The Official Website of
Florida Vital
Records
Ordering a Florida birth certificate
The
Bureau of Vital Statistics accepts orders Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to
4:30 PM Eastern Standard time in person at the state office in Jacksonville,
Florida. Payments may be in the form of cash, check, money order or
Visa and Mastercard. Credit cards are only accepted in person at the
state office. If you wish to order with from home with a credit card,
the
Bureau of Vital Statistics uses the
VitalChek® Network as our
ONLY
contracted vendor to accept orders billed to a
credit card. Go to the
VitalChek® website
or speak with a customer representative to place your order by telephone at
1-877-550-7330. If you should experience problems with the online ordering,
please call
VitalChek® for assistance.
Birth Certificate Application
(Please read instructions below before completing the Birth Order form)
For certifications from a specific county, please contact that
county's vital statistics office (130kb pdf) for fee information and the related county
applications.
If the person was not born in Florida please
see
Outside of Florida - Where to write for vital records
Obtaining your birth certificate:
Florida's birth
certificate is a computer certification that contains an embossed seal
incorporated into the safety paper, which meets requirements established by
Homeland Security and other national and international groups. Florida has
issued computer certifications
since the mid 1980s, which is accepted by the U.S. Passport Office, the
Social Security Administration, courts, school districts, and other
state and federal entities and cruise lines
requiring proof of U.S. birth.
Ordering a birth
certificate for your child to be presented to the French Consulate:
If the mother was not married
at the time of the child's birth but the father acknowledged paternity,
the French Consulate requires that the certification of birth also contain
the Paternity Affidavit. To ensure you also receive this
document, you must order a photocopy (book copy) and specifically state
that it must include the Paternity Affidavit.
ORDERING INFORMATION:
Please provide either a signed letter of
request, or an application, with the following information
and appropriate fee.
Applications are accepted in person or by mail at the State Bureau
of Vital Statistics, or by phone at (877)550-7330.
All signed letters of request, or
applications must include a copy of a valid current
PICTURE ID (Driver's License, State Identification Card, Passport,
and/or Military Identification Card) of the APPLICANT.
DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.
For example: If
you are requesting your child's certificate, include a copy of your
own ID since you are the applicant. Enlarge the copy and
lighten it as much as possible to ensure it is clear and readable
when sent to the State Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Signature and relationship
or eligibility
must be stated. If legal guardian,
please include notarized guardianship documents.
Some
years of Florida
birth certificates DO NOT indicate City of Birth and
therefore may not be acceptable documentation in obtaining a passport
from certain countries. Please check with the
country's consulate for passport requirements.
Step 1
Determine your
eligibility
(relationship)
to receive a birth certificate.
You must meet one (1)
of the following
criteria:
-
Be the child named on the
certificate AND 18 years of age or older.
-
Be the parent, guardian or
legal representative of the person named on the certificate,
-
Have a court order.
Additional birth certificate eligibility information
Step
2
Provide information about the
child
named on the certificate
-
Full name of child at birth and any subsequent legal name changes
-
Date of birth
-
City or county of birth
-
Mother's full name including her maiden surname
-
Father's full name (if his name is on the
record)
Step
3
Provide information about the
person
ordering the certificate
-
Full name
-
Relationship to person named on the certificate (father, mother, self,
etc.)
-
Mailing address (include city, state and zip code)
-
Phone number where you can be reached during business hours (8:00am
to 5:00pm Eastern Time)
-
Signature of applicant
All letters or applications must include a
copy of a
valid PICTURE
ID
(Driver's License, State Identification
Card, Passport, and/or Military Identification Card)
of the applicant.
For example, if
you are requesting your child's certificate, include a copy
of your own ID since you are the applicant. Enlarge the copy and lighten it as much as possible to ensure it is
clear and readable when sent to the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
DO
NOT SEND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.
If legal guardian, please
include notarized guardianship documents.
Step
4 (Type of birth certificate)
Step
5
Note: The Vital Statistics
processing time does not include postal transit time to and from our office.
We cannot predict how long the mail/courier will take.
Standard
U.S. Postal Delivery $0.00
The cost of this method is included in the
certificate purchase price
Approximately 10 business
days
Rush Delivery $10.00 (In addition to the purchase price)
For Rush delivery please mark
your request "RUSH". Certificates are sent via U.S. Mail
unless a pre-paid express delivery envelope has been provided. Processed before
standard delivery processing time.
Express Delivery
$10
Rush Fee You must provide a pre-paid express delivery envelope.
Express service is available only if a pre-paid express
delivery envelope has been provided and the $10.00 RUSH Fee is paid. A signature is required upon delivery. 1-2 business days for processing.
Step
6
Method of Payment
By Mail
Make your Check or
money order payable to "Vital Statistics". Please do NOT send
cash.
By Phone or Online
Using Credit Cards
The Bureau of
Vital Statistics uses the
VitalChek® Network as our
ONLY
contracted vendor to accept mail, phone, fax and internet orders billed to a
credit card. (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover) Go to the website
or speak with a customer representative to place your order by telephone by
calling
1-877-550-7330. If you should experience problems with the online ordering,
please call the toll free number for assistance. Service
and delivery fees may apply.
In person at the Bureau of Vital Statistics
Cash, checks, money
orders, Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
Step
7
Mail or deliver your request and payment
in the form of check or money order to the Bureau of Vital
Statistics.
Currently, orders cannot
be placed through our website
Mailing
address:
Bureau
of Vital Statistics
Attn: Client Services
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
In person go to:
Bureau
of Vital Statistics
1217 Pearl St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Lobby hours: M-F 8:00-4:30 Eastern Standard Time
Under Florida law,
e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your
e-mail address released in response to a public records request,
do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this
office by phone or in writing.
Email any questions you have to VitalStats@doh.state.fl.us
