New Hampshire Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Eligibility

The New Hampshire Department of State's Division of Vital Records Administration (DVRA) in Concord issues certified copies of New Hampshire birth certificates, and so do all 234 city and town clerks. The fee is $15 for the search, which includes the first certified copy if a record is found, and $10 for each additional copy of the same record issued at the same time.

You can order in person (DVRA can usually issue the certificate while you wait), by mail, at a town or city clerk's office, or through a third-party vendor for an extra charge. 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 New Hampshire birth certificates, based on the Department of State's vital records pages and Chapter 5-C of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA). It covers births that happened in New Hampshire only.

Where to get a New Hampshire birth certificate

DVRA's request certificates page says that in addition to all 234 local city and town clerks, DVRA issues certified copies of birth certificates. You can use whichever is more convenient: the state office in Concord or a town or city clerk.

In person at DVRA. DVRA's FAQ page says that if you visit the office in person, it can usually issue the certificate while you wait.

By mail. Send the completed application, payment in U.S. funds only and photo identification to:

NH Department of State, Division of Vital Records Administration, Registration / Certification, 9 Ratification Way, Concord, NH 03301-2455.

At a town or city clerk. Visit the local clerk and pay the search fee. The fee set by statute is the same $15 for a search and first copy (see the fee table below).

Through a third-party vendor. DVRA's FAQ names VitalChek and EB2Gov as third-party vendors that can provide expedited service by credit card. They are not part of the state office, and DVRA notes that EB2Gov works with local clerks. VitalChek can be reached at 877-878-8007.

Only DVRA, the city and town clerks and the vendors DVRA names issue or process certified copies. Be cautious with other websites that offer to order a birth certificate for you.

Births outside New Hampshire

DVRA and the clerks cannot help with a birth that happened in another state, even if the parents lived in New Hampshire. Under RSA 5-C:102, paragraph X, reports of out-of-state births of New Hampshire residents sent for statistical purposes are not available for public inspection or issued by the division or a clerk. Order from the vital records office of the state where the birth happened.

How much does a New Hampshire birth certificate cost?

RSA 5-C:10 sets the fees for town clerks and the state registrar, and DVRA's request page states the current fee.

DVRA's request page says the $15 fee is payable whether or not a record is found, plus any additional expenses for credit card transactions. Its FAQ explains that if staff find a record after the search, the certified copy is issued free of charge, so the $15 covers both.

DVRA's FAQ also says that when you order through a vendor, your card is charged additional processing and shipping fees, which the vendor charges for its services and not the state office.

How long does it take?

DVRA publishes one estimate: for mail requests, allow 20 business days from receipt for processing. In person at DVRA, the certificate can usually be issued while you wait. DVRA does not publish a processing time for vendor orders, and clerks' times are not stated on the pages we read, so call before you rely on a date.

Who can get a certified copy of a New Hampshire birth certificate?

New Hampshire vital records are not public. Under RSA 5-C:102, paragraph II, local and state registrars make vital records available only to people who have a "direct and tangible interest" in the record. Paragraph III lists who has that interest:

• The registrant (the person named on the certificate)
• A member of the registrant's immediate family
• The registrant's legal guardian
• The registrant's legal representative
• People who need the information to determine or protect a personal or property right
• News media, when the information requested is of a public nature
• People authorized by the immediate family to conduct genealogical research

Under paragraph IV, the natural parents of a child adopted outside the natural parent's immediate family do not have a direct and tangible interest in the child's vital records.

Someone outside the immediate family can still ask. Under paragraphs VI and VII, the requester sends a letter describing and documenting the claim (what record is needed, why, and any supporting evidence) with positive identification. The state registrar or the town or city clerk reviews it. If the claim is not substantiated, access is denied and the requester may appeal the decision.

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

ID requirements

DVRA's request page says you must present positive identification, such as a driver's license, passport or other picture ID. If you do not have acceptable picture identification, you complete DVRA's form titled Documentation Evidence for Individuals Not Possessing An Acceptable Picture Identification.

Using a New Hampshire birth certificate for a passport or REAL ID

DVRA's pages that we read do not describe a long form or short form or say which version federal agencies accept. 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).

Correcting or amending a New Hampshire birth certificate

Under RSA 5-C:87, any change to a birth record starts with the clerk of the town or city where the birth happened, by a personal visit or a letter. The timing matters:

• Within 6 months of filing: changes or corrections can be made on the appropriate form without the state registrar's approval.
• After 6 months: a change requires an application to the state registrar by a parent, the child's guardian or legal representative, or the registrant if 18 or older.

DVRA's correction page adds that if the registrant is 18 or older, he or she must approve a change requested by anyone else.

DVRA's purchasing and correcting page describes the paperwork: the correction form (VSCr), notarized and completed in triplicate, with two pieces of documentary evidence dated as close to the date of birth as possible. One of the two may be a notarized affidavit.

