How to Get a Colorado Birth Certificate: Eligibility, Steps, and Fees

To get a Colorado birth certificate, submit an application through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) or a county vital records office, online, by mail, or in person, along with valid ID, proof of your relationship to the person named on the record, and the current fee. Colorado treats birth certificates as confidential, so only people with a qualifying relationship to the registrant can order a certified copy.¹ The statewide fee schedule changed on January 1, 2026, so confirm the current amount before you apply.

Who Can Order a Certified Copy

Colorado law limits certified copies to people with a “direct and tangible interest” in the record.² The state’s rules identify who qualifies:³

The registrant, meaning the person named on the certificate.
Parents, spouses, siblings, and adult children of the registrant.
Legal guardians, conservators, or custodians with court-appointed authority.
Attorneys or agents acting on behalf of any of the above.
Anyone who needs the certificate to protect a personal or property right, or for genealogical research.

Some requesters are specifically excluded. A birth parent whose rights have been relinquished or terminated cannot order the record of an adopted child, and an adopted person cannot use this process to obtain the birth record of a birth relative whose parental rights were terminated. Commercial firms seeking bulk name-and-address lists are also barred.³

What to Gather Before You Apply

The application asks for the full name on the birth certificate, the date and place of birth, and both parents’ full names including any pre-marriage surnames. You’ll also give your own name, your relationship to the person on the record, a mailing address, and a phone number.⁴

ID is where applications most often get held up. You need one unexpired, government-issued photo ID from the primary list, such as a driver’s license, state identification card, or U.S. passport. Without a primary ID, you can substitute two items from the secondary list, which includes a U.S. birth certificate, Social Security card, or a court order for adoption or name change. Secondary documents expired more than six months are not accepted.⁵

If you’re ordering someone else’s certificate, bring proof of the relationship too. That might be your own birth certificate, a marriage certificate, or a certified court order, depending on the connection. If you can’t produce acceptable identification at all, ask an eligible family member who can to submit the request for you.

How to Submit the Application

Colorado gives you three ways to file, and the right one depends on how fast you need the certificate.

Online

Online ordering is the fastest route for most people. CDPHE links to two third-party services, VitalChek and GoCertificates, from its order page.⁶ Both add a service surcharge on top of the state fee: roughly $13.95 for VitalChek and about $9 for GoCertificates.⁴ You upload scanned copies of your ID and any proof of relationship during checkout.

Turnaround depends on whether your order routes through the state office or a county office. County vital records offices often process online orders in three to five business days, while CDPHE was quoting roughly 30 business days for standard online orders as of early 2026.⁷ That backlog moves, so check current times before ordering.

By Mail

Download the application from the CDPHE website or pick one up at a local vital records office.⁶ Mail the completed form with photocopies of your ID and proof of relationship to the address printed on the application, and include payment by check, money order, or credit card information on the form. Use a trackable service such as certified mail, FedEx, or UPS so you have proof of delivery. Mail processing can match or exceed the state office’s online timeline, so plan on several weeks plus shipping in both directions.

In Person

The CDPHE office in Denver sees applicants by appointment only, with no walk-ins, and you schedule through the CDPHE website before showing up.⁶ Many county health departments also process requests, and some can handle same-day service depending on workload. If speed matters, call the nearest county vital records office and ask what their current turnaround looks like.

Fees and Payment

Colorado updated its vital records fee schedule effective January 1, 2026.⁶ The first certified copy at a county office is $25 under the new schedule.⁸ The fee schedule linked from the CDPHE order page is the definitive source for additional copies and for orders placed directly through CDPHE.

You can pay by check, money order, or credit or debit card, and card payments may carry a small processing surcharge. If CDPHE searches its files and finds no matching record, the fee is not refundable because it covers the search itself.

Colorado also offers a decorative “heirloom” birth certificate ordered through the same application; pricing is listed separately on the fee schedule.⁶

If You Need Something Other Than a Standard Copy

A few situations fall outside the standard order and use their own process.

To fix an error or change a name on the certificate, use the correction and amendment process through CDPHE, which has its own document requirements and, for a name change more than one year after birth, requires a certified court order.⁹¹⁰

To add a second parent who wasn’t listed at birth, parents can sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage at the hospital or later through the Colorado Vital Records website, or a court can establish parentage in a legal action filed before the child turns 18.¹¹

If a Colorado birth was never recorded, you go through delayed registration. You first submit a standard application so CDPHE can confirm no record exists; the resulting Notification of No Record letter opens a one-year window to file the delayed registration with supporting documents.¹²

If you need the certificate for use in another country, the Colorado Secretary of State issues apostilles for $5 per document by mail or drop-off, or $15 per document for expedited walk-in service; online apostilles aren’t offered.¹³ 14 The certificate must be an original certified copy from Colorado Vital Records or a Colorado county clerk, not a photocopy.

1
Justia. Colorado Code 25-2-117 – Penalties
2
Justia. Colorado Code 25-2-117
3
Cornell Law Institute. 5 CCR 1006-1-2 – Definitions, Designation of Offices
4
Adams County Health Department. How to Get a Birth Certificate
5
Gunnison County. Colorado Vital Records Birth Certificate Application
6
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Order Certificate Now
7
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Birth, Death, and Other Vital Records
8
Larimer County. Requesting a Birth Certificate
9
Gunnison County. Birth Certificate Correction or Change Form
10
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Correct or Change a Birth Certificate
11
Colorado Child Support Services. Parentage
12
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Other Topics Regarding Vital Records
13
Colorado Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications
14
Colorado Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications Request Form