How to Get a Replacement Birth Certificate in PA: Steps and Fees

To get a replacement birth certificate in PA, order a certified copy from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records online, by mail, or in person. Each copy costs $20. Online and mail requests take about two weeks to process; walk-in requests submitted before 2:30 p.m. at one of the six public offices can often be filled the same day.¹

Who Can Order a Copy

Pennsylvania limits who can request a certified birth certificate. You qualify if you are:

The person named on the certificate. You must be at least 16 to order by mail or in person, and 18 to order online.
An immediate family member: spouse, parent, step-parent, sibling, half-sibling, child, step-child, grandparent, great-grandparent, grandchild, or great-grandchild.
An attorney representing the person on the record, or someone holding power of attorney.

Step-parents and step-children need to attach a marriage certificate showing the family link. Attorneys and power-of-attorney holders must include proof of their authority. If the person on the certificate has died, relatives outside these categories can still get a copy by submitting the death certificate with the application.¹

What to Have Ready Before You Apply

Pull together the details about the person named on the record: full name at birth, date of birth, city and county of birth, and both parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name. You’ll also give your own name, address, phone number, and relationship to the person on the certificate. A Social Security number is not required.

You need a legible copy of an unexpired government-issued photo ID: a driver’s license, state ID card, or U.S. or foreign passport. For mail applications, the ID must show your current mailing address.²

No unexpired photo ID? You can substitute two documents that show your name and current address. Acceptable options include a bank statement or utility bill from within the last 90 days, a current lease, a pay stub, medical records, a vehicle registration, school records, or your most recent tax return. Two pieces of current mail addressed to you will work as a last resort, but junk mail and empty envelopes don’t count.²

The Three Ways to Submit Your Request

Online

Pennsylvania authorizes a single online vendor, VitalChek, at mycertificates.health.pa.gov. You must be 18 or older. The site handles the application, ID upload, and credit card payment. Online orders carry a $10 processing surcharge, so a single certificate runs $30.³

By Mail

Download the application from the Department of Health website, complete it, and mail it with a copy of your photo ID and payment to:

Pennsylvania Department of Health
Division of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103-1528

Pay by check or money order made out to “VITAL RECORDS.” Cash is not accepted by mail.¹

In Person

Walk-in service at a Vital Records public office is the only realistic option when you need the certificate quickly. Requests received before 2:30 p.m. can often be filled the same day. Bring your completed application, valid photo ID, and payment; credit cards are accepted at the counter. Six offices serve the state:⁴

Erie: 156 E 14th Street, Erie, PA 16503
Harrisburg: Forum Place, 1st Floor, 555 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
New Castle: 105 Nesbitt Road, New Castle, PA 16105
Philadelphia: 110 N. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (appointment only)
Pittsburgh: 411 Seventh Avenue, Room 360, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Scranton: Scranton State Office Building, Room 112, 100 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503

Every office accepts walk-ins except Philadelphia, which moved to appointment-only service in October 2025. To book a Philadelphia slot, call 844-228-3516 and choose option 8.⁴

Cost and How Long It Takes

Certified copies are $20 each no matter how many you order. Online orders add the $10 VitalChek surcharge for a total of $30 per copy.³

Both online and mailed applications currently take about two weeks to process, and that clock doesn’t include mailing time on the return trip. Applications that involve a subpoena, court order, power of attorney, or genealogy research take longer. Incomplete forms are one of the most common causes of delay, so read the application over before you send it.⁵

If a deadline is bearing down, go in person before 2:30 p.m.⁴

Free Copies for Veterans and People Experiencing Homelessness

Under Act 137 of 2024, any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable can receive up to 10 free certified copies of a birth or death certificate. The waiver covers certificates for the veteran, their spouse, and dependent children, and spouses, widows, and widowers of eligible veterans can use it too. You’ll need to include documentation of military status.⁶

If you are experiencing homelessness and can’t pay the $20 fee, use the separate application form that includes a built-in fee waiver and an attestation you sign. You can still apply without a current photo ID by checking that option on the form. A shelter director, social worker, or attorney can attest to your identity and receive the certificate on your behalf, using a letter on their organization’s letterhead and a copy of their own photo ID.

If the Certificate Has an Error

If you need to fix a misspelled name, wrong date, or other mistake rather than replace a lost copy, that’s an amendment, not a reorder. Pennsylvania uses different modification forms depending on the age of the person on the record, and the fee is $20. You submit the form with photo ID, fill in only the fields that need correcting, and include documentation supporting the change, such as a certified court order for a legal name change or a marriage certificate for a parentage correction. Some forms need to be notarized. Amendments go to the Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries in Harrisburg rather than the New Castle P.O. box.⁷⁸

If You Weren’t Born in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of Health only issues certificates for births that occurred in Pennsylvania. If you live here but were born in another state, contact the vital records office in your birth state; the CDC’s directory at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w lists every state and territory office.

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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Birth Certificates
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Acceptable ID
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Request a Birth Certificate
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Public Offices
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Processing Times
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Shapiro Administration Announces More Veterans Now Eligible for Free Birth and Death Certificates
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Amending Birth Record
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Legal Information Institute. 28 Pa. Code 1.3 – Amendments to Birth Certificates