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Birth Certificates

Announcement

Vital Records offers multiple options for obtaining your records. While our lobby is no longer open to walk-ins, we do offer quick affordable turnaround options to help meet your needs. This shift in service allows Vital Records to provide improved customer service and to process and have complete online orders in the mail within two (2) business days. For time-sensitive orders, order online or over the phone to arrange for Will Call pickup at three locations – Oklahoma City, Tulsa and McAlester. Failure to complete the applications in full and include all required items will result in processing delays.  

The Oklahoma State Department of Health Division of Vital Records is responsible for registering every birth which occurs in the State of Oklahoma as well as preserving, amending and issuing certified copies of those records in accordance with state law.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Call hours are 12:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. | Monday – Friday

By state law, birth records filed are not open for public inspection. Obtaining a birth certificate by or for fraudulent purposes is punishable by law.

The person requesting the certificate must meet one of the following eligibility standards:

  • Subject of the Record
  • Person Acting the Subject’s Best Interest
    • Parent named on the record
    • Spouse, Step Parent, Grandparent or Adult Child/Grandchild of the Subject along with a signed authorization from the subject and a copy of the subject’s ID if the subject is age 18 or older
    • Attorney for the Subject, Adoptive Parents, Representative with Power of Attorney Document, Legal Guardian, or Person with a Court Order
  • Genealogist or Others (see link for more information - Birth Certificate Eligibility)

Additional documentation may be required demonstrating the requestor’s authorization to obtain the birth record requested.

A photocopy of a valid government issued photo ID by either the applicant or an individual attesting for the applicant is required for issuance of certificates.

If you are mailing your application - Send a photocopy. Do not send your original ID. Photocopies must be legible.

Acceptable Forms of Identification

Applications may only be submitted on-line, by phone or by mail. Please see links below for more information.

Complete your order via mail and the record will be returned to you by mail within 6 weeks.

Required:

  1. Application birth,
  2. Photo ID
  3. Fees birth checks or money orders should be payable to OSDH
  4. Birth and death records are confidential. If you are not a named parent or the subject of the record, you will need to include additional documentation before a record can be released.

Address: 

Vital Records Service
Oklahoma State Department of Health
PO Box 248964
Oklahoma City, OK 73124-8964

Failure to include all required items or submitting incomplete applications will cause delays in completing your request!

Complete your order online with our partner VitalChek and choose between receiving records by mail or pick-up at Will Call within two (2) business days. Online orders will receive 2 emails: Order Received and Order Processed. If all correct information is received upon the order and no additional service is required e.g. amendment, adoption; it takes about two (2) business days to get the order processed.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health does not accept online or phone orders directly; however, for your convenience, you can process on-line requests through our partners. An additional fee is charged for using these services and all major credit cards are accepted including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®.

 INTERNET or PHONE (877) 817-7364: Birth and Death Certificates issued to eligible birth applicants. Cost is $20.00 for the first copy and $15 for each individual copy. Online rates will vary for non-residents. Orders may be expedited for an additional fee.

AMENDMENTS ONLY. Cost is $13.95 processing fee, plus $40 for a birth record amendment and issuance of one certified copy. Orders may be expedited for an additional fee.

Online Orders – complete your order online with our partner VitalChek and choose between receiving records by mail or pick-up at Will Call within two (2) business days. Online orders will receive 2 emails: Order Received and Order Processed. If all correct information is received upon the order and no additional service is required e.g. amendment, adoption; it takes about two (2) business days to get the order processed.

Phone Orders – complete full order over the phone with our partner VitalChek and choose between receiving records by mail or pick-up at Will Call within two (2) business days.

Applicant must bring a photo ID and the order confirmation. Will Call orders will receive 2 emails: Order received and Order ready for pick-up. Location options include OKC, Tulsa and McAlester.

Will Call Hours – 2:15-4:45.  

