Where Can You Get a Birth Certificate in Georgia?

To get a birth certificate in Georgia, submit the state’s Form 3918 along with valid photo ID, any documents proving your relationship to the person named on the record, and a $25 fee to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s State Office of Vital Records. You can order online, by mail, or in person at a county vital records office. The office keeps records for births in Georgia from January 1919 to the present.¹

Who Can Request a Copy

Georgia restricts certified birth certificates to people with a direct connection to the person named on the record. What you need to show depends on that connection:

The person named on the certificate: valid government-issued photo ID.
A parent listed on the certificate: valid photo ID showing they are the named parent.
A legal guardian: a certified copy of the court order establishing guardianship.
A grandparent: the registrant’s parent’s birth certificate proving the family connection.
An adult child or adult sibling: their own birth certificate showing at least one shared parent, plus valid government-issued photo ID.
A spouse: a copy of the marriage certificate, a photocopy of the registrant’s signature, and a notarized letter from the registrant granting permission.

A legal representative acting for any eligible person can request a copy by providing documentation of their authority to do so.²

What to Gather Before You Apply

Every request uses Form 3918 (Request for Search of Birth), downloadable from the Department of Public Health’s vital records page.² You’ll fill in information about both the person on the record and yourself.

For the person on the certificate, you need the full name on the record, the date of birth, the city or county of birth, and the full names of both parents (including the mother’s maiden name if listed). For yourself, the form asks for your name, date of birth, Social Security number, address, and relationship to the person on the record.¹

Bring or attach valid photo identification. A current state-issued driver’s license or ID card is the standard accepted form.² Depending on how you’re related to the registrant, add the supporting proof listed above.

How to Order

Online

The fastest way to submit is through the state’s ROVER portal, run by the Department of Public Health. Two approved third-party vendors, VitalChek and GO Certificates, also handle online orders. All three accept major credit and debit cards, and you upload scanned copies of your ID and supporting documents during the process.³ Online orders carry an extra $8 processing fee on top of the certificate cost.¹

By Mail

Send your completed Form 3918, a photocopy of your valid photo ID, any required proof of relationship, and payment to:

State Office of Vital Records
1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30349⁴

Pay by money order or cashier’s check. Personal checks are not accepted.⁵

In Person

If you need a certificate quickly, go to your nearest county vital records office. The state office in Atlanta does not offer same-day service, but county offices can often issue certificates much faster than the standard timeline.⁶ Bring your completed application, original ID, supporting documents, and payment. Accepted payment methods vary by county, so call ahead.

Fees and Processing Time

A certified copy costs $25. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $5.⁷ Online orders add the $8 processing fee.¹

Standard processing for online and mail orders takes up to 10 weeks from the date the office receives your complete application and payment. Plan well ahead of any deadline.⁶

Expedited shipping is available for online orders at $16 per order. It speeds up delivery once the certificate is ready, but it does not shorten processing. Your order still takes up to 10 weeks before it ships.⁸ Completed records ship by USPS for standard orders and FedEx for expedited ones.⁶

Births Before 1919

The State Office of Vital Records only holds birth records from January 1919 onward.¹ For an earlier birth, contact the county where the birth occurred or the Georgia Archives.² Older county records may sit with the local probate court or county clerk’s office, and availability varies widely.

Correcting a Birth Certificate

Errors can be corrected through the State Office of Vital Records. The price depends on timing:

Changes made within the first year after the child’s birth are free.
Changes made after the first year cost $10 plus the price of a new certified certificate ($25). These include legal name changes, adoptions, paternity acknowledgments, and adding a parent to the record.

Amendments based on a court order, such as an adoption or legal name change, require the original order or a certified copy bearing the court seal.²⁷

If a Birth Was Never Recorded

When a Georgia birth was never officially registered, the person whose birth it is, their parent, legal guardian, or legal representative can apply for a delayed birth certificate. The applicant signs and swears to the accuracy of the information before a notary or other official authorized to administer oaths. If the person is under 18 or unable to sign, a parent, legal guardian, or legal representative signs for them.⁹ Contact the State Office of Vital Records directly for the specific supporting documents, which vary with the circumstances.

1
Georgia.gov. Order a Birth or Death Certificate
2
Georgia Department of Public Health. Ways to Request a Vital Record – Birth
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Georgia Department of Public Health. Order Certificate Online
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Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia State Office of Vital Records
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Georgia Department of Public Health. Order Georgia Birth and Death Records by Mail
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Georgia.gov. FAQs About Certificates
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Georgia Department of Public Health. Fees for Vital Records
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Georgia Technology Authority. ROVER – Order Birth or Death Certificates
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Legal Information Institute. Georgia Comp. R. and Regs. R. 511-1-3-.06