TEXAS.STATERECORDS.ORG IS A PRIVATELY OWNED WEBSITE THAT IS NOT OWNED OR OPERATED BY ANY STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
close banner
Texas State Records
state records colored logo
LOGIN
CONTACT

Texas Birth Certificate Search

Birth certificates in Texas are vital records maintained and disseminated by the state and local registrars (also called the vital statistics or records offices) per Title 3, Chapter 191 of the Health & Safety Code. These documents have critical applications in government and society. Along with other Texas birth records, these certificates confirm one's age and parentage and are crucial for establishing child support, custody, and other legal rights.

For the government, a birth certificate provides valuable information about births (birth rates, trends, and defects), which can aid effective policy-making and planning to improve the quality of life within a nation or state.

What is a Birth Certificate in Texas?

A Texas birth certificate is a document providing an official account of a birth within the state's jurisdiction. It features details about the person who was born, their place and date of birth, their parents' names, and the filing date of the certificate.

Are Birth Certificates Public Record in Texas?

No. According to the Texas Public Information Act, Texas birth certificates less than 75 years old are exempt from public disclosure. These records are considered confidential and are only released to qualified applicants with proper documentation, such as:

  • The person named on the certificate (the registrant)
  • A blood relation or legally adopted child.
  • A legal representative/agent
  • A person who can provide supporting legal documentation

Texas birth certificates 75 years or older from the filing date are open to the public (Tex. Gov. Code § 552.115).

How to Get a Birth Certificate in Texas

An eligible individual can obtain a Texas birth certificate through a vital records office in one of four ways: in person (walk-in), online, by Phone: (in some cases), or via mail. Two government offices in Texas receive such requests:

  • The local vital records office serving the city, county, or district where a birth event occurred (i.e., a county clerk's office or local health department), or
  • The state vital records office: The Vital Statistics Section of the Texas Health and Human Services, a division of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

The VSS has birth certificates dated from 1926 to later. The local vital records offices maintain records of birth events within their boundaries. Still, some have remote access to the state's birth records database maintained by the VSS and can provide statewide birth and death certificates to inquirers, regardless of the city or county of birth.

How to Order a Birth Certificate Online in Texas

To order a birth certificate online in Texas, one must first determine if the vital records unit of the local county health department offers an online service or outsources the job to a third party. An agency that provides an online service will have a portal on its official website (typically on a birth record/certificate page) that qualified persons can access to place orders. Similarly, if a third-party vendor provides the service for the agency, one will find a link to the vendor's ordering site, as well as ordering guidelines, on the agency's website.

Case in point: the Texas Vital Statistics Section (VSS) has a 24/7 internet portal that only qualified applicants (as mentioned previously) can access. Other persons must use the department's mail-in or walk-in service to order Texas birth certificates.

Anyone accessing the VSS portal to obtain a Texas birth certificate must present a valid ID, their relationship to the person named on the certificate, details about the record (e.g., the mother's first and maiden name), and payment. The cost to order online through the VSS is $22 per copy unless the requester is a military personnel or homeless youth able to provide the appropriate documentation, in which case the fee will be waived. Orders made via the system take about 20 to 25 business days to process. Additional guidelines for ordering birth certificates through the VSS web portal can be found on the agency's website.

Note again that besides the DSHS Vital Statistics Office, local registrars, like the City of Houston Bureau of Vital Statistics and Dallas County Clerk's Vital Records Division, offer a secure online portal for ordering birth certificates online in Texas. However, not all of them provide this online service. For example, people ordering birth certificates from offices like the Bexar County Clerk's Office or Collin County Clerk's Office will need to appear in person or send a mail request.

Where Can I Get My Birth Certificate in Person in Texas?

A registrant of a Texas birth certificate can order a certified copy of their birth certificate in person by going to a vital records office in their county of birth. (A certified copy of a birth certificate is the photocopy or abstract of the original record reproduced on a designated security paper or form, which bears the state registrar's seal and signature of the state or local registrar.) The Vital Statistics Section of the Texas Health and Human Services publishes a handy guide on its website to aid requesters looking for the website, address, or contact information of a local vital records office.

Alternatively, one can visit the state vital records office at the following address:

1100 West 49th Street
Austin, Texas
Phone: (888) 963-7111
Fax: (512) 776-7711

All in-person requesters should note the following:

  • The Texas vital records offices have varying business hours. Therefore, it is advisable to call beforehand to confirm the office hours and application requirements. One can also find the requirements and hours for in-person orders on an office's website.
  • Each applicant can pre-fill and sign an application form (which can be downloaded from the vital records office website) for faster service.
  • A current government-issued ID will be required to process the application.
  • A fee must be paid to obtain the birth record, except if the applicant qualifies for a fee exemption.

How Do I Get My Original Birth Certificate in Texas?

The process of requesting an original birth certificate in Texas is relevant to adults born and adopted in the state. After an adoption, the state registrar creates a supplementary certificate and seals the original record per Tex. Health & Safety Code § 192.008. Subsequently, the original birth certificate can be accessed only with an order from the court that granted the adoption, except the adult adoptee (who is also the applicant) can identify each parent named on the record.

Adult adoptees who meet the above requirements can submit a request to the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section via mail. However, the office only releases non-certified copies of original birth certificates. Birth certificates are permanent records in Texas. As a result, no vital records office will release the actual birth certificate - only copies of it.

