You can get a birth certificate in Texas without an ID by either having an eligible family member with valid identification request it on your behalf, or by submitting a combination of secondary and supporting documents that the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) accepts in place of a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. A signed Social Security card paired with a utility bill and a bank statement, for example, is enough. The family-member route is usually the fastest if you have no identification at all.
Have a Family Member Request It for You
If you can’t produce any acceptable identification, DSHS allows an immediate family member who does have valid ID to order the birth certificate for you.1Texas DSHS. Birth Record FAQs They handle the entire application. You don’t sign anything or appear anywhere.
Eligible family members include a parent listed on the certificate, a spouse, a child, a sibling, a grandparent, or a legal guardian.2Texas DSHS. Obtaining a Birth Certificate in Texas Each has to prove the relationship along with their own ID. A spouse brings a marriage license. A parent should already be listed on the birth record or bring a court order. A grandparent brings their own child’s birth certificate to show the link. If anyone in your close family has a driver’s license or passport, this route skips the alternative-ID puzzle entirely.
The Alternative ID Tiers
When you don’t have a standard photo ID, Texas uses a three-tier system. You satisfy the requirement with one of three combinations:3Texas DSHS. Acceptable Identification (ID)
- One Group A document (a current, valid government photo ID)
- Two Group B documents
- One Group B document plus two Group C documents
Group A is the driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, military ID, Permanent Resident Card, Employment Authorization Document, concealed handgun license, or pilot’s license. If you had any of those, you wouldn’t be reading this. The practical question is what counts under B and C.
Group B: Secondary Identification
Group B covers documents that carry identifying weight without being a current government photo ID:3Texas DSHS. Acceptable Identification (ID)
- A signed Social Security card or Numident
- A current student ID
- Any expired Group A document, such as an old driver’s license or passport
- A Medicaid or Medicare card
- A Veterans Affairs card or DD Form 214
- A medical insurance card
- A private company employment ID card
- A Mexican voter registration card
- A foreign passport accompanied by a U.S.-issued visa
- A foreign identification with an identifiable photo, including certain consular certifications from El Salvador and Honduras
- A certified birth certificate issued by the U.S. Department of State (forms FS-240, DS-1350, or FS-545)
Two of these clear the requirement on their own. A signed Social Security card plus an expired Texas driver’s license, for example, would work.
Group C: Supporting Documents
If you can only put together one Group B item, pair it with two Group C documents. These are everyday records:3Texas DSHS. Acceptable Identification (ID)
- A recent utility bill or cell phone bill showing your current address
- A recent paycheck stub
- A bank account statement
- A signed voter registration card
- A lease agreement or recent rent receipt
- A police report of stolen ID
- A marriage license or divorce decree
- An automobile title, registration, or insurance card
- An official school transcript
- A library card, fishing license, or hunting license
- A recent medical record or bill
- A court order or property title
- Any expired Group B document
- Federal, state, or local tax records
- A certified birth certificate from another state or country
The combination that works for most people without formal ID: a signed Social Security card as the Group B document, plus a utility bill and a bank statement as the two Group C items. If your wallet was stolen, a police report of the theft counts as a Group C document, which helps bridge the gap while you rebuild the rest.
Who Is Allowed to Request the Certificate
For records less than 75 years old, Texas restricts who can order a certified copy. Only the person named on the certificate, their legal representative, or an immediate family member may request it.1Texas DSHS. Birth Record FAQs Anyone else needs legal documentation showing a direct, tangible interest, such as a court order or a policy naming them as a beneficiary. This matters when you’re deciding which family member can request the certificate for you.
What You Need on the Application
Regardless of the ID path, DSHS needs enough information to find the correct record. The application asks for:
- The full name on the birth certificate, exactly as originally recorded
- Date of birth
- Place of birth, including both city and county in Texas
- Full names of both parents, including the mother’s maiden name
- Your relationship to the person named on the certificate
Parent names cause the most problems. If you don’t know your mother’s maiden name or the full legal name of a parent, check with the hospital where you were born or dig through family records before you submit. An application that doesn’t match the record on file is rejected, and the processing clock resets when you resubmit.
How to Submit
Texas takes birth certificate requests three ways, and each handles identification a little differently.
By Mail
Download Form VS-140 from the DSHS website or pick one up at a local vital records office.4Texas Department of State Health Services. Mail Application for Birth Record VS-140 Fill it out cleanly, without cross-outs or white-out. Sign it in front of a notary public so the notary can seal the application. Include photocopies of your acceptable identification documents and a check or money order for $22.00 payable to “DSHS – Vital Statistics.”5Texas DSHS. Costs and Fees
Notary fees in Texas are capped at $10 for the first signature on an acknowledgment. Many banks and credit unions notarize for free if you’re a customer, and some public libraries offer the service.
Send the packet to:
Texas Department of State Health Services
Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 12040
Austin, TX 78711-2040
In Person
Local registrar offices and county clerk offices across Texas accept walk-ins.6Texas Department of State Health Services. Birth Records Bring the originals of your alternative ID documents rather than photocopies. You sign in front of the staff, so the notary step is not required. Call ahead to confirm hours and whether they process requests the same day.
Online
The DSHS online portal at Texas.gov accepts orders using electronic identity verification. That works if your information is already in the databases the system checks. If it can’t verify you electronically, which is common for people without a standard ID, you fall back to mail or in-person. Online orders take credit or debit cards.
Cost and How Long It Takes
A certified birth certificate costs $22.00 per copy, whether you order the long form (needed for passports) or the short form.5Texas DSHS. Costs and Fees Mail requests accept checks or money orders. In-person and online requests also take credit and debit cards.
Processing depends on how you file:7Texas Department of State Health Services. Processing Times
- Mail-in: 25–30 business days after DSHS receives the application
- Online: 20–25 business days
- In person: often same-day at local registrar offices, though some take 24 hours or longer depending on volume
Those windows assume a complete, error-free application. Anything missing or mismatched gets kicked back, and you start over.
Expedited processing costs an extra $25.00, plus overnight shipping both directions. It’s worth the money when the certificate is holding up a job start, a court date, or enrollment.5Texas DSHS. Costs and Fees
Fee Waiver for Homeless and Foster Youth
Texas waives the birth certificate fee entirely for foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness. Under Texas Health and Safety Code §191.0049, the state registrar, a local registrar, or a county clerk must issue a birth certificate without charge, and without requiring parental consent, to anyone who qualifies as a homeless youth under the federal McKinney-Vento Act.8Texas DSHS. Certification of Homeless Status for Texas Birth Certificate A representative from an approved homeless service provider verifies the applicant’s status on a certification form that goes in with the application.
If you’re working with a shelter, a transitional housing program, or a school liaison for homeless students, ask them about signing the certification. It’s one of the more underused provisions in Texas vital records.