Arkansas Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Who Can Get One

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Vital Records office issues certified copies of Arkansas birth certificates. The first copy costs $12.00 and each additional copy costs $10.00.

You can order online through the state's Vital Records ordering portal, by phone, by mail to ADH Vital Records in Little Rock, or in person at the central office or any Local Public Health Unit, where most requests are filled the same day. For other states, see our guide to birth certificates by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This page covers how to order, who is eligible, fees, and amendments for birth certificates held by the Arkansas Department of Health under the state's vital records law (Ark. Code § 20-18-305) and the State Board of Health's vital records rules. It is general information, not legal advice.

How to order an Arkansas birth certificate

ADH offers four routes: online, by phone, by mail, and in person. Start from the ADH birth records ordering page, which links to the state's online Vital Records ordering portal and the mail application.

Online

ADH says you can order a birth record online in minutes through Vital Records, with several expedited shipping options. Online orders carry a $5.00 standard processing fee and a $1.85 non-refundable identity verification fee on top of the certificate fee, plus any expedited shipping you choose.

Other websites that offer to order a birth certificate for you are not the issuing office. Use the link on the ADH page so you reach the state's own portal.

By phone

You can order by phone toll-free at (866) 209-9482. ADH says multiple expedited shipping options are available through this service, and you pay by debit or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express).

By mail

Send the completed application, your payment and acceptable ID to:

Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records, Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205

Pay by check or money order made payable to the Arkansas Department of Health.

In person

Walk-in service is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the central office in Little Rock and at any Local Public Health Unit. ADH says most certificate requests can be fulfilled the same day for customers arriving by 4:00 p.m. Same-day service is not guaranteed for non-routine requests such as certificate corrections, court orders, paternity affidavits and genealogical requests for records before 1935.

How much an Arkansas birth certificate costs

Expedited shipping on online orders costs extra. If no record is found or no copy is made, ADH says state law requires it to keep $12.00 as a search fee.

ADH also provides a veteran's free copy of a birth certificate, which goes to the VA to determine eligibility for benefits (Ark. Code § 20-18-306(a)(2)(A)). Send its Request for Veteran's Free Copy form (VR-40) with a completed birth certificate application.

How long it takes

These are ADH's published estimates, not guarantees.

If you need a certificate quickly, the walk-in route is the only one ADH describes as same day.

Who can get a certified copy

ADH limits certified birth certificates to eligible applicants. Its eligibility list for birth records includes:

• The person named on the record, if age 16 or older
• The mother
• The father, if named on the certificate
• A child
• A spouse
• Maternal grandparents
• A grandchild
• A guardian, with proper legal documentation

The ADH list names maternal grandparents, not paternal grandparents. If your relationship is not on the ADH eligibility list, ask Vital Records before you apply.

Under the State Board of Health's vital records rules (20 CAR § 1-1501), family members doing genealogical research, and genealogists representing a family member, may obtain records needed for their research. Unless the registrant has died, they need authorization from the registrant or relevant family members, which the rule says include grandparents and grandchildren.

ID you need

ADH requires a government-issued ID with your photo, current address, signature and a unique number. Its ID requirements sheet (revised December 2010) lists acceptable documents, including:

• A U.S. driver's license or state ID card
• An ID issued by a U.S. territory
• A tribal ID or military ID that bears your signature
• A U.S. or foreign passport
• A Form I-551 or I-766 card

ADH does not accept a Matricula Consular, a foreign or international driver's license, or a tribal or military ID without a signature. If you have no valid photo ID, you need at least two other documents that establish your identity. A notarized statement is not accepted in place of ID unless the notary verified your identity as state law requires.

Certificate types and passports

The ADH pages reviewed for this article do not say whether Arkansas issues a long-form or short-form certified copy, or which format federal agencies accept. If you need the certificate for a passport, ask ADH Vital Records before you order.

For reference, federal rules at 22 C.F.R. § 51.42(a) require a passport applicant's birth certificate to show full name, place and date of birth, and the parents' full names. It must be signed by the official custodian of birth records, carry the issuing office's seal, and show a filing date within one year of birth.

Correcting or amending an Arkansas birth certificate

ADH says each amendment case is reviewed individually to decide which documents or actions are required. The amendment fee is $15.00. If a certificate ADH issued is incorrect and you return it within one year of issuance, ADH can replace it without a certificate fee.

ADH requires a court order for some changes:

• A new birth certificate after an adoption
• Adding a biological father when the mother was married to another man
• Changing the father listed on the certificate
• Surname changes
• Surrogacy

If the mother was married to another man during the child's conception or birth and no father is listed on the certificate, ADH says a three-way paternity affidavit can be used. The mother and her husband or ex-husband sign the back of the form, the mother and the biological father sign the front, and both sides must be notarized.

