Where Can I Get My Birth Certificate in Florida?

You can get a certified copy of your birth certificate in Florida from a county health department office, many county tax collector offices, by mail from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville, or online through VitalChek. The Florida Department of Health keeps all state birth records and sets the rules on who may request a copy and what identification is required. Costs run from about $15 for an in-person county request up to $35 or more for an online order with rush shipping.

County Health Department Office

Walking into your local county health department office is usually the quickest way to walk out with a certified birth certificate the same day. Most offices can print a computer-generated certificate during your visit. County offices have access to statewide birth records going back to roughly 1917, when Florida began consistently registering births at the state level.¹ For births earlier than that, you need to go through the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville.

Fees vary by county. Expect roughly $15 to $20 for the first certified copy, with additional copies ordered at the same visit costing less. Bring your original photo ID and check which payment methods the office accepts before you go. The Department of Health posts a county locator on its website.

County Tax Collector Office

Many Florida counties also issue birth certificates through tax collector offices, which can be more convenient depending on where you live. The eligibility rules and ID requirements are the same, but tax collector offices add an administrative surcharge on top of the state fee. In Pasco County, for instance, the first copy runs $18.25 and additional copies are $8 each.

Tax collector offices typically handle straightforward requests where the applicant is the person on the record, a parent listed on the record, or a parent signing for a minor child. More complicated situations, such as requests through a legal representative or a court order, are usually directed back to the county health department.

By Mail from the Bureau of Vital Statistics

If you’d rather not visit an office, mail your request to the state. Send a completed Form DH 726, a photocopy of your valid photo ID, and payment to:²

Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042

The Department of Health lists the certificate fee at $19.³ Pay by check or money order made out to the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Once the Bureau receives your request, normal processing for a computer-generated certificate takes three to five business days, plus mailing time in both directions. Photocopy-generated certificates and amended records take longer. If the Bureau can’t find a matching record, the search fee is not refunded, but you’ll receive a certified statement that no record was found.⁴

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is the only vendor the Florida Department of Health has contracted to process online and telephone orders by credit card.⁵ The Department states that it is not affiliated with any other online service. If a different website offers to sell you a Florida birth certificate, be cautious: those third-party sites typically charge inflated fees and may not deliver a legitimate certified copy.

Through VitalChek, you’ll pay the state certificate fee plus a $7 service fee and a $10 rush processing fee. UPS shipping with signature required costs extra. Totals usually land between $30 and $40 depending on shipping. You upload a digital copy of your photo ID during checkout, get an emailed confirmation, and receive the certificate by mail or courier once it’s processed.

Who Can Request a Copy

Before any office will hand you a certificate, you have to be legally eligible to receive one. Florida birth records are confidential for 125 years from the date of birth.⁶ During that period, only certain people may obtain a certified copy:

The person named on the certificate, if they are 18 or older, a certified homeless youth, or an emancipated minor.
A parent or legal guardian listed on the record.
A legal representative acting on behalf of the registrant or their estate.
Immediate family of a deceased registrant, meaning a spouse, adult child, grandchild, or sibling, after providing the registrant’s death certificate.
Law enforcement and government agencies for official purposes.
Anyone with a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction.

After 125 years, if the record isn’t sealed by court order, anyone may request it.⁶ One boundary worth noting: if the person on the record was adopted in Florida, the Bureau created a new certificate listing the adoptive parents and sealed the original. Any copy you request will be the amended version. Access to the sealed original generally requires written consent from the birth parents, proof they are deceased, or a court order finding good cause.

Identification and Form You’ll Need

Every request requires a completed application and valid photo identification. The form is Form DH 726, available on the Department of Health website or at county offices, with a Spanish version also available.⁷ If someone other than the registrant, a listed parent, or a legal guardian is applying, you’ll also need documentation proving the legal relationship.

On the form, give the full name on the record, date of birth, county of birth, and both parents’ full names including the mother’s maiden name. Print clearly. A mismatch between the name on your application and the name in state records is the single most common cause of delay.

Photo ID

You must provide a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID. Accepted forms include a driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, military ID, permanent resident card, Certificate of Naturalization, concealed weapons license, or pilot’s license.⁸ For in-person requests, staff view the original; for mail requests, include a clear photocopy.

If You Don’t Have a Photo ID

If you lack a valid photo ID, Florida Administrative Code 64V-1.0131 lets you submit three pieces of secondary identification that together establish who you are. Examples include a vehicle registration, health or auto insurance card, Social Security card, marriage license, school photo ID, employment photo badge, or a property tax bill. Each document must clearly tie to the applicant, and the state registrar has discretion to accept or reject the combination.

What You’ll Pay

Florida Statute 382.0255 sets fee ranges rather than fixed prices, so the Department of Health can adjust amounts by administrative rule.⁴ A practical summary of what to expect:

Bureau of Vital Statistics by mail: $19 for a certified copy.³
Online via VitalChek: the state fee plus a $7 service fee, $10 rush processing, and UPS shipping, typically $30 to $40 total.
County health departments: generally $15 to $20 for the first copy, with reduced pricing on additional copies ordered at the same time.
Tax collector offices: the state fee plus a county administrative surcharge, usually $18 to $22 for a first copy.
Commemorative certificate: $25 for a display-quality version signed by the Governor. This is a keepsake and is not valid for passports, school enrollment, or any other legal purpose.⁴

Fees change periodically, and payment methods vary by office. Call or check the website of whichever office you plan to use before you go.

1
Library of Congress. Vital Records – Florida: Local History and Genealogy Resource Guide
2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Florida
3
Florida Department of Health. Birth Certificates
4
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 382.0255 – Fees
5
Florida Department of Health. Order Certificates from VitalChek
6
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 382.025 – Certified Copies of Vital Records; Confidentiality; Research
7
Florida Department of Health. Publications, Forms, and Applications
8
Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 64V-1.0131 – Certifications of Vital Records; Information Required for Release; Applicant Identification Requirements