How to Get a Long Form Birth Certificate in Florida

To get a long-form birth certificate in Florida, submit Application DH 726 with a copy of your government-issued photo ID and a $14 fee to any Florida county health department, to the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville, or through VitalChek online. The long form, which the Florida Department of Health calls a “photocopy certificate,” is a certified reproduction of the original record filed at your birth, and it is the version you should ask for by name because the state issues the short-form computer printout by default.¹

Why the Long Form and Not the Short Form

Florida issues two certified birth certificates, and they are not interchangeable. The short form is a computer-generated abstract on security paper showing name, date of birth, place of birth, and sex. It covers everyday needs like school enrollment or a driver’s license, and it is what you receive unless you request otherwise.¹

The long form reproduces the full original record. It shows both parents’ names, their birthplaces, the attending physician or midwife, the hospital, and the filing date. That filing date is the reason many people need the long form: the U.S. Department of State requires a birth certificate with a filing date within one year of birth for a first-time passport application.² Consulates verifying parentage for dual citizenship claims and foreign authorities handling international adoption or marriage generally want the long form for the same reason: it shows the full parental information and the original filing details.

Who Can Order One

Florida birth records less than 125 years old are confidential and exempt from public records disclosure.³ Only these people can order a certified copy:

The person named on the record, if at least 18 years old.
A parent listed on the birth record.
A legal guardian, with certified court documents proving guardianship.
A legal representative acting on behalf of one of the above, with documentation showing authority to act.
Any person authorized by court order, with a certified copy of the order.

If the person named on the record is deceased, a spouse, adult child, grandchild, or sibling may order a copy. It will be stamped “Deceased,” and you must include a copy of the death record.⁴

If you don’t fit any of those categories, an eligible person can sign a notarized Affidavit to Release a Birth Certificate (Form DH 1958) authorizing the Department of Health to release the record to you. Both photo IDs must go in with the affidavit, the signature must be original and notarized, and the affidavit is good for a single use only. Submit it alongside the DH 726 application.⁵

One boundary worth knowing before you apply: if you were adopted, the original birth certificate was sealed at the finalization of the adoption and replaced with a new one naming the adoptive parents. There is no administrative route to the original. Access requires a Florida court order specifying which portions of the record may be released.⁶

What to Submit With Your Application

Every applicant sends a copy of a valid, government-issued photo ID. Acceptable IDs include a driver’s license, state ID card, passport, or military ID. If you’re mailing your request, send a clear photocopy of both the front and back.⁴

If your only photo ID is from a foreign government, such as a consular card or foreign driver’s license, you have to add two forms of secondary identification. Acceptable secondary documents include a vehicle registration, health insurance card, employment ID, school ID, tax document, or a piece of mail showing your current address.⁴

Some applicants have to include more. Legal guardians attach certified copies of the guardianship court documents. Legal representatives attach proof of authority to act for the eligible client. Anyone using a DH 1958 affidavit attaches the notarized original, both photo IDs, and the DH 726.

Providing false information on the application, on the release affidavit, or on any supporting document, or obtaining confidential information under false pretenses, is a third-degree felony under Florida’s vital statistics law.⁴

Three Ways to Order

Florida birth records from 1917 to the present are available through the Bureau of Vital Statistics and through local county health departments. A limited number of records exist for births between 1850 and 1917.¹

In Person at a County Health Department

Walking in is the fastest option. Bring your completed DH 726, your photo ID, and payment to any Florida county health department. Same-day service on a long-form certificate is available when the office can accommodate it and requires a $10 rush fee on top of the base price. The state notes the same-day option is offered “when available,” so call ahead to confirm.¹ Accepted payment methods vary by county; cash, money orders, and credit cards are typical.

By Mail

Mail the DH 726 to either the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville or your local county health department. Include a photocopy of the front and back of your ID and payment by check or money order. A $1 shipping and handling fee applies to mailed orders. The Department of Health does not publish a specific processing estimate for mailed long-form requests; expect several weeks, longer during peak periods.¹

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is the only online vendor the Florida Department of Health authorizes.⁷ It is convenient, and it is the most expensive route. VitalChek adds a $7 service fee to the state fee, and all online orders include a mandatory $10 rush fee. A single long-form certificate ordered online runs at least $31 before shipping, compared with $14 at a county walk-in window without the rush fee.

Fees

Ordering directly from the state (not through VitalChek):

First long-form (photocopy) certificate: $14
First short-form (computer-generated) certificate: $9
Each additional copy of the same record, either type, ordered at the same time: $4
Rush fee for priority processing: $10
Shipping and handling for mail orders: $1

A $9 non-refundable search fee is built into every order. If the Bureau searches and finds no record, that money is not returned.¹ That matters if you’re not sure your birth was registered in Florida or if the spelling on file might be different from what you’re submitting. County health department pricing can vary slightly from the state schedule, so confirm when you call or visit.

If You Need the Certificate for Use Abroad

A foreign government will usually not accept a Florida birth certificate on its own. You need an apostille if the destination country belongs to the 1961 Hague Convention, or an authentication certificate if it does not.⁸

There is a rule that catches people who already have a certificate in hand: the Florida Secretary of State will only apostille a birth certificate that was issued directly by the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville and signed by the State Registrar. Certificates from county health departments are not accepted.⁹ If your existing copy came from a county office, order a new one from the Bureau before you send anything to the Secretary of State.

The Florida apostille fee is $10 per document. Send a cover letter naming the country of use so the office can issue the right form. Mail requests go to the Division of Corporations in Tallahassee, and a prepaid return envelope or courier air bill speeds the return trip.⁹

For non-Hague countries, the document also needs federal-level authentication from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications after the state certifies it. Mail processing takes about five weeks; walk-in service at the Washington, D.C. office takes seven business days.⁸ Do not have the birth certificate notarized before you submit it for authentication. Notarization will invalidate it for this purpose.¹⁰

1
Florida Department of Health. Birth Certificates
2
eCFR. Title 22 CFR 51.42 – Persons Born in the United States Applying for a Passport for the First Time
3
Florida House of Representatives. 2024 Florida Statutes 0382.025
4
Florida Department of Health. Application for Florida Birth Certificate (DH 726)
5
Florida Department of Health. Affidavit to Release Birth Certificate (DH Form 1958)
6
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 63 Section 162 – Hearings and Records in Adoption Proceedings
7
Florida Department of Health. Order Certificates From VitalChek
8
U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications
9
Florida Department of State. Procedure for Notarial or Apostille Certification
10
U.S. Department of State. Preparing Your Document for an Authentication Certificate