Massachusetts Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Access Rules

The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issues certified copies of Massachusetts birth certificates. A copy costs $20 in person, $32 by mail, or $54 for the first copy online or by phone.

City and town clerks also hold birth records for events in their community. 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, access rules, corrections, sex designation changes and delayed registration for Massachusetts birth records, based on RVRS's pages on Mass.gov and Chapter 46 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

How to order a Massachusetts birth certificate

RVRS's ordering page offers four routes: online, by phone, by mail and in person. Before you order, have the person's name, the date and place of birth, and proof of your identity ready.

In person. The Registry is at 150 Mount Vernon St., 1st Floor, Dorchester, MA 02125, open Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. This is the cheapest route at $20 per copy. RVRS says you will be asked to pay by check or money order at the counter.

Online or by phone. RVRS links to VitalChek for online orders. RVRS says these typically process in 7-10 business days, and you can expedite an order for next-day service. Online and phone orders cost the most: $54 for the first copy and $42 for each additional copy.

By mail. Use the vital records mail order form posted on the ordering page and pay $32 per copy. Make checks payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. RVRS says mail orders are processed within 30 business days of receipt, or within 7-10 business days if you address the envelope to the attention of Expedited Mail Service; the expedited shipping fees are in RVRS's fee schedule.

RVRS says most orders are filled within 2-3 weeks, with expedited options available. You cannot browse vital records online; RVRS keeps no index or records on the internet. If RVRS cannot find your record, it sends a Negative Statement.

To order online, use the VitalChek link on RVRS's own ordering page rather than a search result, so you reach the vendor the state links to. RVRS main phone: (617) 740-2600.

How much does a Massachusetts birth certificate cost?

These fees come from the RVRS ordering and amendment pages.

RVRS posts a separate fee and shipping schedule as a download on its ordering page. City and town clerks set their own fees.

Who can get a Massachusetts birth certificate?

RVRS asks every requester for proof of identity, preferably a driver's license (even an expired one) or a government-issued photo ID. It says you may also be required to show documentation of how you are related to the person on the record, such as proof that you are a legal guardian or representative. RVRS issues only certified copies, regardless of how you plan to use them.

Some records carry tighter limits. RVRS restricts access to records of births to unwed parents to:

• The child
• The parents
• A father not listed on the record (with documentation supporting paternity)
• A legal guardian (with documentation supporting guardianship)
• A legal representative (with documentation supporting representation)

That rule comes from M.G.L. c. 46, s. 2A, which bars examining these records, or furnishing certified copies of them, except on a proper judicial order or at the request of the person seeking his own birth record, his attorney, parent, guardian or conservator, or an official whose duties entitle him to the information.

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

Using a Massachusetts birth certificate for a passport or REAL ID

RVRS's pages do not describe a long form or short form. 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).

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).

City and town clerks

Massachusetts records births at two levels. Under M.G.L. c. 46, s. 17, the clerk of each city and town sends the original birth records to the state registrar, and "the clerk of each city and town shall retain a certified copy of said birth records."

RVRS's records page says records are available only on site at the Registry offices or at the city or town where the event occurred. Under M.G.L. c. 46, s. 19, a certificate of a birth record signed by the town clerk or assistant clerk is admissible as evidence of the record.

RVRS does not publish what city and town clerks charge, their hours, or their ID rules. Call the clerk's office in the city or town where the birth occurred before you go.

Correcting or amending a Massachusetts birth certificate

RVRS's amendment page says that to correct an error you need evidence that the information was wrong at or near the time of the event, and the process begins at the city or town clerk where the birth occurred. Amendments are governed by M.G.L. c. 46, s. 13.

The amendment fee is $50, one time. A certified copy of the amended record costs $32 by mail or $20 in person. RVRS says amendments submitted by mail or through a court are reviewed and processed within 3-4 months. The Amendment Unit is at (617) 740-2674.

Name changes

A birth record lists the facts as they were at birth. RVRS says you cannot change your birth record solely for a legal change of name. Our guide to Massachusetts name change laws covers the court process.

Adding a father

A father can be added through a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage. If the mother was married to someone else, an Affidavit of Non-Paternity is also needed. A court adjudication of paternity is the other route.

