Kansas Birth Certificate Request Form: Submission and Corrections

To get a Kansas birth certificate, send a completed birth application, a copy of your photo ID, and a $20 fee to the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics, which has kept birth records since July 1, 1911. You can order by mail, online or by phone through VitalChek, through the iKan mobile app, or in person at the Topeka office. Each certified copy costs $20; some channels add a processing or expedited fee on top.¹

Who Can Request the Record

Kansas birth records are not public. The state registrar releases a certified copy only when the applicant has a direct interest in the record and needs it to determine personal or property rights.² In practice, that means:

The person named on the record, if they are 18 or older.
Immediate family members, including parents.
Legal representatives with proof of authority, such as a power of attorney or court order.
Anyone with provable direct interest, for example a named life-insurance beneficiary or a joint property owner.³

If you are not the person on the certificate or an immediate family member, plan to submit proof of legal representation, direct interest, or written authorization along with your ID.³

What Goes on the Application

Download the Birth Application PDF from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website.¹ You will list:

The full name of the person as it appeared at birth
Date of birth
County of birth
Both parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name

The $20 fee covers a five-year search: the year you list plus two years on either side. Adding the mother’s maiden name and the county helps the office pull older records faster.

Identification

Every applicant submits a valid government-issued photo ID: a current driver’s license, state ID card, military ID, or U.S. passport. If you have none of these, you can substitute two forms of secondary ID, such as a signed Social Security card together with a utility bill, bank statement, or vehicle registration showing your current address.

How to Submit Your Request

Each certified copy costs $20 regardless of how you order,⁴ but the surcharges and turnaround times differ.

By Mail

Send the completed application, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order for $20 to:

Office of Vital Statistics
Curtis State Office Building
1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221⁵

Standard processing runs 7 to 10 business days after the office receives your request, depending on volume.¹ The certificate is mailed to the address on the form.

Online or by Phone

Kansas uses VitalChek as its authorized third-party processor for internet and telephone orders. The fee is $20 plus a $15 expedited service fee. Orders are processed and mailed within 3 to 5 business days after the office receives them.¹

iKan Mobile App

The iKan app lets you request birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates from your phone. It charges a $5 processing fee on top of the $20 certificate fee and limits you to one certified copy per order.¹ You choose whether the request is for yourself, an immediate family member, or someone else, enter the event details, and verify your identity in the app. Standard mail delivery takes 7 to 10 days after the record ships.

Walk-In in Topeka

The customer service lobby at 1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 120, in Topeka is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays. No appointment is needed. Go to the first available kiosk to start your request.⁶ This is the fastest route if you are in the area and need the document the same day.

If you only need one copy and are not in a rush, mailing a check saves you $15 compared to VitalChek. If you need the certificate within days, the online expedited fee is the tradeoff.

Fixing Errors on a Certificate

All amendment requests use the Amendment Request Form from KDHE and cost $20.¹ What you have to send with it depends on the change. For an adult record (age 18 and up):⁷

Misspelled name: one original or certified document dated before the person’s tenth birthday showing the correct spelling, such as early school, hospital, or immunization records.
Wrong birth date: two original or certified documents dated before the person’s tenth birthday showing the correct date.
Missing first or middle name: one certified document dated at least five years ago showing the name as it should appear.
Missing last name or entire name: two original or certified documents dated at least five years ago.
Legal name change (a change, not a correction): a certified court order plus a cover letter with the name at birth, date of birth, and what you want changed.

Amendment requests must be notarized, and the office can decline or ask for more documentation.

For a minor, adding a parent takes a different path. If no parent is listed in the father or second-parent field and the mother was not married between conception and birth, both parents can complete a Paternity Consent Form and appear before a Kansas district court judge, with no attorney or court fees. If another parent is already listed, or the mother was married during that period, you need a court order of paternity naming both men as parties.⁸

If the Birth Was Never Recorded

A Kansas birth that was never registered can still be added to the record through a delayed birth certificate. Contact the Office of Vital Statistics to have a delayed birth packet mailed to you. The packet contains the birth certificate form (completed and signed before a notary), filing instructions, and a list of acceptable supporting documents. Filing costs $30, separate from the cost of a certified copy once the record exists.⁹

Using the Certificate Abroad

If you need the certificate recognized in another country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention, request an apostille from the Kansas Secretary of State. Send the original certified birth certificate, your contact information, and the name of the destination country by mail or bring them in person to the Docking State Office Building, 915 SW Harrison Street, Topeka, KS 66612. As of March 2, 2026, the fee is $10 per document.¹⁰ Order the certified birth certificate from Vital Statistics first; the Secretary of State cannot apostille an uncertified copy. Budget both fees: $20 for the certificate and $10 for the apostille.

1
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Birth Certificate
2
Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 65-2422d – Certified Copies, Abstracts, Searches
3
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Office of Vital Statistics
4
Cornell Law Institute. Kansas Administrative Regulations 28-17-6 – Fees for Copies, Abstracts, and Searches
5
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Kansas
6
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Walk-in
7
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Amend Adult Birth Certificates
8
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Amend Minor Birth Certificates
9
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. File a Delayed Certificate of Birth
10
Kansas Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications