Montana Birth Certificate: Fees, How to Order and Who Is Eligible

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Office of Vital Records issues Montana birth certificates, and every certificate costs $16. You can order by mail from the state office in Helena, online through VitalChek or VRO (the two vendors the state approves), by phone through VitalChek, or in person at any county Clerk and Recorder's office. 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 how to order a certified Montana birth certificate, what it costs, who may get one, and how to correct or amend a Montana birth record. It applies to births that occurred in Montana; for births in another state, contact that state's vital records office.

How to order a Montana birth certificate

DPHHS lists four routes: a county Clerk and Recorder's office in person, mail to the state office, online through an approved vendor, and phone through VitalChek. The state office in Helena is closed to the public for walk-in service, and it does not accept applications by email. For name changes, adoptions and corrections, DPHHS says appointments are required; schedule one at 406-444-2685 or HHSVitalRecords@mt.gov.

In person at a county Clerk and Recorder

You may visit any County Clerk and Recorder's office in Montana to buy a birth certificate, regardless of which Montana county the birth occurred in. DPHHS does not publish county fees or turnaround times on the pages we reviewed, so call the county office before you go.

There is one limit: a long form birth certificate is available only from the state office or from the County Clerk and Recorder in the county where you were born.

By mail from the state office

Mail the birth certificate application, payment, and a copy of your ID (or a notarized application) to Montana Vital Records, PO Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604. Pay by check or money order made payable to Montana Vital Records. The state office cannot take card payments over the phone.

Online or by phone through an approved vendor

DPHHS says VitalChek and VRO (VitalRecordsOnline) are the only third-party vendors officially contracted and approved by the State of Montana. Phone orders paid by credit card go through VitalChek at 1-888-877-1946. Additional service fees apply to credit card transactions; DPHHS does not list the amounts, so check the total before you pay. Order through the links on the DPHHS birth and death certificates page.

DPHHS also warns that some private companies charge high fees to help you apply for certificates. Only the state office, the county Clerk and Recorder offices and the two approved vendors are listed as official ordering methods.

How long it takes

DPHHS does not publish a standard processing time for certificate orders; it says processing times vary based on current staffing and workload. It does not list an expedited service. To check an order's status, call 406-444-2685 (option 2) or email HHSVitalRecords@mt.gov.

How much a Montana birth certificate costs

DPHHS charges one price for every certificate: $16. That covers certified and informational copies, abstract and long form versions, and each additional copy. The current fee schedule took effect September 21, 2024.

Montana does not provide a free birth certificate after a baby is born. Parents must order one through one of the routes above.

Who can get a certified Montana birth certificate

Under Mont. Code Ann. 50-15-121(1), certified copies go to the registrant, the registrant's spouse, children, parents or guardian, an authorized representative, or another person who shows the record is needed to determine or protect personal or property rights. The department's rule (ARM 37.8.126) adds a grandparent whose child is listed as a parent on the certificate, and a caretaker relative who provides a caretaker medical or educational authorization affidavit. Applicants must provide proof of relationship.

The application states that step-relatives, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, ex-spouses, and a natural parent of an adoptive child are not eligible to receive a certified copy.

ID rules

The person signing the request must include an enlarged, legible photocopy of both sides of a valid driver's license or other picture ID with a signature, or have the application notarized. If you do not have a photo ID, the application accepts two other forms of ID, one of which must carry your signature (examples on the form include a signed Social Security card, a DD214, voter registration and a utility bill). An eligible family member with ID can also order the certificate.

At a county Clerk and Recorder, DPHHS says to bring a current, valid photo ID and complete the application on site.

Abstract, long form and informational copies

Montana issues certified birth certificates in two versions:

• Abstract: a computer-generated summary of the basic birth facts, used for school enrollment, REAL ID and passports. The state office issues this version unless you ask for the long form.
• Long form: a certified scan of the original record, used for tribal enrollment, apostilles and dual citizenship.

DPHHS says both versions are considered certified and are generally accepted for passports and most other legal needs. Since June 1, 2026, the state office embosses all newly issued certified birth certificates.

An informational copy is stamped for informational purposes only and cannot be used for legal identification. DPHHS may issue one to anyone if the birth occurred 30 or more years ago. Informational copies are typically used for genealogy.