Changing the sex on a Massachusetts birth record

RVRS's sex amendment page says you amend the sex (and, if applicable, the name) on a Massachusetts birth record with an applicant affidavit. A parent or guardian completes it for a minor, and it must be notarized if mailed. The $50 amendment fee applies.

Under M.G.L. c. 46, s. 13(e), as amended effective July 1, 2025, a person 18 or older, an emancipated minor, or the parent or guardian of a minor may request a change in the sex designation on the birth record to a designation including, but not limited to, female, male or X. The request is made by an affidavit signed under penalty of perjury, and the statute says no medical or healthcare documentation, court order or proof of change of name is required for it. A change of name on the record requires a certified copy of the legal change of name.

If your name is also changing, RVRS says "you must get a court-ordered legal name change before the process of changing the sex on your birth record." The RVRS page is undated; we read it on October 8, 2026. Confirm the current process with the Amendment Unit before applying.

Delayed registration: a birth never recorded

RVRS's delayed record page covers a child born in Massachusetts more than 365 days ago who has no official birth certificate. Under M.G.L. c. 46, s. 13A and that page, the steps are:

1. Request a Negative Statement from RVRS showing that no record exists.
2. Gather evidence, such as certified hospital records, a notarized affidavit from the midwife or physician for a home birth, the parents' marriage license, and proof of residence for the birth year if the birth was at a private residence.
3. File at the city or town clerk or at the Registry, and pay $50 per record.

If the request is denied, you can petition the probate court. For a passport, a certificate filed more than a year after birth does not meet the federal standard for primary evidence on its own (22 CFR 51.42).

Adoption

For children born in Massachusetts, the Probate and Family Court sends adoption evidence directly to RVRS, so a separate application for amendment is not necessary. RVRS notes that a certified copy of the amended record is not sent automatically; you order it. Pre-adoption birth records are restricted to the adult adoptee and certain relatives. Our guide to Massachusetts adoption records covers those rules.

Older records and genealogy

RVRS holds records from 1936 to the present. Records from 1841 to 1935 are at the Massachusetts State Archives, and RVRS says records from 1931 through 1935 have recently been transferred there (archives@sec.state.ma.us, 617-727-2816). Pre-1936 birth records may also be available at the city or town where the birth occurred.

If you want record information but not a certified copy, RVRS offers in-person genealogical research by online reservation, with indexes from 1936 to the present on site.

This article is general legal information about Massachusetts birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change, so confirm current requirements with the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics or your city or town clerk before you order. Information last verified on October 8, 2026.

Related

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

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Massachusetts?

At the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, a certified copy costs $20 in person and $32 by mail. Online or phone orders cost $54 for the first copy and $42 for each additional copy.

What is the cheapest way to get a Massachusetts birth certificate?

Ordering in person at the Registry at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester, at $20 per copy, is the lowest fee RVRS lists. City and town clerk fees are set locally and not published by the state.

How long does it take to get a Massachusetts birth certificate?

RVRS says most orders are filled within 2-3 weeks. Online orders through VitalChek typically process in 7-10 business days, and VitalChek offers an expedite option for next-day service. Mail orders are processed within 30 business days of receipt.

Can I get my birth certificate from my city or town hall in Massachusetts?

City and town clerks keep a certified copy of each birth record under M.G.L. c. 46, s. 17, and RVRS says records are available at the city or town where the event occurred. Call the clerk for its fee and hours, which the state does not publish.

Who can get a Massachusetts birth certificate for a child born to unwed parents?

RVRS restricts those records to the child, the parents, a father not listed on the record (with documentation supporting paternity), a legal guardian or a legal representative, with documentation for the last three.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Massachusetts?

The process begins at the city or town clerk where the birth occurred, and you need evidence that the information was wrong at or near the time of birth. RVRS charges a one-time $50 amendment fee, and mail or court-based amendments take 3-4 months.

How do I change the sex on a Massachusetts birth certificate?

File an applicant affidavit with RVRS (a parent or guardian completes it for a minor, and it must be notarized if mailed) with the $50 amendment fee. Under M.G.L. c. 46, s. 13(e), the designation may be female, male or X, and no medical documentation or court order is required for the sex change itself. If your name is also changing, get a court-ordered name change first.

Where are Massachusetts birth records before 1936?

RVRS holds records from 1936 to the present. Records from 1841 to 1935 are at the Massachusetts State Archives, and pre-1936 birth records may also be at the city or town where the birth occurred.