Kentucky Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Processing Times

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services' Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) issues certified copies of Kentucky birth certificates. Each certified copy costs $10.

You can order in person or through a drop box in Frankfort, by mail, or online, by phone or by fax through VitalChek, the state's only authorized online and telephone ordering partner. For other states, see our guide to birth certificates by state.

Information last verified on October 8, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This page covers ordering, fees, eligibility, corrections and delayed registration for Kentucky birth certificates held by the Office of Vital Statistics, based on OVS pages and forms, the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) chapter 213 and 901 KAR 5:070.

How to order a Kentucky birth certificate

OVS has birth records for people born in Kentucky from 1911 to the present. Its ordering guide describes these routes.

In person. Visit the Office of Vital Statistics at 275 East Main Street, 1E-A, Frankfort, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday, closed on official state holidays. OVS says most eligible requests are completed the same business day, but same-day service is not guaranteed for requests received after 3:45 p.m. Eastern. Walk-in customers can pay by cash, check, money order, debit card or credit card.

Drop box. OVS has a drop box at the visitor entrance at 275 E. Main St. for certificate applications, with blank applications provided on the box.

Online, by phone or by fax. OVS calls VitalChek its "only authorized online and telephone ordering partner." You can order on the VitalChek website, by phone at (800) 241-8322, or by fax at (866) 283-7477. VitalChek uses UPS for faster delivery if you request it, at an extra charge. OVS does not take credit card payments directly by phone.

Will-Call. You can order through VitalChek and pick the certificate up at OVS, but Will-Call orders are not available for same-day pickup. To collect one, you must present proof of order and a valid government-issued photo ID and be eligible to receive the record.

By mail. Send the Application for a Certified Copy of Birth Certificate (VS-37) with a check or money order payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer, drawn on a U.S. bank (no cash), to Office of Vital Statistics, 275 East Main Street, 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621. The application asks for the full name at birth, date and place of birth, the mother's maiden name, the father's name and your relationship to the person named.

Consumer alert from the state

The OVS purchase page warns that several third-party vendors charge excessive fees to help people obtain Kentucky vital records, that they are not affiliated with OVS, and that other websites or services are not approved by the office and may cause delays or extra fees. OVS tells customers to order only through OVS by mail or through VitalChek.

How much does a Kentucky birth certificate cost?

Sources: the VS-37 application, the purchase page and the OVS ordering guide.

The $10 covers the cost of the search and is non-refundable if no certificate is found. OVS says it cannot provide information from records, perform a genealogical search or confirm whether a certificate is on file without a completed application and the fee. It does not issue photocopies, faxed copies, non-certified copies or electronic copies.

When the fee is waived

KRS 213.141 caps the birth certificate fee at $10 and lists situations where no fee may be charged, including:

• Birth certificates required to support a claim against the government for compensation, insurance, back pay or other benefits for anyone who has served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air Force
• A member of the Kentucky National Guard who received deployment orders within the 60 days before the certificate is furnished
• A child in the custody of, or committed to, the cabinet
• A homeless individual, or a homeless youth under 25, who has been verified as homeless by one of the agencies or school officials the statute lists

How long does it take?

OVS publishes these estimates in its ordering guide:

OVS says processing and delivery times are estimates only and are not guaranteed. Its purchase page adds that peak seasons bring longer delays and suggests ordering early for retirement, travel, passports, a driver's license or school enrollment.

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

Kentucky birth records are closed to the public. Under KRS 213.131(1), "it shall be unlawful for any person to permit inspection of, or to disclose information contained in vital records or to copy or issue a copy of all or part of any record except as authorized by this chapter, by regulation, or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction."

The VS-37 application asks for your relationship to the person whose certificate you are requesting. OVS does not publish a list of which relationships qualify on the pages we reviewed, and its ordering guide says OVS may request additional documentation or identification to establish eligibility and identity. If you are ordering for someone other than yourself, call OVS at (502) 564-4212 before you send a fee.

For how Kentucky compares with other states, see are birth certificates public records.

Can a county health department issue a Kentucky birth certificate?

No. Kentucky's Registrar Guidelines (revised 06/2026) state: "Only the Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) is permitted to issue certified copies of certificates." Local registrars at health departments provide applications. They may also issue a verification of birth, which confirms or refutes details you supply, without charge, but the guidelines describe it as not a copy of the record and say offering it is optional for each local or district health department.

Using a Kentucky birth certificate for a passport or REAL ID

For a first U.S. passport, federal rules generally require a birth certificate that shows your full name, place and date of birth and your parents' full names, is signed by the official custodian of birth records, carries the issuing office's seal, and shows a filing date within one year of birth (22 CFR 51.42). If a certificate does not meet that standard, for example because it was filed more than a year after birth, the applicant must submit secondary evidence.

The federal REAL ID rule lists a certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the vital statistics office of your state of birth as an acceptable identity document (6 CFR 37.11).

Correcting or amending a Kentucky birth certificate

Under KRS 213.121, a Kentucky birth certificate may be amended only under that section and the cabinet's regulations, and an amended certificate is marked "amended" with the date and a summary of the evidence. The rules for birth certificates are in 901 KAR 5:070.

Who may apply. The parent or legal guardian if the registrant is under 18, the registrant if 18 or older, or the individual responsible for filing the birth certificate.

Obvious errors in the first year. The state registrar corrects obvious errors, transposed letters and omissions within one year after the date of birth, on observation, query or request of the parents, legal guardian or the person who filed the certificate.

