Connecticut Birth Certificate: Town vs State Copies, Fees and Eligibility

Connecticut birth certificates are issued by town and city vital records offices and by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) State Vital Records Office in Hartford. A certified copy costs $20.00 from the town or city of birth and $30.00 from the State Vital Records Office.

You can order online through VitalChek (the only third-party vendor DPH approves), by mail, or in person at a town office or the state office. Town offices are generally faster. 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 ordering, eligibility, fees, corrections and delayed registration for Connecticut birth certificates held by town vital records offices and the DPH State Vital Records Office. It is general information, not legal advice.

Where to get a Connecticut birth certificate: town or state

In Connecticut, town and city vital records offices issue certified birth certificates as well as the State office. Which offices can help you depends on the year of birth, according to the DPH birth certificates page.

DPH says requests to town offices are generally processed more quickly. It also says that if a State certified certificate is not needed, you may get an official certified copy from the town of birth. DPH links a town directory from its birth certificates page.

How to order

Online

DPH says VitalChek is the only third-party vendor it approves. Online orders cost the certificate fee plus additional processing and shipping fees. VitalChek expedited processing may be available for online and phone orders.

Other websites that offer to order a Connecticut birth certificate for you are not approved by DPH. Start from the DPH page on how to obtain a record so you reach the approved vendor.

By mail

You can complete the State application and mail it to the State Vital Records Office, or complete the Town application and mail it to the town where the birth occurred. Include a photocopy of your photo ID, proof of relationship if needed, and the fee.

For mail orders to the State office, DPH requires a money order made payable to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut." It does not accept credit cards or personal checks. For a town order, DPH says to send a money order made payable to the town; personal checks are not accepted.

In person

You can visit a town vital records office (any town for births on or after January 1, 2003; otherwise the town where the birth occurred or the town where the mother lived at the time of birth) or the State Vital Records Office at:

Connecticut Department of Public Health, State Vital Records Office, 410 Capitol Avenue, 1st Floor, Hartford, CT 06106

DPH posts the State office's walk-in hours on its contact page. Hours can change, so check the page before you go.

How much a Connecticut birth certificate costs

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. 7-51(c), the town registrar and DPH may waive the fee for a certified copy of the birth certificate of a homeless youth or a certified homeless young adult, issued to that person.

When you get a record through a town, DPH says a money order made payable to the town must be submitted, and personal checks are not accepted.

How long it takes

DPH says processing time at the State Vital Records Office varies and can be up to twelve weeks. Town vital records offices generally process requests more quickly. These are the agency's descriptions, not guarantees.

If you need a copy fast, DPH's own guidance points to the town office. VitalChek expedited processing may also be available, according to DPH.

Who can get a certified copy

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. 7-51(a)(1), access to and certified copies of birth records less than one hundred years old are restricted to eligible parties. DPH says birth records are confidential and not open to the general public, except those that are at least 100 years old. For how other states treat these records, see are birth certificates public records.

For records less than 100 years old, section 7-51(a)(1) lists these eligible parties:

• The person whose birth is recorded, if over 18, a certified homeless youth, or an emancipated minor
• A child, grandchild, spouse, parent, legal guardian, legal custodian or grandparent
• The chief executive officer of the municipality where the birth occurred, or an authorized agent
• The local director of health for the town where the birth occurred or where the birth parent lived, or an authorized agent
• Attorneys representing the person or the person's parent, guardian, child or surviving spouse
• A conservator of the person
• A member of a genealogical society incorporated or authorized to do business in Connecticut
• An agent of a state or federal agency approved by DPH
• A researcher approved by DPH

DPH's own birth certificates page describes the child and grandchild categories as an adult child or adult grandchild, so a minor child or grandchild should ask the office before applying.

If you request a record for someone other than yourself or your child, include proof of relationship. For example, to get a parent's birth certificate, DPH suggests your own birth certificate.

ID you need

DPH asks for a valid, government-issued photo ID that shows your name, date of birth, signature and an expiration date. If you do not have one, you can provide two documents from a DPH list of secondary documents, which includes a Social Security card, a utility bill, a voter registration card, a bank statement, and a government photo ID that expired within the last 12 months.

Mail requests include a photocopy of the ID. If your ID does not match the name on the record, include the court order for your legal name change.

