To fill out the New Hampshire vital records application, download the state’s Application for a Certified Copy of a Vital Record from the Secretary of State’s website or pick one up at any city or town clerk’s office, complete every field in ink, attach a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and submit it with a $15 search fee. The form covers birth, death, marriage, divorce, and civil union certificates, and the same application works whether you file in person at a clerk’s office or by mail to the Division of Vital Records Administration (DVRA) in Concord.
Confirm You Qualify as a Requester
Before you touch the form, make sure you’re eligible to receive the record. New Hampshire limits vital records to people with a “direct and tangible interest.” Under RSA 5-C:9, that automatically includes the person named on the record, immediate family members, a legal guardian, or an authorized legal representative.1New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 5-C:9 – Disclosure of Information From Vital Records If you fall outside those categories, you can still qualify by showing the registrar you need the record to protect a personal or property right, but the registrar has to be satisfied the interest is genuine before releasing anything.
Commercial firms asking for lists of names and addresses are explicitly excluded.1New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 5-C:9 – Disclosure of Information From Vital Records
What to Gather Before You Start
Government-Issued Photo ID
Every applicant has to present a valid government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, passport, or other picture identification all work.2New Hampshire Secretary of State. Request for Certificates If you’re mailing the application, include a legible photocopy of your ID in the envelope.3City of Concord, New Hampshire. Vital Records
If you don’t have an acceptable photo ID, you aren’t shut out, but you’ll need an additional form called “Documentation Evidence for Individuals Not Possessing an Acceptable Picture Identification,” available from the DVRA and local clerks.2New Hampshire Secretary of State. Request for Certificates
Details About the Event
Pull these together before you write anything on the form. Missing or inaccurate information is the most common reason searches come back empty, and a failed search still costs you $15.
- Full legal name of the person on the certificate, including maiden name for birth and marriage records
- Date of the event (birth, death, marriage, divorce, or civil union)
- City or town in New Hampshire where the event took place
- Parents’ names for a birth certificate request, if you know them
Filling In the Application, Section by Section
The form is titled “Application for a Certified Copy of a Vital Record” and is available as a downloadable PDF on the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s website or on paper at any city or town clerk’s office.2New Hampshire Secretary of State. Request for Certificates Complete every field in ink.
Type of record. Check the box for the certificate you need: birth, death, marriage, divorce, or civil union.
Event details. Write the full legal name of the person on the record, the date of the event, and the New Hampshire city or town where it happened. Match the spelling the state would have on file. A birth certificate request listing “Beth” when the registration says “Elizabeth” can cause the search to fail.
Number of copies. Specify how many certified copies you want. Many people order at least two, since agencies often keep the copy you submit. Additional copies ordered at the same time cost less than reordering later.
Relationship to the registrant. Indicate whether you are the person on the record, a parent, spouse, child, or another qualifying party. This is how you demonstrate your direct and tangible interest under state law.4New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 5-C:102 – Disclosure of Information to Individuals; Direct and Tangible Interest
Purpose of request. State why you need the certificate. Common reasons are passport applications, REAL ID, Social Security, insurance claims, and genealogical research.
Applicant information and signature. Fill in your own name, mailing address, and daytime phone number, then sign and date the form.
Read everything over before you submit. Any field left blank or any name that doesn’t match the state’s record can hold up the search or kill it entirely.
Fees and Payment
The fee structure comes from RSA 5-C:10 and applies no matter where you file:
- First copy, which includes the search: $15
- Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time: $105New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 5-C:10 – Fees for Copies, Verifications and Amendments to Vital Records
The $15 is paid up front as a search fee. If no matching record is found, the state keeps it. There’s no refund.2New Hampshire Secretary of State. Request for Certificates That’s why accuracy on the form matters so much.
For mail-in requests, pay by check or money order made payable to the State of New Hampshire. Clerk offices generally accept cash, checks, and credit or debit cards, though some municipalities add a surcharge on card payments. Short payments get sent back.
Where to Submit the Completed Form
In Person at a Town or City Clerk
Walking into your local clerk’s office is the fastest option. Many offices can process the application and hand you the certified copy the same day. Bring the completed form, your photo ID, and payment. Hours and services vary by town, so call ahead.
By Mail to the DVRA
Mail the completed application, a photocopy of your photo ID, your payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
NH Department of State
Division of Vital Records Administration
Registration / Certification
9 Ratification Way
Concord, NH 03301-24552New Hampshire Secretary of State. Request for Certificates
Expect several business days for processing on top of mail time in both directions.
Online Through VitalChek
New Hampshire uses VitalChek, a third-party vendor, for online orders of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates.6VitalChek. New Hampshire (NH) Vital Records VitalChek adds its own service fees on top of the state’s charges, so the total runs higher than ordering directly.
If the Search Comes Back Empty
If the DVRA or clerk can’t find the record, you’ll get a notice that no match was found, and the $15 stays with the state. Think about whether the event could have been registered under a different spelling, in a different New Hampshire town, or on a slightly different date. You can resubmit with corrected information, but each new attempt is another $15 search fee. Records held by the DVRA go back to 1640, and the oldest documents may take extra search time.7New Hampshire Secretary of State. Vital Records
When the record is found, each certified copy carries the registrar’s official seal or stamp. That seal is what makes the copy valid for passports, REAL ID applications, Social Security, insurance claims, estate settlements, and the other situations where an uncertified printout won’t do.