To get a North Dakota birth certificate, you order a certified copy from the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Vital Records. Each copy is $15. You can apply online, by mail, or in person by appointment in Bismarck, and once Vital Records has your request, processing runs about 3 to 5 business days before the certificate ships.
Who Can Order One
North Dakota restricts who may receive a certified birth certificate. You qualify if you’re the person named on the record (you must be at least 16), a parent listed on the record, a legal guardian or attorney with documentation of your authority, a relative of the person named if that person has died, or a homeless youth agency acting for someone it serves. A court of competent jurisdiction can also order release of any birth record.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 23-02.1-27 – Disclosure of Records
Adoption records are confidential and are not released through this process regardless of who is asking.
What to Gather Before You Apply
The application is Form SFN 8140, downloadable from the North Dakota HHS Vital Records forms page.2Health and Human Services North Dakota. Vital Records Forms You’ll need the full name at birth of the person named on the record, the date and place of birth, and both parents’ full names including the mother’s maiden name.
You also need proof of identity. One legible photocopy of a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID is enough on its own. Accepted forms include:
- U.S. state or territory driver’s license (accepted if expired within the last 30 days)
- State-issued photo ID card
- Bureau of Indian Affairs tribal ID (front and back)
- U.S. military ID (active duty, dependent, retired, reserve, or National Guard)
- U.S. passport, visa, or permanent resident card
If you don’t have any of those, send photocopies of two secondary documents instead. Options include a Social Security card, a utility bill or bank statement less than three months old showing your current address, a motor vehicle registration less than a year old, a Medicaid or Medicare card, a tribal enrollment record showing date of birth, a recent paycheck stub or prior-year W-2 (only one of those two counts), or a DD Form 214. A notarized application can also stand in for separate ID documents.3Health and Human Services North Dakota. Certified Copies of Birth by Mail
Three Ways to Submit Your Request
Online
The fastest route is the state’s secure ordering portal at vrcerts.hhs.nd.gov. You create an account, enter the required information, upload your ID, and pay electronically. It’s run directly by the state, not a third-party reseller.4Health and Human Services North Dakota. Vital Records Online Ordering Portal
By Mail
Complete Form SFN 8140, enclose a photocopy of your identification, and send it with payment to:
Vital Records
600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 325
Bismarck, ND 58505-0250
Checks and money orders should be made payable to “ND DHHS.”5Health and Human Services North Dakota. Vital Records
In Person
You can visit the Vital Records office in Bismarck, but you’ll need to schedule an appointment first. Walk-ins are generally not accepted.
Cost and Processing Time
A certified copy costs $15. State law caps the fee at that amount per copy.6North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 23-02.1-29 – Fees
Once Vital Records receives your request, processing takes roughly 3 to 5 business days. That window doesn’t include time in the mail on the way back to you. If you need the certificate quickly, ordering online and choosing an expedited return shipping option is the fastest path.
If You Need It for a REAL ID
To use a North Dakota birth certificate for a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, it must be a state-certified, government-issued original with a registrar’s signature and official seal. Hospital souvenir certificates and photocopies won’t work. Order the certified copy directly from Vital Records.7North Dakota Department of Transportation. REAL ID Checklist
If You Need It for Use Abroad
For a foreign government that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention, North Dakota coordinates the apostille internally so you don’t have to shuttle documents between agencies. When you place your order online or by mail, note in the comments that you need an apostille and list the destination country. After Vital Records processes the certificate, it forwards the request to the Secretary of State’s office, which will contact you to confirm the request and collect its fee. The finished apostilled certificate ships back to you using the return method you selected on the original order.8Health and Human Services North Dakota. Apostille
Fixing an Error on the Record
Eligible items include the child’s name, date of birth, sex, place of birth, parents’ names, and mother’s maiden name. How you fix them depends on how old the record is.
Within the First Year
Within one year of the birth, a parent or legal guardian can request a correction in writing at no charge. All parents listed on the record must agree, and each item can only be corrected this way once; a second correction to the same item requires a court order. Any previously issued certified copies have to be returned before the correction is made, and if you finish the process within 30 days, replacement copies are free.9Health and Human Services North Dakota. Correcting a Birth Record
After One Year
After a year, the change is treated as a formal amendment. Start by requesting a certified copy on the standard birth request form, filled out with the information as you want it to appear, along with the $15 fee and your ID. If you already ordered a copy in the last 90 days, you can skip that step. Then contact Vital Records at (701) 328-2360 or vitalrec@nd.gov for the supporting documentation you’ll need to submit. Processing runs about 3 to 5 business days once everything is in.
You must be at least 18 to request an amendment to your own record. Parents can request amendments only if they’re listed on the certificate. Guardians and representatives must include a certified court order. Amendments cannot be made to a deceased person’s record. Amended certificates carry notes near the bottom of the birth information explaining what was changed and what documentation supported the change, so the amendment is visible on the face of the certificate.
Adding a Father’s Name
When a child is born to unmarried parents, the father’s name isn’t automatically recorded on the birth certificate. Both parents can add it by signing a North Dakota Acknowledgment of Paternity form, after receiving a verbal explanation of the rights, responsibilities, and legal consequences of signing.
Timing changes how the addition works. Signed at the hospital, the father’s name is recorded automatically. Signed anytime before the child’s first birthday, it’s added to the certificate at no cost. Signed after the first birthday, Vital Records charges a small fee to add the name. There is no fee to file the acknowledgment form itself.
The acknowledgment is only for biological parents and does not substitute for adoption. If the mother was married to another man at the time of the birth or within 300 days before it, the husband must also sign to deny paternity. If either parent has any doubt about biological parentage, don’t sign; pursue genetic testing instead.10Health and Human Services North Dakota. Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment FAQs