Names. A court-ordered name change is required to change a name on the birth certificate, unless documentation shows the name was recorded incorrectly at registration.

Date of birth. The date of birth can be changed only by court order, unless proof shows the error occurred when the certificate was originally filed.

One amendment per item. Once an item has been amended, it cannot be amended again except by court order.

Other corrections use the Affidavit for Amendment to Certificate (VS-2J), signed before a notary and mailed to OVS. OVS must approve the evidence. The form states that a registrant 18 or older must provide a document established five years before the amendment that supports the facts; for ages 7 to 17 the document must be three years old, and for ages 3 to 6, one year old.

OVS does not publish an amendment fee on the pages we reviewed. The VS-2J says that if a certified copy was issued within the past year and you return it, a corrected copy is issued without further charge; otherwise you may submit the fee for each certificate you want.

Adding a father

Under KRS 213.121(3), when a child is born to an unmarried woman and paternity is not already shown, the state registrar amends the certificate on written request of both parents and a sworn acknowledgment of paternity signed by both; the certificate is not marked "amended." Under 901 KAR 5:070, form VS-8 (Declaration of Paternity) is used when no father is designated on the certificate, and form VS-8C is used if the mother is married, to remove a legally named father and acknowledge the natural father.

Name changes

A legal name change goes through the courts first; our guide to Kentucky name change laws covers that process. Under KRS 213.121(4), once OVS receives a certified copy of the court order and a request from the person (or a parent, guardian or legal representative), the state registrar amends the birth certificate to show the new name.

Sex designation

As published on the Kentucky Legislature's website (statute effective July 13, 1990; page checked October 8, 2026), KRS 213.121(5) provides that on receipt of a licensed physician's sworn statement that an individual's gender "has been changed by surgical procedure" and a certified court order changing that individual's name, the birth certificate "shall be amended as prescribed by regulation to reflect the change." The OVS pages and forms we reviewed do not describe how OVS currently applies this provision. Contact OVS at (502) 564-4212 for its current practice.

Delayed registration: a birth never recorded

Under KRS 213.056, if the birth certificate of a living person born in Kentucky was not filed on time, a certificate may be filed under the cabinet's regulations, subject to the evidence the cabinet requires. A certificate registered one year or more after the birth is marked "delayed," shows the date of delayed registration, and carries a summary of the supporting evidence.

OVS does not publish the delayed registration form, document list or fee on the pages we reviewed, so contact the office before you gather documents. Keep the passport rule above in mind: a certificate filed more than a year after birth does not meet the federal standard for primary evidence by itself.

Adoption

OVS publishes form VS-102, Report of Adoptions, and the VS-37 application asks for the original name, if known, when the child was adopted. KRS 213.056(2) also lets the state registrar issue a record of foreign birth for a person born outside the United States who is adopted by a Kentucky resident and whose birth record cannot be obtained from the country of birth. OVS notes that a record of foreign birth cannot be used to apply for a passport and is not proof of U.S. citizenship. Who can see an original birth record afterward is covered in our guide to Kentucky adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

OVS has no births before 1911, except delayed records established by affidavits and documentary evidence. For earlier research, its birth certificate page points to the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and the Kentucky Historical Society.

Under KRS 213.131(5), birth records in the state registrar's custody become public records once 100 years have passed after the date of birth. Under KRS 213.131(2), the state registrar also prepares an annual alphabetical list of everyone registered as born in the preceding year, showing name, mother's maiden name and date and county of birth, and that list is an open record. For death records research, see our guide to Kentucky death records.

This article is general legal information about Kentucky birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change, so confirm current requirements with the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics before you order. Information last verified on October 8, 2026.

Related

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

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Kentucky?

The Office of Vital Statistics charges $10 per certified birth certificate, and each additional copy is also $10. The fee is a non-refundable search fee. VitalChek adds $12.50 for online orders and $13.50 for phone orders.

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

Usually, if you go in person. OVS says most eligible walk-in requests at 275 East Main Street in Frankfort are completed the same business day, but same-day service is not guaranteed after 3:45 p.m. Eastern. VitalChek Will-Call orders are not available for same-day pickup.

How long does a Kentucky birth certificate take by mail?

OVS tells mail customers to allow up to 30 business days for processing and delivery. VitalChek orders are usually processed within 3 to 5 business days, not counting shipping.

Can my county health department give me a certified Kentucky birth certificate?

No. Kentucky's registrar guidelines say only the Office of Vital Statistics may issue certified copies. Local registrars provide applications and may choose to offer birth verifications, which are not copies of the record.

Who can get a Kentucky birth certificate?

KRS 213.131 makes it unlawful to issue a copy of a vital record except as authorized by statute, regulation or court order, and the VS-37 application asks your relationship to the person named. OVS does not publish a list of eligible relationships on the pages we reviewed, so call (502) 564-4212 before you order for someone else.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Kentucky?

File the notarized Affidavit for Amendment to Certificate (VS-2J) with supporting evidence approved by OVS. Under 901 KAR 5:070, name and date-of-birth changes generally need a court order, and an item that has already been amended can be changed again only by court order.

How do I add the father to a Kentucky birth certificate?

Under KRS 213.121(3), when a child is born to an unmarried woman and no father is shown, both parents can sign a sworn acknowledgment of paternity; 901 KAR 5:070 names form VS-8, Declaration of Paternity. If the mother is married, the regulation uses form VS-8C.

When do Kentucky birth records become public?

Under KRS 213.131(5), birth records in the state registrar's custody become public records 100 years after the date of birth.