Birth Records

A birth certificate is an official recording of a birth that occurred in the state of Georgia. It is used for a number of reasons including but not limited to:

• establishing one’s identity
• tax purposes
• enrolling in school
• applying for a driver’s license
• obtaining health insurance

At the State Office of Vital Records, birth records are available from January 1919 to the present. For records older than 1919, please contact the county in which the birth occurred or the Georgia Archives.

How do you request a certified copy of a birth certificate?

You may request a certified copy of a birth certificate from your local county office or the State Office of Vital Records. This request can be made in person or by mail. You can also request certified copies online using one of our approved third-party vendors (GO Certificates, ROVER, and Vital Chek).

Certificate Corrections

There are two types of corrections performed at the State Office of Vital Records.

Current Year Corrections (CYC): Current year corrections are defined as corrections made to the certificate within one year of the child’s birthday. There is no charge for current year corrections.

General Amendments: A general amendment is defined as a change that is made to a certificate after 1 year of age. Amendments can occur due to a legal name change, adoption, legitimation, adding of a spouse and/or paternity acknowledgement.

Eligible Recipients

Birth Certificates are only issued to applicants having a direct and tangible interest to the registrant, i.e. immediate family members, and/or legal representatives of the family.

O.C.G.A. 31-10-26 (2010)

There are instances in which specific documentation is required based on who is requesting the record.

• The person named on the certificate- If the person named on the certificate (i.e. the registrant) is the requestor, that person must provide valid photo identification at the time of the request.
• The parent(s) named on the birth record- Must provide valid picture identification.
• An authorized legal guardian or agent- Any person who has legal custody or control of a minor child must provide a certified copy of the court order establishing guardianship and legal custody.
• Grandparents of the person named on the certificate- Must provide proof of relationship such as the birth certificate of the registrant’s parent.
• An adult child or adult sibling of the person named on the certificate- Must provide proof of relationship by providing a copy of his or her birth certificate listing one of the same parents, along with his or her valid government issued picture identification which includes signature.
• The spouse of the person named on the certificate- Must provide a copy of the marriage certificate, a photocopy of the spouse’s picture identification, which includes the spouse’s signature, with a notarized letter from the spouse giving permission.
• Attorney- Must represent an immediate family member and provide a notarized letter on letterhead signed by the attorney; provide bar number indicating reason for the request and whom they represent; provide supporting documentation with the fee; provide a notarized release from the biological mother, in the event of an adoption.
• State or Federal Government Officials- The State Registrar or the local custodian may disclose data from Vital Records to authorized representatives of Federal, State, or County agencies of government which request such data in the conduct of their official duties.

Page last updated 12/5/2022