Texas Birth Certificate Request: Who Qualifies, Fees, and How to Apply

To request a Texas birth certificate, submit an application with valid ID and the $22 state fee to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vital Statistics Section, either online through Texas.gov, by mail using Form VS-140, or in person at a local registrar’s office. Only certain people can order one, and the information you provide has to match the record on file.

Who Can Order a Texas Birth Certificate

Texas keeps birth records confidential for 75 years. During that window, only a “properly qualified applicant” can order a certified copy under Texas Administrative Code Title 25, Rule 181.1. That means the person named on the certificate, a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, child, legal guardian, or an authorized legal representative.¹

Legal representatives include attorneys, funeral directors, and others designated by affidavit, contract, or court order. A court order isn’t required; a designation document or signed statement explaining the relationship to the record is enough.¹

Once a record is 75 years old, it becomes public and anyone can request it.²

What You Need Before You Apply

DSHS matches your request against its database using biographical details, so missing information is the fastest way to get rejected. Incomplete applications are treated as closed, and resubmitting restarts the clock from day one.³

You’ll need the following about the person named on the certificate:

Full name on the record (first, middle, and last)
Date of birth
Place of birth, including city or town and county (Texas births only)
Both parents’ full names, including each parent’s maiden name

This information goes on Form VS-140, the Mail Application for Birth Record.⁴

Acceptable Identification

DSHS organizes acceptable ID into tiers. One document from Group A is enough on its own. Without a Group A document, you need two from Group B.⁵

Group A covers primary photo ID: a current driver’s license from any U.S. state, a state-issued ID card, a U.S. passport, a military ID, or a U.S. citizenship or naturalization certificate.

Group B covers secondary ID: a signed Social Security card, a Medicaid or Medicare card, a current student ID, an expired Group A document, a veterans affairs card, a medical insurance card, or a foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa.⁵

A separate Group C exists for supporting documents such as lease agreements and utility bills, but these cannot substitute for Group A or B on their own.

Three Ways to Submit Your Request

Online

The state’s official portal at Texas.gov is the fastest remote option. You upload digital copies of your ID and pay by credit or debit card. Online orders don’t need to be notarized. The $22 state fee applies, plus a service fee for the online transaction. Processing runs about 20 to 25 business days.⁶

By Mail

Mail applications go to DSHS Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040.⁷ Two things trip up mail orders. First, you have to sign Form VS-140 in front of a notary public and get the notary seal on the form. Second, you have to include photocopies of your ID. No cross-outs, white-out, or correction tape is allowed on the form.³

Payment is by check or money order payable to “DSHS – Vital Statistics.” Processing runs 25 to 30 business days.⁶ If you’re out of state, the process is identical. Any U.S. notary works, not just a Texas notary.

In Person

Walk-in requests at a local registrar’s office or the DSHS central office in Austin are usually handled the same day, though some take 24 hours or more.⁸ Bring your original photo ID for verification. The Austin city registrar’s office, for example, processes most walk-ins within 30 minutes.⁹ If you need the certificate quickly and can get to an office during business hours, this is the fastest route.

Fees and Processing Times

The state fee for each certified copy is $22, set by Texas Administrative Code.¹⁰ Local registrar offices may charge slightly more. Dallas, for example, charges $23 per certified copy.¹¹ Online orders through Texas.gov add a service fee on top of the $22.

Current processing times:

Online (Texas.gov): 20 to 25 business days
Mail-in: 25 to 30 business days
In person: same day in most cases

Expedited Processing

DSHS prioritizes applications sent overnight that include the expedited processing fee, which recently rose from $5 to $25. Paying this fee speeds up DSHS’s internal processing but does not guarantee the record will be issued; the application still has to meet every requirement.¹² To qualify, send the application via an overnight service like FedEx or UPS rather than regular USPS mail.

Certificates ship by U.S. Postal Service by default. Expedited return shipping costs roughly $16 for overnight delivery within the U.S. or about $23 for USPS Express to a P.O. Box.

If You Need Something Other Than a Standard Copy

A standard VS-140 request produces a certified copy of the record as it exists today. A few related needs follow different procedures:

Fixing an error on the certificate. Corrections use Form VS-170, cost $15 for most changes or $25 for changes involving a parent, plus $22 for a certified copy of the corrected record. Documentary evidence rules vary by what’s being changed, and a court order is required for a legal name change.¹³
A new certificate after adoption. Adoptive parents use Form VS-160 with a certified Certificate of Adoption from the court. The filing fee is $25, plus $22 per certified copy and a $15 Central Adoption Registry fee for each Texas adoption decree.¹⁴
An original birth certificate as an adult adoptee. Adults 18 and older born in Texas can request a noncertified copy of the pre-adoption record for $10. It shows the original information but can’t be used as a legal identity document.¹⁵
Use in a foreign country. You’ll likely need an apostille. Order the certified copy from DSHS first and note “Apostille” as the reason, then send it to the Texas Secretary of State, which charges $15 per apostille (or $10 per adoption-related document, capped at $100 per child). DSHS does not issue the apostille itself.¹⁶¹⁷
A birth that was never registered. A delayed birth certificate can be filed through the State Registrar with documentary evidence of the birth, but only for a living person. If the evidence falls short, you can petition the probate court in the county of birth for a court order.¹⁸

1
Cornell Law Institute. Texas Administrative Code Title 25 Part 1 181.1 – Definitions
2
State of Texas. Texas Government Code 552.115 – Exception Birth and Death Records
3
Texas Department of State Health Services. Requirements for Mail/In-Person Orders
4
Texas Department of State Health Services. Mail Application for Birth Record VS-140
5
Texas Department of State Health Services. Acceptable Identification (ID)
6
Texas Department of State Health Services. Processing Times
7
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Texas
8
Texas Department of State Health Services. Birth Record FAQs
9
City of Austin Services. Get a Birth or Death Certificate
10
Legal Information Institute. Texas Administrative Code 25 181.22 – Fees Charged for Vital Records Services
11
City of Dallas. Office of Community Care and Empowerment Services and Fees
12
Texas Department of State Health Services. Vital Applications and Forms
13
Texas Department of State Health Services. Correcting a Birth Certificate VS-170
14
Texas Department of State Health Services. Amending a Birth Certificate Based on Adoption
15
Texas Department of State Health Services. Original Birth Certificate for Adult Adoptee
16
Texas Department of State Health Services. Records for Foreign Governments (Apostille)
17
Texas Secretary of State. Authentication of Documents – Frequently Asked Questions
18
Legal Information Institute. Texas Administrative Code 25 181.60 – Delayed Certification of Birth