The town clerk's fee for a correction or amendment is $10 under RSA 5-C:10, paragraph III, and it is waived if the clerk made the error. DVRA's correction page also lists an additional $15 for each certified copy of the corrected record.

Legal name change

Under RSA 5-C:87, paragraph IV, when the clerk receives a certified copy of a court order changing the name of a person born in New Hampshire, the clerk amends the birth record by replacing the original name with the new name, adds a marginal note reading "legal change of name per court order" with the date of the order and "A.K.A." the original name, and notifies the state registrar. DVRA's own correction page describes this a little differently, saying the original name remains on the record with an A.K.A. entry. Ask the clerk how your amended certificate will read.

Our guide to New Hampshire name change laws covers the court process.

Changing the sex on a birth certificate

RSA 5-C:87, paragraph V, says that on receipt of a certified copy of a court order advising that a person born in New Hampshire has had a sex change, a new birth record is prepared to reflect the change. That is the statute's text as we read it on October 8, 2026. DVRA's pages that we read do not describe a current administrative process, so contact DVRA for its current requirements before applying.

Delayed registration: a birth never recorded

Under RSA 5-C:38, the birth of a living person that was not filed within 6 months (or 12 months if the birth happened in a hospital) must be registered by the registrant, a parent or a legal guardian with the clerk of the town or city where the birth occurred, and the record is marked "Delayed." The applicant submits the division's form, documentary evidence and the $25 fee set by RSA 5-C:10.

The evidence rule in RSA 5-C:38, paragraph VI, requires either at least 3 pieces of evidence, one made before the registrant's first birthday, or at least 4 pieces all made after the first birthday. Paragraph VIII lists acceptable evidence, including a notarized statement from the hospital of birth or from clinical records, a baptismal certificate, elementary school records, census records and family bible records. Only one affidavit of personal knowledge is allowed per application, and the facts of parentage must be supported by at least one document other than such an affidavit. If the town of birth borders another state, the applicant must also supply a "no record" statement from that state.

The clerk reviews the application and forwards it to the state registrar (RSA 5-C:39). Under RSA 5-C:40, the state registrar approves or denies it, and applications not completed within one year from the date of application are dismissed. RSA 5-C:39, paragraph VI, says a certified copy of a delayed certificate is not issued in short form or wallet size.

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

After an adoption, a new birth record replaces the original. Under RSA 5-C:33, the original birth record and the notice of adoption are not open to inspection except under RSA 5-C:9 or a court order. Access to the original record depends on state law, and our guide to New Hampshire adoption records covers those rules.

Older records and genealogy: when do birth records become public?

New Hampshire's official sources do not agree on the cutoff, so check with DVRA before you rely on any one of them.

• RSA 5-C:105 (100 years). Under RSA 5-C:105, paragraph I(a), birth records more than 100 years old are part of the public domain. Paragraph I(b) says that by April 1 of each year, the division releases the public domain records that became public during the previous calendar year. DVRA's access page repeats the 100-year rule.
• RSA 5-C:102 (before 1901). Paragraph I of RSA 5-C:102 says birth records prior to 1901 are public records.
• DVRA FAQ (before 1911). DVRA's FAQ describes birth records before 1911 as unrestricted.

For records still restricted, RSA 5-C:105 lets the registrant or an immediate family member designate a genealogist as an authorized representative by a notarized written statement that names the records requested. DVRA operates a genealogical research room in Concord.

For death records, see our guide to New Hampshire death records.

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

Related

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

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in New Hampshire?

The search fee is $15 and includes the first certified copy if a record is found; each additional copy of the same record issued at the same time is $10 (RSA 5-C:10). Vendors such as VitalChek add their own processing and shipping fees.

Can I get my New Hampshire birth certificate the same day?

DVRA says that if you visit its Concord office in person, it can usually issue the certificate while you wait. City and town clerks also issue certified copies.

How long does a New Hampshire birth certificate take by mail?

DVRA asks you to allow 20 business days from the date it receives your request.

Can I get my birth certificate from my town clerk in New Hampshire?

Yes. DVRA says all 234 city and town clerks issue certified copies, and the statutory fee is the same $15 search fee including the first copy.

Who can get a copy of a New Hampshire birth certificate?

Only people with a direct and tangible interest under RSA 5-C:102, including the registrant, immediate family, a legal guardian or a legal representative. Others can submit a letter documenting their claim to the state registrar or clerk, and a denial can be appealed.

How do I correct a birth certificate in New Hampshire?

Start with the clerk of the town or city where the birth happened. Within 6 months of filing, changes are made on a form without state approval; after that, an application goes to the state registrar under RSA 5-C:87, and DVRA asks for two pieces of documentary evidence.

When do New Hampshire birth records become public?

Sources differ: RSA 5-C:105 says birth records more than 100 years old are public domain, RSA 5-C:102 says births before 1901 are public, and DVRA's FAQ says births before 1911 are unrestricted. Ask DVRA which cutoff it applies.