To apply for a North Dakota birth certificate, download form SFN 8140 from the state Department of Health and Human Services, complete it, attach proof of your identity, and send it with a $15 check or money order to the Vital Records Unit in Bismarck. Only certain people are legally allowed to order a copy, so eligibility is the first thing to confirm before you spend the fee.
Who Is Allowed to Order a Copy
North Dakota keeps birth records confidential for 125 years after the date of birth. Under North Dakota Century Code Section 23-02.1-27, a certified copy can be issued to:
- The person named on the record, if they are at least 16 years old
- A parent named on the record
- An authorized representative, meaning someone with legal authority to act on behalf of the person named, such as a personal representative or guardian
- A homeless youth agency
- Anyone with a court order directing release of the record
Spouses, adult children, and siblings are not separately listed as eligible. If you fit one of those categories and do not otherwise have legal authority to act for the person on the record, you need either a written authorization from someone who is eligible or a court order.
When the person named on the record is deceased, access broadens to include relatives. Be ready to show proof of death and proof of your relationship to the person who died.
What the SFN 8140 Asks For
The form is titled “Request for Certified Copy of a Birth Record” and is available as a free PDF from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. You will fill in details about the person whose record you need:
- Full legal name at the time of birth
- Date of birth
- City or county of birth
- Father’s full name, or the adoptive father or parent if the person was adopted
- Mother’s full name including maiden name, or the adoptive mother or parent if adopted
The parental names carry more weight than people expect. The Vital Records Unit uses them to locate the file, and a mismatched maiden name is one of the most common reasons a search fails. If you are unsure of a spelling, note the uncertainty on the form rather than guessing.
You also complete a requester section with your name, address, daytime phone number, your relationship to the person on the record, and your signature attesting the information is true.
Identification You Must Include
Every application needs identity verification. You have three ways to satisfy it.
One primary ID. A single unexpired, government-issued photo ID such as a state driver’s license or photo ID card, a Bureau of Indian Affairs tribal ID, a U.S. military ID, a U.S. passport or visa, or a U.S. permanent resident card.
Two secondary IDs. Two different documents from the secondary list, which includes a Social Security card, a Medicare or Medicaid card, a utility bill showing your current address dated within the last three months, or a bank statement showing your current address dated within the last three months. The two documents cannot be the same type.
A notarized application. If you cannot produce primary or secondary ID, have your signature on the application notarized instead.
Send legible, unexpired copies. Blurry scans and expired documents are a routine reason applications come back unprocessed.
Fees and Payment
Each certified copy costs $15. That fee covers one search of the state’s files and one copy. Additional copies are $15 each.
Payment by mail must be a check or money order made payable to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. Cash is not accepted by mail. Online orders can be paid by credit or debit card, though the online vendor may add a processing fee on top of the $15 state charge.
How to Submit the Application
By Mail
Send the completed SFN 8140, ID copies, and payment to:
Vital Records
600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 325
Bismarck, ND 58505-0250
Processing after the office receives the envelope runs three to five business days. Add mail time in both directions, and plan for roughly two weeks from drop-off to delivery.
In Person
The Vital Records office in Bismarck accepts walk-in requests during regular business hours. In-person applications are usually completed the same day or the next day, making this the fastest route if you can get there.
Online
The state offers an online ordering portal that collects the same information the paper form does and accepts credit or debit cards. Processing after the order is received is the same three to five business days, plus return mail time.
Sending Someone Else on Your Behalf
Anyone eligible to receive a certified copy can grant that same authority to another person using a written authorization form prescribed by the state. Your designee becomes your authorized representative for that specific request and must bring their own ID along with the signed authorization when they submit the application. This is useful when you live out of state and want a local relative or attorney to handle the request in person.
Correcting an Error on a Birth Record
How you fix a mistake depends on the type of error and how old the person on the record is.
Obvious Errors in the First Year
Obvious errors, transposed letters, and omissions can be corrected by the state registrar within the first year after the date of birth. A parent or another person with a direct interest can request the fix without a formal amendment.
Amendments After the First Year
After the first birthday, corrections generally require documentary evidence:
- Day or month of birth: one item of evidence established before the applicant’s 18th birthday.
- Year of birth: two items of evidence, both established before the applicant’s 18th birthday.
- Other corrections: one or more items of evidence established at least five years before the application date and before the applicant’s 18th birthday.
To start an amendment, order a certified copy of the record using SFN 8140 and the $15 fee, then work with the Vital Records Unit to submit the supporting documents.
Adding or Changing a Given Name
Given names follow their own rules. Before the child’s first birthday, either both parents, the sole custodial parent, or a guardian with legal custody can request the change in writing. After the first birthday, adding a name that was never recorded takes two items of documentary evidence: one established before the child’s eighth birthday and one before their eighteenth.
Using the Certificate Abroad
A North Dakota birth certificate presented to a foreign government will usually need an apostille, a certificate issued by the North Dakota Secretary of State that authenticates the document for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. Order the certified copy from Vital Records first, then submit that copy to the Secretary of State’s office in the Bismarck Capitol complex for authentication. Contact the Secretary of State’s Authentications Division for current fees and turnaround.
Countries outside the Hague Convention may require a different process, sometimes called chain authentication or legalization, that runs through the U.S. Department of State. Check with the destination country’s embassy or consulate before you start so you know which form of authentication they will accept.