What the Board of Health rules say

The State Board of Health rules (20 CAR §§ 1-1401 to 1-1406) set out the general amendment process:

• Minor errors during the first year after birth can be corrected with an affidavit, and the certificate is not marked "Amended."
• Given names can be changed until the child's first birthday on written request (for example, by both parents, or by the mother if she was unmarried). After that, a given name entered incorrectly can be fixed with an affidavit and documentary evidence, but changing a given name requires a court order of legal name change.
• Other amendments need an affidavit plus documentary evidence established at least five years before the application or within seven years of the event.
• Once an item has been amended, it cannot be amended again without a court order.

Under 20 CAR § 1-1405, an amendment can be requested by a parent if the registrant is under 18, a guardian, the registrant if 18 or older, or the person responsible for filing the certificate. The rules also provide for a new certificate after a court determination of paternity or an acknowledgment of paternity. For the court process for a name change, see Arkansas name change laws.

Sex designation

As of the ADH page read October 8, 2026, ADH says a court order is required to change the sex and name on a birth certificate following a surgical procedure. The requester must provide a certified court order directing the change of the person's name and stating that the sex is to be changed due to a surgical procedure. Ark. Code § 20-18-307(d) provides that the birth certificate is amended on receipt of a certified court order indicating that the person's sex has been changed by surgical procedure and that the person's name has been changed. Confirm current requirements with ADH Vital Records before you apply.

Registering a birth that was never recorded

The State Board of Health rules (20 CAR §§ 1-402 to 1-411) set out how a late birth registration works:

• Filed more than 10 days but within one year after birth: registered on the standard birth certificate.
• Filed after one year but within four years: registered on the standard form and marked "Delayed."
• Filed four years or more after birth: registered on a delayed certificate of birth form.

A delayed certificate cannot be filed for a person who has died. The request can come from the person born in Arkansas whose birth was not recorded, a parent, guardian, next of kin, or a person 28 or older with personal knowledge of the birth. The certificate is signed and sworn before an official authorized to administer oaths.

Documentary evidence must establish the name at birth, the date and place of birth, the mother's maiden name and the father's name. The father's name is not entered if the mother was not married to him at any time from conception to birth.

The evidence required depends on timing:

• Filed within 10 years of birth: a hospital record created at the time of birth, or two acceptable documents
• Filed 10 years or more after birth: three acceptable documents

Documents must come from independent sources and must have been established at least one year before the application. For a person 10 or older, they must date from at least 10 years before the application or within three years of the birth. Affidavits of personal knowledge are not accepted. ADH may dismiss an application not completed within one year.

ADH does not publish a delayed registration fee on the pages reviewed for this article, so ask Vital Records before you apply.

Adoption

A court order is required to create a new birth certificate after an adoption. ADH handles adoption file requests, which usually include the original birth certificate and the adoption decree, for a $100 fee. For who can request that file, see Arkansas adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

ADH issues certified birth certificates only to eligible applicants. Under Ark. Code § 20-18-305(9), birth records in the custody of the state registrar become available to the public without restriction once 100 years have passed since the date of birth. For how other states handle access, see are birth certificates public records.

Using an Arkansas birth certificate abroad

A foreign government may ask for an apostille. According to USA.gov, vital records issued by a U.S. state need an apostille from that state's secretary of state.

This article provides general legal information about Arkansas birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change, so confirm with the Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records, before you order. Information verified October 7, 2026. For advice about your situation, consult a lawyer licensed in Arkansas.

Related

• Birth certificates by state
• Are birth certificates public records?
• Arkansas adoption records
• Arkansas name change laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Arkansas?

ADH charges $12.00 for the first certified copy and $10.00 for each additional copy. Online orders add a $5.00 processing fee and a $1.85 identity verification fee.

Can I get my birth certificate the same day in Arkansas?

ADH says most requests are filled the same day for walk-in customers who arrive by 4:00 p.m. at the Little Rock office or a Local Public Health Unit, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Same-day service is not guaranteed for non-routine requests such as corrections or court orders.

How long does an Arkansas birth certificate take online or by mail?

ADH estimates 7-14 business days from approval for online orders and 10-14 days for mail orders, plus shipping or mail time.

Who can get an Arkansas birth certificate?

The ADH list includes the person named on the record if 16 or older, the mother, a father named on the certificate, a child, spouse, maternal grandparents, a grandchild, and a guardian with legal documents.

Do I get my money back if ADH cannot find the record?

Not all of it. ADH says state law requires it to keep $12.00 as a search fee when no record is found or no copy is made.

Is a Matricula Consular accepted as ID for an Arkansas birth certificate?

No. The ADH ID requirements list a Matricula Consular and foreign or international driver's licenses as not acceptable. Without a valid photo ID, you need at least two other identity documents.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Arkansas?

Contact ADH Vital Records, which reviews each case individually; the amendment fee is $15.00. Some changes, such as changing a listed father or a surname, require a court order.