Birth Certificates

The Alabama Center for Health Statistics began filing birth certificates in 1908 for persons born in Alabama.

Restrictions

By Alabama law, birth certificates are confidential records with restricted access for 125 years from the date of birth. They may be obtained by the following persons, upon payment of the proper fee:

• Person named on the certificate
• Mother, father, or legal guardian
• Husband or wife of person named on certificate
• Son or daughter of person named on certificate
• Sister or brother of person named on certificate
• Legal representative of an authorized person

Identification Requirements

Identification will be required to obtain a restricted birth certificate. View ID Requirements for more information.

Cost

The fee to search for a birth certificate is $15.00, which includes one certified copy of the birth record or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $6.00 each. There is an additional fee of $15.00 to expedite a request. Make check or money order payable to "State Board of Health". Please do not send cash. Fees are not refundable.

Information Required

Please provide as much of the following information as possible for us to locate the birth certificate:

• Full name of person at birth
• Date of birth
• Sex
• County or city of birth
• Hospital of birth - if not in a hospital state "home"
• Full name of mother/parent before first marriage
• Full name of father/parent before first marriage
• Your name
• Your signature
• Your relationship to the person whose certificate you are requesting
• Address where the certificate is to be mailed
• Your daytime phone number

How to Obtain a Birth Certificate

• Download Mail-In Application (also available in Spanish)
• By Mail: Send the above information and the appropriate fee to:
  Alabama Vital Records
  P.O. Box 5625
  Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5625
• In Person in Alabama: You may go to any county health department in the State of Alabama to obtain a certified copy of an Alabama birth certificate. Most birth certificates can be issued while you wait. A map showing locations of county health departments where vital records may be obtained is available. View Reference Map or visit Locations.
  
• To Order a Certificate Online: You may order certificates through the service provider VitalChek using a major credit or debit card. Note that there are additional fees for using this service and for upgrading to UPS shipping. Order a Certificate Online

Keepsake Birth Certificates

Keepsake Birth Certificates, intended only for framing and display, may now be ordered from this office. There are three designs available, and the cost is $45.00. To view designs and place an order view Keepsake Birth Certificate.

Birth Certificates of Adopted Individuals

• Individuals born in Alabama who were adopted may obtain informational copies of their original birth certificate from a sealed file upon reaching the age of 19. To find out more information, view Adoptee Information.
• Birth parents may place information in the sealed file of the child who was adopted if born in Alabama. To find out more information, view Birth Parent of Adopted Child.
• Adult adoptees needing a birth certificate for legal purposes should follow the instructions on this page to receive a certified copy of their current birth record.
• Adopting parents or their legal representative (attorney) may request a certified copy of the child's new birth record following a recent adoption. To find out more information, view Recent Adoptions.
• The Center for Health Statistics may prepare and register a Certificate of Foreign Birth upon receipt of a request from an adoptive parent or an adopted individual 19 years of age or older.

Certificates of Foreign Birth

The Center for Health Statistics may prepare and register a Certificate of Foreign Birth upon receipt of a request from an adoptive parent or an adopted individual 19 years of age or older. A Certificate of Foreign Birth may be put on file for a child who has automatically acquired United States citizenship following a foreign adoption and who possesses a Certificate of Citizenship in accordance with the Child Citizenship Act. Upon receipt of the required documentation and the appropriate fee, the Center for Health Statistics will prepare a Certificate of Foreign Birth showing the child's new name and the name(s) of the new parent(s). To find out more, view Certificates of Foreign Birth.

Corrections/Changes to Birth Certificates

Errors on birth certificates may be corrected through an amendment process and other changes may be made through legal actions. For more information on making corrections, view Information on Making Corrections.

Certificates for Surrogate Births

After a surrogate birth occurs in Alabama, a new birth certificate recording the legal parent(s) is created. To find out more, view Certificates for Surrogate Birth.

Apostille and Exemplified Copies

Apostille and Exemplified copies of vital records are routinely required for foreign use. The Apostille and Exemplified copies consist of an Alabama birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificate signed by the State Registrar and an additional certification signed by the Alabama Secretary of State. Certain restrictions apply to Apostille and Exemplified copies of birth and death certificates. For more information on Apostille and Exemplified copies, view Apostille and Exemplified.

Not Born in Alabama

The National Center for Health Statistics has information on vital records for all states. For more information, view Link to Other State Information.

Questions

If you have questions or would like information on expediting a certified copy of a birth record, please call (334) 206-5418.

Page last updated: August 30, 2024