatly enhanced by finding accurate sources of information about your predecessors. Birth records are just one stepping-stone toward creating a highly-evolved family history.

Getting started on your family history with a study of vital records is the best way to begin.

Helpful Tip

Beware of discrepancies! When you look at data from other sources, it might not match up with the birth record. Keep time periods in mind. Sometimes births are registered late. Also, census information can be incorrect because of the accents, inability or unwillingness of individuals providing information to census clerks.