How Much Does a Birth Certificate Cost in Massachusetts?

A certified birth certificate in Massachusetts costs $20 if you pick it up in person at the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, $32 by standard mail, and $54 for the first copy ordered online or by phone through VitalChek.1Mass.gov. Vital Records Service Fees Local city and town clerks often charge less, sometimes as little as $10. How much a birth certificate costs in Massachusetts comes down to three things: where you order it, how fast you need it, and how old the record is.

State Registry Fees

The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) is the state office that issues certified birth records from 1936 to the present. Its prices depend entirely on how you submit the request.

VitalChek’s prices run higher because they bundle the state fee with a service charge and shipping. If you need more than one copy, order them together. The per-copy price drops after the first.

Local City and Town Clerk Fees

Your local clerk’s office can also issue certified birth certificates, and often for less than the state. Many Massachusetts municipalities charge around $10 per copy for an in-person request. Fees vary between towns, and some clerks tack on surcharges for credit card payments or mailing. You can request from the clerk in the city or town where the birth took place, or the one where the parents lived at the time of the birth.3Lakeville, MA. Vital Records and Requests (Births, Deaths and Marriages) If price is the deciding factor and you can get to the right clerk’s office, this is usually the cheapest path to a certified copy.

Older Records Cost Less

If the birth you need to document happened in 1935 or earlier, the price drops sharply. The Massachusetts State Archives holds birth, marriage, and death records for all cities and towns from 1841 through 1935, and charges $3 per certified copy. Requests go in by mail or email on the Archives’ order form, with a cap of five certificates per order, and processing runs about four to six weeks. For births before 1841, you’ll need to contact the clerk in the city or town where the birth occurred, since statewide collection of vital records didn’t start until that year.4Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Vital Records, 1841 – 1935 Records from 1931 through 1935 were recently moved from the RVRS to the Archives, so the Archives is now the right place for anything in that window.5Mass.gov. Order a Birth, Marriage, or Death Certificate

Choosing the Cheapest Option for Your Situation

A few quick comparisons for the common cases:

  • You just need one copy and live near the town where you were born: the local clerk, often around $10.
  • You need one copy and the birth is from 1936 or later: $20 in person at RVRS in Dorchester, or $32 by mail if you can’t get there.
  • You need the copy fast and can’t visit in person: $42 by expedited mail, or $54 to $62.50 through VitalChek.
  • You need several copies: order them in the same request so the discounted additional-copy pricing applies.
  • The birth was in 1935 or earlier: the State Archives at $3 per copy, if you can wait four to six weeks.

Costs for Corrections and Amendments

If a name is misspelled, a parent’s information needs updating, or the sex designation on the record needs to change, the RVRS handles the amendment. There’s a one-time $50 amendment fee. After the record is corrected, certified copies cost the usual $20 in person or $32 by mail.6Mass.gov. Fact Sheet for Amending Parent Name on a Minors Birth Certificate Due to Change in Parent Sex Designation

Cost of an Apostille for International Use

If you need to use the birth certificate in another country, you’ll likely need an apostille from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. That’s $6 per document, on top of what you already paid for the certificate itself. The certified copy has to carry an original signature from a Massachusetts official, such as a city or town clerk or the Registrar of Vital Records; photocopied signatures can’t be apostilled. In person at One Ashburton Place in Boston, you can get up to three documents apostilled while you wait. By mail, allow two to three weeks, and include the destination country, since requirements differ.7Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Apostilles and Certification of Documents

Who Can Order a Copy

Most Massachusetts birth records are public. Anyone who completes the application, shows valid ID, and pays the fee can get a certified copy. Two categories carry access restrictions regardless of what you’re willing to pay. Records of births to unmarried parents are limited to the person named on the certificate, their parents, a legal guardian, or a legal representative; anyone else needs a court order.8General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title VII, Chapter 46, Section 2A Original pre-adoption birth records are also restricted, and generally require an order from the Probate Court in the county where the adoption was granted.9General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title VII, Chapter 46, Section 13 The restriction on out-of-wedlock records doesn’t apply to anything filed before January 1, 1841.