For a REAL ID, federal rules accept a certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the vital statistics office in your state of birth (6 CFR 37.11). For a passport, federal rules call for a birth certificate showing your full name, place and date of birth, and your parents' full names, signed by the official custodian, sealed, and showing a filing date within one year of birth (22 CFR 51.42).

Apostilles

The state office does not complete apostilles. If you tell DPHHS when you order that you need one, it will mail the certificate to the Montana Secretary of State once issued; contact the Secretary of State's office beforehand so it expects your request.

Correcting or amending a Montana birth record

DPHHS handles corrections such as fixing clerical errors and adding a parent's name. Corrections requested within one year are free; under the department's fee rule (ARM 37.8.116), that year runs from the date the birth record was filed. After the first year, a correction costs $41 ($25 to process plus $16 for the corrected certified certificate). DPHHS asks you to allow 3-4 weeks.

Spelling and other errors

For a misspelled name or another error, complete a notarized Affidavit of Correction and send it with a photocopy of your photo ID and two supporting documents. A date-of-birth error needs paperwork from the hospital showing the correct date.

Adding a father

To add a father, send a completed Paternity Acknowledgment with a photocopy of the father's photo ID and the $41 fee. If the other parent is unavailable to sign, a court order is required.

Legal name change

After a court approves a name change, send the certified court order, a photocopy of your photo ID and $41. DPHHS asks you to allow 3-4 weeks for the new certificate to be created and mailed. The court process itself is covered in our guide to Montana name change laws.

Sex designation

DPHHS posts a Gender Designation Form on its website. As posted when we checked it on October 8, 2026, the form is for a person who "has undergone gender transition or has an intersex condition," and it says it should be submitted with a completed Affidavit for Correction of a Vital Record.

The rule on the books, ARM 37.8.311(5), sets narrow conditions for changing the sex listed on a Montana birth certificate. In a December 16, 2024 order, a state district court preliminarily blocked the State from enforcing that rule and Senate Bill 458 as they relate to amending birth certificates, and on April 14, 2026 the Montana Supreme Court affirmed that order (Kalarchik v. State, 2026 MT 76). The injunction is preliminary and the case has not reached a final decision, so the process could change. Confirm the current procedure with the DPHHS Office of Vital Records before you apply.

Delayed registration if a birth was never filed

A delayed registration is required when a birth was not filed within one year. DPHHS can process delayed registrations only for people born in Montana who are still living.

Submit the Delayed Birth Certificate Form with original supporting evidence, such as baptismal, hospital or school records, and the $41 fee, which includes one certified copy of the new certificate.

Adoption and original birth records

Once an adoption is final, the Office of Vital Records establishes a new birth certificate and places the original record in a sealed file. To have the new certificate created, mail a certified adoption decree, a certificate of adoption, a copy of your ID and $41. Access to sealed original records is covered in our guide to Montana adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

Informational copies serve most genealogy requests: DPHHS may issue one to anyone when the birth occurred 30 or more years ago, for $16. A record search for any period of five years or less costs $10.

Whether Montana birth records count as public records in general is covered in are birth certificates public records.

This article is general legal information about Montana birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change; confirm with the DPHHS Office of Vital Records or your county Clerk and Recorder before ordering. Information last verified on October 8, 2026.

Related

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

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Montana?

DPHHS charges $16 for every birth certificate, including additional copies, informational copies and long forms. Online and phone vendors add card service fees.

Can I get a Montana birth certificate the same day?

The state office is closed to walk-ins, but any county Clerk and Recorder in Montana can sell a birth certificate in person. DPHHS does not publish county turnaround times, so call ahead.

Where can I order a Montana birth certificate online?

DPHHS names VitalChek and VRO (VitalRecordsOnline) as the only vendors the state has approved. Start from the DPHHS birth and death certificates page.

How do I get a long form birth certificate in Montana?

Ask the state office for the long form when you order, or go to the County Clerk and Recorder in the county where you were born. It costs $16, the same as the abstract.

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

Under Mont. Code Ann. 50-15-121, the registrant, spouse, children, parents, guardian, an authorized representative, or someone showing a personal or property rights need. The department's rule also covers a grandparent whose child is named on the record and a caretaker relative with an authorization affidavit.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Montana?

Send a notarized Affidavit of Correction with a copy of your photo ID and supporting documents. Corrections are free in the first year and $41 after that; allow 3-4 weeks.