How to Get a Copy of Your Birth Certificate in Kansas

To get a copy of your birth certificate in Kansas, submit Form VS-235 with a photo ID and a $20 fee to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka. You can order in person, by mail, online through VitalChek, on the state’s iKan mobile app, or by phone. In-person requests are usually filled in about 15 to 20 minutes; mail requests take a couple of weeks.¹

Who Can Order One

Kansas birth records are not public. Under K.S.A. 65-2422d, only someone with a “direct interest” in the record can get a certified copy.² That includes:

The person named on the certificate, if 18 or older
A parent listed on the certificate
An immediate family member
A legal guardian, who must attach a copy of the court order
A legal representative with documentation showing the record is needed for personal or property rights

The application asks you to check a box identifying your connection to the person on the record.³

What You’ll Need on the Application

Form VS-235 is available on the KDHE website or at the Office of Vital Statistics counter in Topeka. You’ll be asked for:⁴

Full name as it appears on the birth certificate
Date of birth
Place of birth — city, county, and state (must be Kansas)
Full name of the father or second parent
Mother’s full maiden name

You also have to prove who you are. A current, signed government-issued photo ID is the standard: driver’s license, state ID, passport, or military ID. Mail and online requests need a photocopy of both the front and back of the ID; in person, bring the original. If you don’t have a photo ID, two alternative documents may be accepted, such as a Social Security card paired with a utility bill or bank statement.

How to Order

There are four ways to request a certified copy. The right one depends on how quickly you need the certificate and whether you can get to Topeka.

In Person

Walk into the Office of Vital Statistics at 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 120, Topeka. The counter is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.⁵ Bring your original photo ID and payment. Cash, check, money order, and credit card are all accepted. If the record is easy to locate, you can walk out with a certified copy in about 15 to 20 minutes.¹

By Mail

Send the completed VS-235, a photocopy of the front and back of your photo ID, and a $20 check or money order payable to “Kansas Vital Statistics” to:⁶

Office of Vital Statistics
Curtis State Office Building
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221

Don’t send cash. Processing takes 7 to 10 business days after the office receives your request, plus mailing time in both directions.¹ Certified mail gives you delivery confirmation if you want it.

Online

KDHE partners with VitalChek, reachable through the KDHE website. You’ll pay by credit card and answer identity-verification questions based on your Social Security number or driver’s license number. VitalChek adds its own service fee on top of the $20 state fee. Processing runs 3 to 5 business days after the office receives the order.¹

Kansas also runs its own iKan mobile app for Apple and Android. You can order a vital record from your phone and choose standard mail delivery or will-call pickup at the Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka. The iKan app adds a $5 processing fee to the $20 certificate fee for will-call orders.⁷

By Phone

Call VitalChek at 877-305-8315, available 24/7. Payment is by credit card, and you’ll go through verbal identity verification. Phone orders carry a $15 expedited service fee on top of the $20 certificate fee.¹

Fees at a Glance

The base fee for a certified copy is $20. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is another $20. Total cost and turnaround by method:

In person: $20 (cash, check, money order, or credit card). About 15 to 20 minutes if the record is readily found.
Mail: $20 (check or money order). 7 to 10 business days, plus mailing time.
Online (VitalChek): $20 plus a VitalChek service fee, credit card only. 3 to 5 business days after receipt.
iKan app: $20 plus a $5 processing fee for will-call pickup. Standard mail delivery is also available.
Phone (VitalChek): $20 plus a $15 expedited service fee, credit card only.

What Happens If No Record Is Found

Kansas birth records go back to July 1, 1911. The $20 fee covers a five-year search — the year you specify plus two years before and two years after. If the office doesn’t find a matching record in that window, the fee isn’t refunded, because it paid for the search itself.¹

If a Kansas birth was never registered, or was registered more than a year after the fact, you may need to file a “delayed certificate of birth.” Kansas administrative regulation 28-17-10 sets specific evidentiary requirements depending on the person’s age, generally requiring multiple original documents dated close to the time of birth showing date of birth, Kansas as the birthplace, and a parent’s name. Adults filing must sign before a notary.⁸ The delayed filing goes through the same Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka.

If Your Certificate Has an Error

If the copy you receive has a spelling mistake, wrong date, or other error, you can request an amendment through the Office of Vital Statistics. The process differs for minors and adults, and KDHE posts separate instructions for each on its website.⁹ You’ll complete an Amendment Request Form and provide supporting documentation for the correction, such as a hospital record or another early document showing the correct information. Questions about qualifying documentation can go to the Amendment Unit at 785-296-1434 or kdhe.VitalRecords@ks.gov.

Adopted in Kansas

When a Kansas adoption is finalized, the state creates a new certificate in the adopted person’s new name and seals the original. That sealed original can be opened in only two ways: the adopted person, once of legal age, may demand access, or a court may order it.¹⁰ If you were adopted in Kansas and are 18 or older, contact the Office of Vital Statistics directly to request your original birth certificate. No court order is needed.

If You Need It for a Passport

The certified copy issued by the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics meets the State Department’s requirements for passport applications. Federal regulation requires the certificate to show your full name, date and place of birth, and at least one parent’s full name, and to bear the seal and signature of the issuing office with a filing date within one year of birth.¹¹ Informational or commemorative certificates, including those some hospitals hand out, do not qualify. Only the state-issued certified copy with the registrar’s seal will work.

If no Kansas birth record exists, the State Department will accept a Letter of No Record from the state registrar together with early documents from the first five years of your life, such as a baptismal certificate, hospital record, early school record, or census entry.¹²

1
KDHE, KS. Birth Certificate
2
Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Statutes 65-2422d
3
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Application for Certified Copy of Kansas Birth Certificate
4
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Application for Certified Copy of Kansas Birth Certificate
5
KDHE, KS. Walk-in
6
KDHE, KS. Birth Certificate Regular / Priority Mail
7
PayIt. Request a Kansas Vital Record on the iKan Mobile App
8
Legal Information Institute. Kansas Administrative Regulations 28-17-10
9
KDHE, KS. Amendments and Corrections
10
Kansas State Legislature. Kansas Statutes 65-2423
11
eCFR. 22 CFR 51.42 – Persons Born in the United States Applying for a Passport for the First Time
12
U.S. Department of State. Citizenship Evidence