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

The Delaware Division of Public Health's Office of Vital Statistics issues certified copies of Delaware birth certificates. State law caps the fee at $25 per copy, and the state's certificates guide says you can order by calling (302) 744-4549 or online.

We could not open the Office of Vital Statistics' own web pages while researching this article. This page is built from Delaware's statute, its vital statistics regulation and the delaware.gov certificates guide, so it states what the law says and leaves current fees, ordering routes, ID lists and processing times for you to confirm with the office. 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 Delaware birth certificates held by the State Registrar under Title 16, Chapter 31 of the Delaware Code. It is general information, not legal advice.

How to order a Delaware birth certificate

The delaware.gov certificates guide tells readers to "contact the Office of Vital Statistics at (302) 744-4549 or online to order a certified copy." The guide's "online" link points to the Office of Vital Statistics' own pages on the Division of Public Health website, which is the safest place to start.

We could not confirm which vendor, if any, handles Delaware's online orders, or the mail and walk-in procedures, because the Division of Public Health's vital statistics pages did not load for us. Call the office before you mail an application or travel to an office.

Only the State Registrar and the custodians it designates issue Delaware birth records. Be cautious of websites that offer to order a certificate for you; begin from the delaware.gov guide rather than a search result.

What a Delaware birth certificate costs

Section 3132(a) sets the $25 figure as a ceiling. It does not by itself tell you the price the office charges today, so confirm the amount before you pay.

The fee exemption in section 3132(g) applies to "an individual who presents a valid, unexpired, Delaware personal credential card, issued under § 8915 of Title 29." It covers a certified copy of a certificate of birth.

How long it takes

We did not find a published processing time in the sources we could open. Ask the Office of Vital Statistics for its current estimate, and allow extra time if you need the certificate for a passport, a REAL ID or a benefits deadline.

Who can get a certified copy

Delaware treats vital records as confidential. Under 16 Del. C. 3110(a), the Office of Vital Statistics' records are not open to inspection except as the chapter, its regulations or a court order allow. For how other states handle this, see are birth certificates public records.

Section 3110(b) says the State Registrar shall issue a certified copy "to the registrant's, the registrant's spouse, children, parents or guardian, or their respective authorized representative." Others may be authorized "when they demonstrate that the record is needed for the determination or protection of their personal or property rights or for genealogical purposes."

The vital statistics regulation (16 Del. Admin. Code 4205, section 4) fills in the details:

• An authorized representative includes an attorney, physician, funeral director or other designated agent acting for the registrant or the family.
• A genealogist representing a family member may obtain copies. Unless the registrant has died, authorizations from the registrant or the relevant family members are required.
• Natural parents of an adopted child, when neither has custody, are not authorized.
• Commercial firms asking for lists of names and addresses are not authorized.

ID and information you need

The regulation says the State Registrar or local custodian will not issue a certified copy until you give enough information to locate the record. When it is needed to establish your right to the record, the office "may also require identification of the applicant or a sworn statement."

We could not obtain Delaware's list of accepted IDs or its current application form. Ask the office which documents it accepts before you apply.

Certificate types and passports

Delaware law provides for an heirloom birth certificate, which section 3132(c) describes as specially designed for framing and display, for a $35 fee. The sources we could open do not say whether Delaware issues a long form and a short form, or which version federal agencies accept.

For reference, federal rules at 22 C.F.R. § 51.42(a) require a passport applicant's birth certificate to show the 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. Ask the office whether the copy you order meets that standard.

Correcting or amending a Delaware birth certificate

Under 16 Del. C. 3131(b), a certificate in the State Registrar's custody that is charged to be in error may be corrected or amended on the proof of error the State Registrar requires. A certificate amended after filing shows the date of amendment and is marked "amended," and a summary of the supporting evidence is endorsed on it (3131(c) and (d)).

The amendment regulation (16 Del. Admin. Code 4205-10) sets the process:

• Obvious minor errors can be corrected within the first year after birth without the "Amended" marking.
• All other amendments need an affidavit giving the certificate's identifying details, the incorrect data and the correct data, plus one or more documents established at least five years before the application or within seven years of the birth.
• A parent may apply if the registrant is under 18, as may a guardian, the registrant if 18 or older, or the person responsible for filing the certificate.
• Once an item has been amended, it cannot be amended again except by court order.

