{
  "name": "Ordering a birth certificate: each state's own fee and process",
  "description": "For each US state (and DC, NYC and the territories \u2014 57 vital-records jurisdictions): what a certified birth certificate costs when ordered directly from the state's vital records office, how to order, and what the state itself says about third-party ordering services. The federal compilation of exactly this \u2014 CDC's 'Where to Write for Vital Records' \u2014 was last updated March 2023 and its pages 403 automated fetchers, so the assembled answer is stale or unreachable, and the gap is filled by commercial middlemen: VitalChek and lookalike sites charge processing markups on top of the state fee, and Washington's health department itself warns that 'other third-party companies charge customers high fees'. Actual fees vary threefold (Minnesota $26, New York $45 plus vendor fee). Answers 'how much does a birth certificate cost in [state]', 'how do I order a birth certificate directly from the state', and 'is [ordering site] official or a middleman'. Every value comes from the state health department's own page.",
  "url": "https://referencesource.org/birth-certificate-fees-by-state/",
  "licence": "unknown",
  "last_verified": "2026-08-18",
  "stale_after": "2027-08-18",
  "sources": [
    "https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/index.html",
    "https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/birthnc.html",
    "https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/birth.htm",
    "https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/vital-records/ordering-vital-record/birth-record",
    "https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/vital-records"
  ],
  "records": [
    {
      "state": "Minnesota",
      "certified_copy_fee": "$26",
      "id": "minnesota",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/birth-certificate-fees-by-state/minnesota/",
      "source": "https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/birthnc.html",
      "source_quote": "Birth certificate Certified birth record issued on security paper | <https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/bcappia.pdf> Birth Certificate Request (PDF) <https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/bcappspanish.pdf> Solicitud de copia certificada del acta (partida) de nacimiento - Spanish (PDF) <https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/bcappsomali.pdf> Codsiga Shahaadada Dhalshada - Somali (PDF) <https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/bcapphmong.pdf> Daim Ntawv Thov Ntawv Pov Thawj Yug - Hmong (PDF) <https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/bcappkaren.pdf> Birth Certificate Application in the Karen Language (PDF) | $26 | All vital records offices* |",
      "verified_fields": [
        "certified_copy_fee"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "state"
      ],
      "also_reported": [
        {
          "field": "ordering_channels",
          "value": "Order Minnesota vital records, certificates, and related services through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) by mail or fax",
          "source": "https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/index.html",
          "source_quote": "Order Minnesota vital records, certificates, and related services through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) by mail or fax. This includes:",
          "as_of": "2026-08-18"
        }
      ],
      "disagreements": []
    },
    {
      "state": "New York State",
      "certified_copy_fee": "$45 + vendor processing fee per transaction (not per copy)",
      "id": "new-york-state",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/birth-certificate-fees-by-state/new-york-state/",
      "source": "https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/birth.htm",
      "source_quote": "ORDER TYPE | FEES (per copy) | Online/Phone orders | $45 + vendor processing fee per transaction (not per copy) See vendor website for current processing fee | Mail orders | $30",
      "verified_fields": [
        "certified_copy_fee"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "state"
      ]
    },
    {
      "state": "Washington",
      "third_party_note": "VitalChek is our ONLY contracted and approved third-party vendor. Other third-party companies charge customers high fees to \u201cprocess\u201d or \u201chelp apply\u201d for vital record certificates.",
      "id": "washington",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/birth-certificate-fees-by-state/washington/",
      "source": "https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/vital-records",
      "source_quote": "Important note: VitalChek is our ONLY contracted and approved third-party vendor. Other third-party companies charge customers high fees to \u201cprocess\u201d or \u201chelp apply\u201d for vital record certificates.",
      "verified_fields": [
        "third_party_note"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "state"
      ],
      "also_reported": [
        {
          "field": "certified_copy_fee",
          "value": "Nonrefundable fees start at $25 per certified or noncertified informational copy",
          "source": "https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/vital-records/ordering-vital-record/birth-record",
          "source_quote": "What Does It Cost? Nonrefundable fees start at $25 per certified or noncertified informational copy. Other fees may apply depending on ordering or shipping method.",
          "as_of": "2026-08-18"
        }
      ],
      "disagreements": []
    }
  ]
}