Certificate types and passports

DPH distinguishes between a State certified certificate and an official certified copy from the town of birth. Conn. Gen. Stat. 7-74(a) sets a $15 fee for a short-form certification of birth registration and a $20 fee for a long-form certified copy, with either costing $30 when issued by the department. DPH's pages quote only the $20 and $30 figures and do not say which version federal agencies accept for a passport, so ask the issuing office which form you will receive if you need one for that purpose.

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 a Connecticut birth certificate

DPH directs correction requests to the registrar of the town where the birth occurred. You provide a notarized affidavit stating that the existing record is incorrect or incomplete, plus documentation proving the new information. DPH charges no processing fee for amendments or corrections.

DPH lists who can request a correction: the person who filed the record, the registrant if 18 or older, or a parent or guardian of a minor. DPH cites Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-42 and Regs. Conn. State Agencies 19a-41-5 through 19a-41-11 on its corrections and amendments page.

Name change

To put a legal name change on a birth certificate, submit an original certified court order of the name change, a notarized affidavit and photo ID to the town clerk of the town where the birth occurred. For the court process itself, see Connecticut name change laws.

Adding a parent

When the parent who gave birth was not married, DPH says no other parent is named on the birth certificate unless both parents complete an Acknowledgement of Parentage form or a court orders it. DPH charges no fee to establish parentage with the acknowledgement and says normal processing takes about four to six weeks. The form is completed at the hospital, at a Department of Social Services office or at DPH, and it is not available online. See the DPH parentage page.

Sex designation

As of October 7, 2026, DPH's gender change page says to amend the sex designator, you send the State Vital Records Office:

• A copy of your photo ID
• A notarized affidavit from the registrant (or a parent, for a minor)
• A notarized affidavit from a licensed physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or psychologist stating that the person has undergone surgical, hormonal or other treatment clinically appropriate for the purpose of gender transition
• A certified name change order, if the name should also change

DPH charges no processing fee for this amendment.

Registering a birth that was never recorded

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. 7-57, an adult with no birth certificate on file, or the parent or legal guardian of a minor aged one year or older with none on file, may request a delayed registration. The request includes the applicant's affidavit, affidavits of two other people with first-hand knowledge of the birth, and documentary evidence of the name, date and place of birth.

If the department denies the request, the applicant may petition the probate court for the district where the birth occurred. A certificate registered one year or more after the birth is marked "delayed." The DPH pages reviewed for this article do not list a fee for delayed registration, so ask DPH before you apply.

Adoption

When a new birth certificate is created for an adopted person born in Connecticut, it lists the adoptive name and adoptive parents, and the original certificate is sealed in a confidential file. Access to the original depends on who is asking; see Connecticut adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

Birth records at least 100 years old are open to the public, according to DPH and Conn. Gen. Stat. 7-51. For newer records, a member of a Connecticut genealogical society is among the eligible parties who can get a certified copy.

Using a Connecticut 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 Connecticut birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change, so confirm with the town vital records office or the Connecticut Department of Public Health, State Vital Records Office, before you order. Information verified October 7, 2026. For advice about your situation, consult a lawyer licensed in Connecticut.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Connecticut?

A certified copy costs $20.00 from the town or city of birth and $30.00 from the DPH State Vital Records Office. VitalChek adds processing and shipping fees.

Can I get a Connecticut birth certificate from any town?

Only for births on or after January 1, 2003. For earlier births, DPH says you must use the birth town, the town where the mother lived at the time of birth, or the State Vital Records Office.

How long does a Connecticut birth certificate take?

DPH says State office processing varies and can be up to twelve weeks, while town offices generally process requests more quickly.

Who can get a Connecticut birth certificate?

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. 7-51, eligible parties include the registrant if over 18, a child, grandchild, spouse, parent, legal guardian, legal custodian or grandparent, and certain officials, attorneys and genealogical society members. DPH describes the child and grandchild categories as adult child or adult grandchild.

Does the State Vital Records Office take credit cards by mail?

No. For mail orders to the State office, DPH requires a money order payable to Treasurer, State of Connecticut, and does not accept credit cards or personal checks.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Connecticut?

Send the registrar of the town where the birth occurred a notarized affidavit that the record is incorrect, plus documents proving the correct information. DPH charges no processing fee.

Are old Connecticut birth records public?

Yes, once they are at least 100 years old. Newer records are restricted to eligible parties under Conn. Gen. Stat. 7-51.