I was born in a state other than California. How do I get an authorized copy of my birth certificate?

The federal government does not keep a centralized database of birth records. Each state maintains its own. Each state has its own procedures for requesting an authorized certified copy of your birth certificate for identification purposes, and the fees vary. You will need to find out the procedures for your birth state:

Find the Vital Statistics Office in your birth state.

Each state has a Vital Statistics Office, sometimes called a Vital Records Office, that is in charge of birth records for that state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a list of the address and phone number for each state’s Vital Statistics Office, as well as basic information about each state’s procedures. You can find this information on the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm. You can also contact the CDC by phone at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636), or write to:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30329-4027.[31]

We have included a listing of Vital Statistics Office phone numbers and addresses for each state in Appendix B, PG. 82. Because this could change, you should check with the CDC for the most up-to-date information.

Call or write the Vital Statistics Office in the state where you were born and ask what they need from you to send you an authorized certified copy of your birth certificate.

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    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/.