The sources we opened do not list an amendment fee, so ask the office what an amendment costs.

Name changes

A given name can be amended by affidavit until the child's first birthday. After that, a given name entered incorrectly is corrected through the affidavit-and-evidence process above, while changing a given name takes a court name-change order. If a birth was recorded without a given name, one can be added by affidavit until the seventh birthday. To reflect a legal name change, the regulation calls for a certified copy of the court order. For the court process itself, see Delaware name change laws.

Adding a father

Under 16 Del. C. 3127 (the version in effect until December 6, 2026), the State Registrar prepares an amended or new birth certificate on receipt of a court order, an administrative order or a properly executed acknowledgment of paternity. The new or amended certificate does not show that the relationship was declared after the birth. A new version of section 3127, titled "Acknowledgment or establishment of parentage," takes effect December 6, 2026.

Sex designation

As published in the Delaware Administrative Code when this article was researched (October 2026), regulation 4205-10.7 says the Registrar will establish a new birth certificate reflecting the new sex on receipt of two documents:

• An affidavit requesting the change from the registrant, or from a parent, guardian or legal representative if the registrant is a minor
• An affidavit from a licensed medical or mental health professional who treated or evaluated the registrant, stating that the registrant has undergone surgical, hormonal, psychological or other treatment appropriate for gender transition under contemporary medical standards, or has an intersex condition

Under the same regulation, a later change requires a court order. The regulation text traces to the rule adopted effective February 11, 2017 (20 DE Reg. 641); we found no later amendment, but the state's online code would not load for us, so confirm the current requirements with the office.

Registering a birth that was never recorded

Delaware law requires a birth certificate to be filed within 10 days after the birth (16 Del. C. 3121(a)). If registration was neglected or omitted, section 3129 lets the State Registrar register the birth "on the production of evidence satisfactory to the State Registrar."

A person born in Delaware may file a certificate after the deadline by submitting the evidence the State Registrar requires (3131(a)). A certificate accepted more than six months after the filing deadline shows the date of delayed filing and is marked "delayed" (3131(c)). We did not find the fee or a list of accepted evidence, so contact the office first.

Adoption

After a final adoption decree, the State Registrar removes the original birth certificate to a confidential file and files a new certificate with the adopted name and the adopting parents' names. Access to the original depends on Delaware law for adoptees; see Delaware adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

Under section 3110(f), a Delaware birth record becomes a public record when 72 years have passed since the date of birth. The regulation then makes it available to any person who applies with enough information to locate it, at the same fee as one certified copy.

The delaware.gov guide says "The Delaware Public Archives holdings contain birth records older than 72 years," with newer records held by the Office of Vital Statistics. The guide's own year boundaries are not consistent, so ask the Archives or the office which one holds the year you need. For related family-history records, see Delaware death records.

Using a Delaware 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 Delaware birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees, ordering routes, ID rules and processing times change and could not be confirmed on the office's own pages, so confirm them with the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics before you order. Information verified October 7, 2026. For advice about your situation, consult a lawyer licensed in Delaware.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Delaware?

Delaware law caps the fee at $25 per certified copy (16 Del. C. 3132(a)). We could not confirm the current price, any charge for additional copies or any online ordering fee, so check with the Office of Vital Statistics at (302) 744-4549.

Is a Delaware birth certificate free with a Delaware ID?

A person who presents a valid, unexpired Delaware personal credential card issued under 29 Del. C. 8915 is exempt from the fee for a certified copy of a birth certificate, under 16 Del. C. 3132(g).

Who can get a certified copy of a Delaware birth certificate?

The registrant, the registrant's spouse, children, parents or guardian, or their authorized representative, under 16 Del. C. 3110(b). Others may be authorized if they show the record is needed to protect personal or property rights or for genealogical purposes.

How long does it take to get a birth certificate in Delaware?

We could not find a published processing time in the sources we were able to open. Ask the Office of Vital Statistics at (302) 744-4549 before you rely on a date.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Delaware?

Under 16 Del. Admin. Code 4205-10, most amendments need an affidavit describing the incorrect and correct data plus documentary evidence established at least five years before the application or within seven years of the birth. The amended certificate is marked amended.

Are old Delaware birth records public?

Yes, once 72 years have passed since the date of birth, under 16 Del. C. 3110(f). The delaware.gov guide says the Delaware Public Archives holds birth records older than 72 years.