To get a Texas birth certificate, you order a certified copy from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vital Statistics Section online, by mail, or in person. Each copy costs $23, and turnaround runs from same-day at a walk-in office to about 6–8 weeks by standard mail. What you’ll need to provide depends on who you are to the person on the record and how you’re placing the order.
Who Can Order a Copy
Texas treats birth records filed within the past 75 years as protected, so the state limits who can request them.1Northern District of Texas. Birth Certificate You can order your own certificate or one for an immediate family member. Texas defines immediate family as a parent or guardian, spouse, adult child, sibling, or grandparent of the person named on the record.2Texas Department of State Health Services. How to Obtain a Texas Birth Certificate
If you live outside Texas and want to order online, the rules tighten. Out-of-state residents can use the online portal only to request their own record or their minor child’s record (and only when they’re listed as a parent on that record). To request a sibling’s, spouse’s, or grandparent’s certificate from out of state, order by mail or in person.3Texas Department of State Health Services. Requirements for Online Orders
Attorneys and other non-family requesters must document a direct, tangible interest in the record, most commonly with a certified court order establishing guardianship or legal custody.4Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Birth Certificate Application Records older than 75 years are no longer restricted and can be requested by anyone.
Which Certificate to Order: Long Form or Short Form
Texas issues two versions, and the wrong choice can hold up a passport application. The long-form certificate is a copy of the original birth record and includes the fullest detail, including the hospital name and any correction history. The short-form certificate is an abbreviated abstract showing only current information: name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, and parents’ names.5Texas Department of State Health Services. Record Types
For a U.S. passport, order the long form. The U.S. Department of State requires a birth certificate that lists the hospital name, which the long form includes and the short form does not. A short-form Texas certificate is accepted for passport purposes only if it has the letter “i” printed next to the date filed, indicating institutional use.6Office of Immigrant and Citizenship Services | UT Dallas. Application Services When in doubt, order the long form; it works for anything the short form does and for the situations the short form doesn’t.
Information and ID You’ll Need
The application asks for the full name on the birth record, the date and place of birth, and both parents’ full names, including any maiden name before first marriage.7Texas Department of State Health Services. Application for Birth Record You’ll also state your relationship to the person on the record and your reason for the request. Fill everything in exactly as it appears on your existing ID. Mismatches between the application and the ID are one of the most common reasons requests get delayed.
Every applicant must include a valid government-issued photo ID (a photocopy for online and mail; the original if you walk in). A current Texas driver’s license or ID card, an unexpired U.S. passport, or an active U.S. military ID card each works on its own as primary identification.8Legal Information Institute. Texas Code 37-15.24 – Identification of Applicants Without one of those, you can combine two secondary IDs (for example, a certified birth certificate from another state, a court order showing your name and date of birth, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad), or one secondary ID plus two supporting documents like a Social Security card, voter registration card, school record, or insurance policy.9Department of Public Safety. Identification Requirements
Applications cannot be processed without an ID and a signature, so don’t skip either even if everything else is complete.
How to Place the Order
Online
The fastest remote option is the DSHS online portal at Texas.gov.10Texas Department of State Health Services. Order Vital Records You enter the application information, upload a scanned copy of your ID, and pay by credit or debit card. Current processing through the state portal takes an estimated 10–15 business days.1Northern District of Texas. Birth Certificate Out-of-state residents ordering online can only request their own record or their minor child’s.
Third-party services like VitalChek also process Texas orders, and some local offices offer their own online ordering with faster turnaround. Third-party services charge a processing fee on top of the state’s $23, which can raise the total noticeably.
By Mail
Mail requests go to the DSHS Vital Statistics Section. Include the completed application, a photocopy of your valid ID, and payment. Mail applications for birth certificates must be notarized. That requirement is unique to mail orders and does not apply to walk-in requests.11Texas Department of State Health Services. Mail Application for Birth Record
For standard processing, mail to:
Texas Vital Statistics
Department of State Health Services
P.O. Box 12040
Austin, TX 78711-2040
Standard mail processing runs roughly 6–8 weeks through DSHS. For faster service, add the $25 expedited fee and ship the application by overnight carrier (FedEx, UPS, or similar) to:12Texas Department of State Health Services. Vital Statistics Mailing Addresses
Texas Vital Statistics, MC 2096
Department of State Health Services
1100 W. 49th Street
Austin, TX 78756
Pay by personal check, cashier’s check, or money order payable to DSHS Vital Statistics.13Texas Department of State Health Services. Birth Record FAQs Some local county offices that accept mail requests turn them around in about 2–3 weeks.
In Person
Walk-in requests are handled at the DSHS office in Austin and at local vital records offices across the state. Bring the completed application, your original ID (not a photocopy), and payment. The DSHS Austin office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and most walk-in requests are processed the same day.7Texas Department of State Health Services. Application for Birth Record In-person payment can be made by check, cashier’s check, money order, or credit or debit card.13Texas Department of State Health Services. Birth Record FAQs
If you need a certificate quickly and can reach Austin or a county clerk’s office that handles vital records, walking in is the fastest option.
Fees
A certified copy of a Texas birth certificate costs $23, which includes a non-refundable search fee. Each additional copy in the same order also costs $23.14Denton County. Vital Records Fee Schedule There’s no discount for ordering multiple copies at once, so order only what you actually need.
For faster mail service, add a $25 expedited fee and ship overnight.15Texas Department of State Health Services. Vital Applications and Forms Online orders through third-party processors like VitalChek carry their own service charge above the $23 state fee.
Free Copies for Foster and Homeless Youth
Texas waives the birth certificate fee entirely for foster children and homeless youth. Under Texas Health and Safety Code §191.0049, any state registrar, local registrar, or county clerk must issue a certified copy of the birth record at no cost and without requiring parental consent.16Texas Public Law. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 191.0049 The same youth are also exempt from fees for a Texas ID card and driver’s license.
To qualify, the youth must provide a letter certifying homeless status from an authorized official, typically a school district official, the director of an emergency shelter funded by HUD, the director of a runaway and homeless youth center, or the director of a transitional living program.17Texas Department of State Health Services. Certification of Homeless Status for Texas Birth Certificate The waiver removes the chicken-and-egg problem of needing an ID to get a birth certificate and a birth certificate to get an ID.
If You Need It for Use Abroad
A certified Texas birth certificate isn’t automatically recognized by foreign governments. If you need the record for something like getting married abroad, claiming citizenship in another country, or an international adoption, you’ll need an apostille, which is a separate step after you have the certified copy.
When placing your order, list “Apostille” as the reason for the request. Once the certified copy arrives, send it to the Texas Secretary of State’s office with the required fee.18Texas Department of State Health Services. Records for Foreign Governments (Apostille) DSHS does not handle apostille fees; that piece runs through the Secretary of State. The apostille fee is $15 per document, or $10 per document for international adoptions (capped at $100 per child).19Texas Secretary of State. Request for Authentication or Apostille Plan for both the $23 birth certificate fee and the $15 apostille fee, and give yourself extra time for two back-to-back government processes.