Complete full order over the phone with our partner VitalChek and choose between receiving records by mail or pick-up at Will Call within two (2) business days. If all correct information is received upon the order and no additional service is required e.g. amendment, adoption; it takes about two (2) business days to get the order processed.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health does not accept online or phone orders directly; however, for your convenience, you can process on-line requests through our partners. An additional fee is charged for using these services and all major credit cards are accepted including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®.

PHONE (877) 817-7364: Birth Certificates issued to eligible applicants. Cost is $20.00 for the first copy and $15 for each individual copy. Online rates will vary for non-residents. Orders may be expedited for an additional fee.


The fee for the search of a birth certificate is $15.00 and will include the issuance of one certified copy to a qualified applicant if the certificate is on file. Additional copies will be issued at a cost of $15.00 each. The searching fee is not refundable or transferable. All fees expire one (1) year from the receipt date. Online and phone orders are subject to a an additional service fee.

Please make your check or money order payable to OSDH.

Corrections or additions to birth certificates will require additional fees and the submission of required documentation. Instructions and assessment of fees will be made on an individual basis after your application has been received and reviewed.

BIRTH CERTIFICATES

    Search of files and the issuance of one (1) certified copy if certificate is on file

$15.00

    Additional copies (each)

$15.00

Delayed Birth Registration 

   First Certified Copy

$40.00

    Additional copies (each)

$15.00

Birth Certificate Substitution: Legitimation, Adoption, Paternity, Sealed 

    First Certified Copy

$40.00

    Additional copies (each)

$15.00

Amendments to Birth Certificates

    First Certified Copy

$40.00

    Additional copies (each)

$15.00

Heirloom Birth Certificates (includes one certified copy)

$35.00

Note: Below are the average processing times for general issuance, however requests which require certificates to be amended or replaced (e.g. adoption) will take longer.

  • Online and phone orders are processed in approximately two (2) business days.* These may be expedited through our partner VitalChek for an additional fee. Mail orders will not be expedited.
  • Mail: allow at least 4 weeks for standard issuance.

You may also submit your application by Mail. Complete mail orders are typically processed within 6 weeks. Be sure to review before sending by mail to assure your order is complete. Missing items or information will delay our response.

NOTE: Applications which are incomplete or do not include proper fees or ID will be delayed. If additional documentation is requested, additional time will be required.

*Legal Actions e.g. new adoptions, paternities, amendments, and delays may take up to 4 months to process due to current backlogs.  

If you need to amend a birth record to 1) correct an error or 2) legally change name or parentage, please go to our Amendment page for more specific direction.

For adoptions which occurred after Nov 1, 1997, an uncertified copy of the original birth record may be obtained by the adopted person if:

  1. The adopted person is at least 18 years of age AND
  2. The identified birth parent(s) did not sign Affidavits of Non-Disclosure AND
  3. The subject of the adoption provides a signed notarized affidavit stating that he/she is unaware of the location of a biological sibling who under the age of 18 and currently living in an adoptive family (Open Adoption Records).

The fee for the search and issuance of one certified copy (if the record is found) is $15.

For all other situations, the records are sealed and are not open for public inspection. In those cases, a certified court order from a court of competent jurisdiction is required to be submitted. The fee for the search and issuance of one certified copy (if the record is found) is $40.

In all cases, the request must be submitted along with a completed application and a valid photo ID.

The Heirloom Birth Certificate is 8 1/2 x 11 with a chocolate brown and mint green color palette bearing a depiction of a redbud - the official state tree. The certificate will reflect the child's name, date of birth, gender, place of birth and the names of the parents. The cost for an Heirloom birth certificate is $35.00. This $35 fee will provide for the issuance of both one Heirloom birth certificate and one standard Certified birth certificate.

The same eligibility and identity requirements for any birth certificate also apply to the request for an heirloom certificate. The Heirloom certificate is a commemorative certificate and should not be used for proof of birth or identity for legal purposes.

