The birth certificate office in Miami is the Florida Department of Health’s Health District Center at 1350 NW 14th Street, Miami, FL 33125. It issues certified Florida birth certificates for anyone born in the state, with records on file back to 1930. A first certified copy costs $20 at this office, and walk-in requests are usually printed the same day.
Health District Center Hours and Walk-In Service
The Health District Center is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:40 p.m.1Florida Department of Health. Health District Center If you walk in with the right paperwork and ID, a clerk verifies your eligibility and prints the certificate while you wait, often within minutes.
Miami-Dade County also runs other health clinics that may process birth certificate requests, including the North Miami Clinic at 14101 NW 8th Avenue. Hours and services at satellite sites are more limited, and schedules change. Call first before showing up anywhere other than the main office.
Who Can Request a Florida Birth Certificate
Florida birth records are not public. Under Florida Statute 382.025, the office can only issue a certified copy to a defined list of people:2Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 382.025 – Confidentiality of Records; Penalties
- The person named on the certificate, if 18 or older (or a minor whose disabilities of nonage have been legally removed)
- A parent or guardian listed on the record, or another legal representative
- Certain family of a deceased registrant — a spouse, adult child, grandchild, or sibling — when they present the registrant’s death certificate
- Government agencies and courts acting in an official capacity
If you don’t fall into one of those categories, the clerk will turn you away no matter the reason you need the document.
What to Bring
You need a valid government-issued photo ID. A Florida driver’s license, state ID, U.S. passport, or military ID all work. You’ll also need to supply:
- The registrant’s full name at birth
- Exact date of birth
- Mother’s full maiden name
- Father’s name, if it appears on the record
You fill out an Application for a Florida Birth Certificate at the window, or download it from the Miami-Dade Department of Health website before you go. Get the details right. The clerk searches state files based on what you write down, and small discrepancies in names or dates can hold up the request.
Three Ways to Order
In Person
The fastest and cheapest route. Bring your completed application and photo ID to the Health District Center. Once the clerk verifies eligibility, the certificate prints within minutes. You can pay with cash, money order, or a major credit card.3Florida Department of Health. Birth Certificates
By Mail
Send your completed application and a photocopy of your valid photo ID (front and back) to:
Vital Record Unit
1350 NW 14th Street, Room 101
Miami, FL 33125
Payment must be by certified check or money order payable to “Vital Records.” Cash is not accepted by mail.4Florida Department of Health. Application for a Florida Birth Certificate Plan on at least a couple of weeks for turnaround, longer during busy periods.
Online Through VitalChek
Florida’s only authorized online vendor is VitalChek. The state does not process credit card orders directly. VitalChek adds a $7.00 processing fee on top of the certificate fee, plus a $10.00 rush fee and shipping.5Florida Department of Health. Order Certificates from VitalChek By the time the surcharges are added, you can pay close to double what the walk-in window charges. If you’re not in a rush and can get to the Health District Center, going in person saves real money.
Fees at the Miami-Dade Office
- First certified copy: $20.00
- Each additional copy ordered at the same time: $16.00
- Protective plastic sheath: $3.00 per certificate
If you need several copies for school enrollment, a passport application, and similar purposes, order them together. Each additional copy costs $4.00 less than coming back later for another $20 first copy.3Florida Department of Health. Birth Certificates These prices apply at the Miami-Dade office. The state Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville and VitalChek have their own fee schedules.
Corrections Are Not Handled in Miami
If the birth certificate has a misspelled name, wrong date, or missing parent, the Miami-Dade office cannot fix it. Florida processes amendments through the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville using Form DH 429, with a $20.00 amendment fee that includes one certified copy of the corrected record.6Florida Department of Health. Amendments and Corrections Standard processing runs two to three weeks after the bureau has every required form, document, and fee in hand.