An adoptee of legal age (18 years or older) can follow these guidelines to obtain their original birth certificate from the state registrar in Texas:

  • Fill out, sign, and print the Application for a Non-Certified Copy of an Original Birth Certificate. (No white-outs, cross-outs, or correction tape.)
  • Mail the application form, a copy of a current government-issued ID, and a check or money order of $10 made payable to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to the address below.

Texas Department of State Health Services
Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 12040
Austin, TX 78711-2040

If the applicant now bears a new name, additional documentation (such as a name-change court order, marriage certificate, or copy of the supplementary birth certificate) may be required. The processing time for regular orders is six to eight weeks (expedited orders take around 20 to 25 days). One can call the DSHS Vital Statistics Office at (888) 963-7111 to inquire about the required documentation.

How to Order a Replacement Birth Certificate in Texas

Anyone needing to order a replacement birth certificate in Texas can submit an application, acceptable identification, fee (unless qualifying for an exemption), and supporting documentation (if applicable) to a vital statistics office. The process for obtaining a replacement birth certificate is the same as ordering any other certified copy of a birth certificate in Texas, provided no amendments need to be made.

What are the Documents Required to Get a Birth Certificate in Texas?

Every person applying for a birth certificate less than 75 years old in Texas must present a valid ID. If making a mail-in order to a vital records office, one may either present their original ID to a notary to obtain a notary seal on the application form, or they may enclose a photocopy of the ID in the envelope. Individuals making an in-person order, on the other hand, must bring the original to the vital records office during regular working hours. Those submitting a request online will be asked to verify their identity by providing the number on their ID (for example, a driver's license number). The DSHS Vital Statistics Office lists all acceptable IDs (in English and Spanish) on its website.

Besides a valid ID, other documents may be required depending on the type of requester or the reason for the request. Per the law, an applicant who is not an immediate family member must provide legal documentation that establishes a "direct, tangible interest" in the birth record (Tex. Admin. Code § 181.1(21)). For instance, a legal representative or agent must provide a document (contract, notarized affidavit, or court order) designating them to act on behalf of the registrant or their immediate family. A legal guardian must provide a certified court order establishing guardianship. Meanwhile, someone requiring a birth certificate to obtain an insurance policy must be listed as a beneficiary, and so on.

Note, however, that proof of relationship may be required for an immediate family member other than a parent listed on the birth certificate. For instance, if the relationship with a registrant was established by marriage, the applicant may need to provide a marriage license. It is good practice to contact the vital records office where one wishes to submit a request to determine the necessary documentation.

What Do I Need to Get My Child's Birth Certificate?

In Texas, birth certificates are not automatically issued to parents after a child's birth. Any parent who wants to obtain their child's birth certificate must apply to the vital records office where the child was born. They may also request the record from the state vital records office.

The waiting period until a newborn's birth certificate is ready varies by county, but it is often three weeks from a child's birth date.

How Do I Find My Birth Certificate Number in Texas?

A birth certificate number is a set of digits used to identify and locate a birth record filed at a registrar's office. Most birth certificate numbers issued in the United States consist of 11 digits:

  • The first three digits are an area code that represents the state of registration (for example, 142 for Texas)
  • The next two digits represent the year of filing or registration
  • The last six digits are the serial number assigned to each birth occurring within a jurisdiction

Texans can find their birth certificate numbers on the upper right corner of their long form birth certificates, which can be obtained from a vital records office.

How Much Does It Cost to Apply for a Birth Certificate?

The cost to apply for one certified copy of a birth certificate in Texas is $23 (if applying to a local vital statistics office) or $22 (if applying to the state vital records office). Additional costs often apply to order through a third-party or use an agency's online service. A fee schedule can be found on a vital records division's website, or one can call the office during normal business hours.

What is the Fastest Way to Get a Birth Certificate in Texas?

The fastest way to get a birth certificate in Texas is to go to a vital records office during its open hours to request the record. In-person requesters are usually granted a same-day service (i.e., they can obtain the documents on the same day as their application). However, when one cannot visit a Texas vital records office, another method to obtain birth records quickly is to use the online service provided by the office or its authorized online vendor. One may also opt for expedited processing in a mail request.

What is a Long-Form Birth Certificate in Texas?

A long-form birth certificate in Texas is the most comprehensive version of a birth record. It is a photocopy of the original birth certificate on file at a vital records office. It also bears all corrections or changes made to a birth certificate since its filing. This birth certificate type is accepted for all types of transactions, but it is often required to obtain a US passport, driver's license, or dual citizenship.

Long Form vs. Short Form Birth Certificate in Texas

Unlike a long-form certificate that is the exact reproduction of a birth record, a short form birth certificate in Texas is a certified abstract. It only shows a registrant's current name, date of birth, sex, place of birth, parent(s) names, file number, and the filing date. Because it is not the full birth record, it does not contain a history of corrections or changes and may not be an acceptable ID for some applications or transactions. Nonetheless, it may be used in the following instances:

  • School or sports registration
  • Employment applications
  • Insurance requirements
  • Government-issued ID applications (e.g., Texas driver's license/ID renewals)

Eligible persons requiring a long or short form birth certificate in Texas can submit a written request (as described earlier) to the local or state registrar. Not all local registrars maintain long form certificates on file, however.