VR-Heirloom.jpg

To obtain an Heirloom Birth Certificate: if you are the subject of the record or a named parent: 1) Complete the Application, include a copy of your Photo ID and enclose $35.00 for each requested Heirloom certificate.

A Certificate of Foreign Birth may be placed on file in Oklahoma for minors born outside the US and who are adopted in Oklahoma by US citizens.

Two documents are required:

  • Court Document (one of the following)
    • Certified copy of a Decree of Adoption from a district court in Oklahoma*
    • Certified copy of a Certificate of Adoption from a district court in Oklahoma
    • Certified copy of a Decree of Adoption from the Country of Birth with a certified English translation (if applicable)
      *If a Decree of Adoption is Presented and it does not include all the information necessary to complete a Foreign Birth Certificate, a Certificate of Adoption may be required.
  • Identification Document
    • Copy of a Certified Birth Certificate from the country of birth with a copy of the certified English translation (if applicable)

Note: All documents presented will be reviewed and verified prior to acceptance

To place a record on file, complete the application and submit it to Vital Records with $40 (includes the filing and issuance of one certified copy) and a copy of your photo ID along with the two (2) required documents listed above.

To request a copy of a Certificate of Foreign Birth that has already been placed on file, complete the application and submit it to Vital Records with $15 per copy requested and a copy of your photo ID.

An Apostille can be attached to a certified copy of a birth record to verify that the person who certified the document was an official at the time of the certification. These are routinely required for foreign use. The Secretary of State’s office is authorized to issue an Apostille in Oklahoma.

Fees, location, and office hour information for the Secretary of State’s office is available at https://www.sos.ok.gov/business/apostilles.aspx.

Oklahoma began filing birth records in October of 1908. It was not mandatory, however, that these records be filed until 1917. Because birth records were not required for identification as they are today, not all records prior to 1940 were placed on file consistently.

It is the responsibility of the hospital or attendant at birth to properly obtain the information needed and file the certificate with the State Registrar in a timely manner. The birth certificate will still need to be ordered after the birth record has been filed with the state.

The National Center for Health Statistics has information on vital record for all states. For more information, view Where to Write for Vital Records.

For the quickest answer, please select the link on the left that best relates to your question. If you do not find what you need, please contact us.

E-mail: AskVR@health.ok.gov
Phone: (405) 426-8880


Delayed Birth Certificates

Instructions for obtaining a Delayed Certificate will only be issued after a thorough search of our records for a certificate has been completed. The applicant must complete the birth application (spanish version) and submit all birth facts, proper ID and searching fees as required.

Many individuals request instructions for filing a delayed certificate without benefit of the search indicating that they know they do not have a birth record on file. This may be the case in some instances, however it is noted that in many instances individuals who thought they did not have a record on file, indeed had a birth record.

DO NOT SEND DOCUMENTS UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DO SO!

A delayed certificate is a certificate filed for a birth that was not recorded within the first year of birth. Records not filed in a timely manner can be for a number of reasons and in the majority of cases, is dependent on the date of birth with the need for filing a delayed certificate more prominent for the earlier years when birth records were not established in a timely manner as they are today. It is important to note here that original birth records date back to October of 1908. This is the date that the filing process began in Oklahoma. It was not mandatory until 1917 that records be filed and even after that time, the earlier records are sketchy, since birth records were not needed then as they are today for identification purposes.

An individual born prior to October, 1908 may have filed a delayed birth record but they would have to file the record personally and have a need for the birth record.

Complete the application for obtaining a Birth Certificate and submit the application with proper birth facts, ID and fees. Upon receipt of the acceptable application by an entitled individual, a search for the requested record will be made.

If a certificate is not located instructions will be issued regarding the filing of a Delayed Certificate of Birth. Documentation established by the registrant, since birth, that substantiate the facts of birth, will be required before consideration is given for the filing of the certificate.

