How to Get a Birth Certificate in Lubbock, TX

To get a birth certificate in Lubbock, TX, order a certified copy from the City of Lubbock Vital Statistics Office at 1209 13th Street, which handles all births that occurred anywhere in Lubbock County.¹ A certified copy costs $23 locally, with an added $6 service fee if you order online.² You can also skip the local office and order the same certificate from the Texas Department of State Health Services for $22.³

Who Can Order the Certificate

Texas law limits certified copies to a “properly qualified applicant.”⁴ In practice, that means the person named on the certificate, a parent on the record, a legal guardian, a spouse, or a close family member such as a sibling, child, or grandparent. Legal representatives can order on behalf of a qualified person if they bring documentation of their authority. You must be at least 18. If you cannot show a direct qualifying relationship, the registrar will deny the request.

Information You’ll Need Before You Apply

Every application asks for the full name on the certificate, the date of birth, and both parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name. You’ll also indicate whether the birth happened inside Lubbock city limits or elsewhere in the county. One narrow exception: for births before 1950 that occurred in the county but outside city limits, the Lubbock County Clerk’s office may hold the record instead.⁵

Acceptable Identification

Texas uses a tiered ID system. One document from the top tier is enough on its own; if you don’t have that, you build up from lower tiers.⁶

Group A (one required): a U.S. state driver’s license, state or federal ID card, military ID, or U.S. passport. A license to carry a handgun, pilot’s license, or USCIS documents like a permanent resident card also count.
Group B (two required if you lack Group A): a current student ID, an expired Group A document, a signed Social Security card, a DD-214 military discharge, a Medicaid or Medicare card, or a private employer ID.
Group C (two required, plus one from Group B, if you have neither A nor B): a recent utility or cell phone bill, a paycheck stub, a bank statement, a voter registration card, or a marriage license.

The structure means people without a driver’s license or passport can still get their birth certificate. A student ID paired with a signed Social Security card, for example, meets the Group B requirement.⁶

How to Submit Your Request

In Person

Bring your ID and payment to 1209 13th Street.¹ In-person requests are typically processed the same day, and this is the only method that accepts cash.

By Mail

A mail request needs a completed application, a photocopy of your ID, and payment by check or money order. The application must be signed in front of a notary and carry the notary’s seal, and the form cannot have any cross-outs, white-out, or correction tape.⁷ Texas notaries can charge up to $10 per signature.⁸

Online

The Lubbock portal walks you through data-entry screens, payment, and a confirmation number for tracking.² Online orders add the $6 per-certificate service fee, so a single certified copy comes to $29. If the office searches and cannot find a matching birth, a $10 search fee still applies.¹

Ordering From the State Instead

You don’t have to use the Lubbock office. The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit issues certified copies of any Texas birth certificate, no matter which county the birth was in. DSHS accepts orders online through Texas.gov, by mail, and in person in Austin.⁹ The per-copy fee is $22 rather than the local $23, and you can request either the long-form certificate (hospital name, parents’ birthplaces, attending physician’s signature) or the short-form abstract.³ For a passport or Real ID, request the long form. Eligibility rules and ID requirements are the same either way.

Processing Times and Delivery

In-person requests at the Lubbock office are generally handled the same day. Online and mail orders take longer. The Lubbock office asks you to allow up to two weeks, with actual turnaround depending on order volume and time of year.² If staff need additional documentation, they’ll email you, and that adds time. Standard delivery is by U.S. Postal Service; expedited shipping costs extra. Keep your confirmation receipt and transaction number in case you need to check status.

Correcting an Error on the Certificate

Misspelled names, wrong dates, and other errors are common, and fixing them is a separate process from ordering a copy. You submit the state correction application with supporting documentation and a $15 filing fee for most corrections. Changes that add, remove, or replace a parent cost $25.¹⁰

The evidence required depends on what you’re fixing:

Spelling corrections where the name sounds the same: an affidavit signed by a parent or older blood relative.
First or middle name changes: an affidavit plus one supporting document such as a hospital record, baptismal certificate, or early school record.
Last name changes: a certified court order.
Adding information for a minor: an affidavit signed by both parents.

The application must be notarized. Mail it with the fee to the DSHS Vital Statistics Unit in Austin. If you need it fast, you can send the packet by overnight carrier and pay an additional $25 expedited processing fee.¹⁰ A corrected certificate does not arrive on its own; include a separate application and fee for a new certified copy.

If You’ll Use the Certificate Abroad

A certified birth certificate on its own is not accepted as valid in most foreign countries. You need an apostille, a standardized authentication stamp from the Texas Secretary of State’s office, before a foreign government will recognize the document. The fee is $15 per apostille, or $10 per document for adoption proceedings.¹¹

Get your certified birth certificate first, then send that certified copy to the Secretary of State for the apostille. The two steps cannot be combined. Requests go by mail with a check or money order to the “Secretary of State of Texas.” Walk-in service is available Mondays and Fridays, with appointment-only service Tuesday through Thursday. Walk-ins can pay with exact cash, check, or money order.¹¹

1
City of Lubbock. Vital Statistics
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Lubbock, TX Vital Records Requests. Lubbock, TX Vital Records Requests
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Texas DSHS. Costs and Fees
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State of Texas. Texas Health and Safety Code 191.051 – Certified Copies
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Lubbock County, Texas. County Clerk
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Texas DSHS. Acceptable Identification (ID)
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Texas DSHS. Requirements for Mail/In-Person Orders
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Notary Public Educational Information
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Texas DSHS. Birth Records
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Texas DSHS. Birth Certificate Correction Application
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Authentication of Documents – Frequently Asked Questions