PA Long Form Birth Certificate: Requirements, ID, and How to Order

A PA long form birth certificate is a photocopy of the original birth record filed with the state registrar, sometimes called a vault copy, and you order it from the Pennsylvania Department of Health for $20 by mail or in person, or $30 online through the state’s authorized vendor VitalChek.¹ When you apply, tell the Department on the form that you need the long form rather than the standard abstract, and say what it’s for.

What Makes It the Long Form

Every certified Pennsylvania birth certificate is printed on security paper with a raised seal, and any certified copy the Department issues works for REAL ID, passport applications, and general proof of identity.² The difference between the long form and the standard version is how much of the original record you actually see.

The standard abstract is a computer-printed summary of the key facts. The long form reproduces the original document as it was filed at the time of birth, handwriting and all. That usually means the parents’ ages and birthplaces, the name and signature of the attending physician or midwife, the specific hospital or address of the delivery, and any marginal notes clerks added during processing.

For everyday uses like renewing a driver’s license or enrolling a child in school, the abstract is enough. Reach for the long form when a foreign government requires a vault copy (a common step in dual citizenship applications), when an attorney asks for one, or when you’re doing genealogical research where every detail on the original matters.

Who Can Order One

Pennsylvania limits access to birth records to people with a direct interest. You can request your own certificate, and parents can request a child’s. Immediate family members (siblings, adult children, grandparents) generally qualify. So do legal representatives with documented authority, such as someone holding a power of attorney or a court order. The application asks you to state your relationship to the person named on the certificate.

Identification You’ll Need

You have to show an unexpired government-issued photo ID. A Pennsylvania driver’s license or non-driver ID card is the simplest option; a valid U.S. passport or military ID also works.³

If you don’t have any unexpired photo ID, the Department accepts two alternate documents that verify your name and current mailing address, such as a recent bank statement, pay stub, utility bill, lease, tax return, or current vehicle registration. A short list of other substitutions is available on the Department’s acceptable ID page, including two pieces of current legitimate mail if nothing else is available.³ If you’re mailing your application, send a legible photocopy of your ID rather than the original.

Information to Have Ready

Before you sit down with the application, pull together:

The full legal name of the person named on the certificate, exactly as recorded at birth
Date of birth
The municipality and county of birth (not just “Pennsylvania”)
Both parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name
Your relationship to the person on the record
The reason you’re requesting the certificate

Vague or incorrect birth location information is one of the most common reasons applications get delayed, because the Department uses those details to search the statewide registry. The reason for your request isn’t just paperwork either. It helps staff route the request, and it’s where you flag that you specifically need the long-form vault copy rather than the abstract. If it’s for a foreign citizenship application or another purpose that requires the original photocopied record, say so clearly.

How to Place the Order

Pennsylvania offers three ways to request a birth certificate: online, by mail, or in person at a branch office.

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is the state’s only approved online vendor, and orders go through mycertificates.health.pa.gov, available around the clock.² You’ll pay the $20 certificate fee plus a non-refundable $10 service fee, for a total of $30 per copy.¹ Processing currently takes about two weeks.⁴

By Mail

Mail applications cost $20 per certificate with no service fee. Send the completed application, a photocopy of your ID, and payment to:

Division of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103-1528⁵

Processing runs about two weeks from the date the Department receives your application, not counting transit time in either direction.⁴ If anything on your application is incomplete or unclear, staff will contact you, and that adds time.

In Person

The Department of Health operates six Vital Records branch offices around the state where you can apply in person.² The Department specifically recommends this route for urgent requests. The fee is the same $20, and you’ll get your certificate much sooner than through the mail.

If You Need It for Use Abroad

If a foreign government is asking for your Pennsylvania birth certificate, you’ll almost certainly need an apostille to go with it. The apostille is a separate authentication step handled by the Pennsylvania Department of State, which confirms that the state registrar’s signature and seal on the birth certificate are genuine.⁶

The apostille costs $15 per document. To request one by mail, send the original certified birth certificate (not a photocopy), a cover letter or the Department’s “Request for Legalization of Documents” form identifying the destination country, a check or money order payable to “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Pennsylvania Department of State
Apostilles & Certifications
North Office Building, Room 201
401 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0029⁶

Appointments are also available in person. Walk-in payment is by check, money order, or credit card only; the Department stopped accepting cash in November 2024. Do not have the birth certificate notarized before submitting it for an apostille. Requirements vary by country, so check with the relevant embassy or consulate first to confirm whether they need the long form, the standard abstract, or both.

Births Before 1906

Pennsylvania didn’t begin mandatory statewide birth registration until January 1, 1906. If the birth you’re researching happened before that date, the Department of Health won’t have a record, and neither the long form nor the abstract is available from the state.⁷ For those years, the Department directs researchers to the Orphans’ Court Clerks at the county Courts of Common Pleas, and to supplementary sources like church baptismal records, family bibles, and census records held by the Pennsylvania State Archives and the State Library of Pennsylvania.⁸

1
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Request a Birth Certificate
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Pennsylvania Department of Health. Birth Certificates
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Acceptable ID
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Processing Times – Vital Records
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Pennsylvania
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Certifications, Apostilles, and the Authentication of Documents
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State Library of Pennsylvania. Birth and Death Certificates
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Genealogy – Vital Records