  • Three documents must indicate the date of birth (one document must indicate date of birth) or age.
  • Two documents must indicate the birthplace as Oklahoma.
  • One document must indicate the full names of both parents including the mother’s maiden name (proof of parents marriage may be required)

Suggested documents would include:

  • Early School Enrollment Record
  • Military Discharge
  • Marriage License
  • Child’s Official Birth Certificate (Not hospital keepsake records)
  • Insurance Policy
  • Physicians Record
  • Social Security Account Application
  • Official Census Records

All documents must be official records and have been established at or near the time of birth and/or established at least ten (10) years prior to application. Each document must be from an official source that is verifiable and must have official certification and be dated with the date the record was established and the date the record was issued. Only one document from each source is acceptable, (i.e. one school record, one child’s birth certificate, etc.). The document must contain the name of the registrant and at least one of the facts to be established (date of birth, place of birth, parents). Documents submitted may indicate more that one of the facts to be established, such as a child’s birth certificate may indicate the registrant’s age on a specific date and birthplace.

Remember, documents are being submitted to substantiate specific birth facts. Unacceptable documents often submitted are social security cards (the card has no birth facts), marriage license (some licenses have age or birth date for the applicants, some do not), etc. Documents with no birth facts are not acceptable.

  • All documents are subject to review, verification and acceptance.
  • Additional documentation may be required.
  • Submission of a fraudulent application for a birth record is punishable by law.
  • Delayed certificates are not filed for deceased individuals.
  • Delayed certificates cannot be amended after filed unless court ordered determination of paternity is received.

Stillbirth/Fetal Death/Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth

Effective Nov 1, 2015, a Fetal Death (or Stillbirth) occurs when the fetus dies prior to a complete delivery and is required to be reported to the Oklahoma State Department of Health when it occurs at 12 or more weeks gestation. [O.S. 63.1-301 8] Note: Prior to Nov 1, 2015, stillbirths were required to be filed at 20 or more weeks gestation.

In accordance with Oklahoma State Statutes, a Stillbirth (Fetal Death) certificate must be filed within three (3) days after the delivery for registration. The funeral director or person acting as such who first assumes custody of a fetus shall file the fetal death certificate. In the absence of such a person, the physician or other person in attendance at or after the delivery shall file the certificate of fetal death. He shall obtain the personal data from the next of kin or the best-qualified person or source available. He shall complete the certificate as to personal data and deliver the certificate to that person responsible for completing the medical certification of cause of death within twenty-four (24) hours after delivery. The medical certification shall be completed and signed within forty-eight (48) hours after delivery by the physician in attendance at or after delivery, except when inquiry into the cause of death is required by Section 938 of this title [O.S. 63.1-318]

By state law, Certificate of Birth Resulting in a Stillbirth are not open for public inspection and may only be requested by the parent of the stillborn child. By signing the request, you are indicating that you are the parent of record.

A photocopy of a valid government issued photo ID by either the applicant or an individual attesting for the applicant is required for issuance of certificates.

Certified Stillbirth/Fetal Death Certificate

This certificate is a certified copy of the original Stillbirth Certificate.

$15.00

Memorial Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth

In accordance with the Missing Angel Act - Christopher and Kendall's Law - this memorial certificate will become available November 1, 2008. The Memorial Certificate is only available to the parents of the stillborn child. This is not a new certificate, but is an abstract of the information recorded on the Legal Fetal Death/Stillbirth certificate and was designed to memorialize the stillbirth event. This certificate shall not be used as evidence of live birth nor for identification purposes. The Memorial Certificate is printed on an 8 1/2" x 11" page with a dark trim, on a sea foam green background bearing a white dove. The Certificate will reflect the name, date of delivery, place of birth, and parent's names.

$15.00

Contact Information


Mailing Address:
Vital Records Service
Oklahoma State Department of Health
PO Box 248964
Oklahoma City, OK 73124-8964

Phone: (405) 426-8880
E-mail: AskVR@health.ok.gov.  

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