The Official Website
of
Florida Vital
Records
Our Mission:
To protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through
integrated state, county, & community efforts.
Vital Statistics consists of
official records of birth, death, fetal death, marriage, and dissolution of
marriage (divorce).
Vital records are used by every
day citizens in transacting normal business and personal activities.
You might need your child’s
birth record for childcare, for school registration, to play sports, to apply for
scholarship dollars, etc.
You may need your own birth
record to get married, to obtain insurance, to travel, etc. Death records are
needed for families to close out estates, to claim social security benefits or to be aware of any medical
issues that need to be noted for future generations, for tracing one’s family
roots, etc. Marriage and divorce records are needed for many
business transactions and with the implementation of the
REAL ID, these documents
becoming increasingly important if you need to renew a drivers’ license.
In
addition, the statistical data from these records are of great value to public health and other state
agencies. When you hear a news report that
heart disease is the number one cause of death, teenage pregnancies are
decreasing, or that people are not having as many births as in years past, you
should be aware that all of this information comes from vital records. The need for accurate statistical
data on epidemics and the causes of death was instrumental in establishing our
present day vital statistics registration system.
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If You Wish To Order A Certificate
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The Bureau of Vital Statistics is
committed to providing the highest quality and most expeditious service
possible.
Computer generated certifications
ordered by mail with a check or money order for birth records
(1917-present), deaths records
(2007 - present), marriage and
divorces reports (1970 - present) are processed within 2 to 3 days after
receiving the order.
Photocopies in lieu of computer certifications or for years of events prior
to those above are processed within approximately 5 days.
These response times may vary
based on any special circumstances. If you require faster
delivery or if you wish to purchase using a credit card, we recommend
contacting our contracted vendor, VitalChek.
Only those individuals named on a
Florida birth certificate and those persons defined as authorized to receive
cause of death
information are eligible to
request and receive the document. Misstating an identity, your relationship
or who you represent,
or assuming the identity of
another person is subject to criminal penalties as defined in s. 382.026,
Florida Statutes.
The penalties for such a felony
may be imprisonment not to exceed 5 years or a fine of $5,000 or both.
Not born in Florida? Did a family member pass away in another state?
Click the link below to find contact information for other states.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
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If You Wish To Order A Certificate By Credit
Card
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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. Go to the 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 the toll free number for assistance. Service and delivery
fees may apply.
If you elect to use another vendor:
There are many other vendors on
the internet. If you elect to use another vendor, you will pay an additional
fee to that vendor
without receiving any additional
services.
The Florida
Bureau of Vital Statistics has no control over what services and fees other
Internet vendor offer and charge, nor can we guarantee the confidentiality
of any vital record data provided to vendors other than VitalChek®.
If you have ordered through another vendor
and have experienced a problem in obtaining the record ordered, you will
need to contact that vendor directly. If you believe an Internet
vendor's website provides inaccurate information about service or fees, you
may wish to consider reporting to the State Attorney's office OR a consumer
protection agency in the state where the vendor is located.
