North Carolina Birth Certificate: Fees, Ordering and Same-Day Copies

North Carolina Vital Records, part of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, issues state-certified birth certificates, and the $24 search fee includes one certified copy if a record is found. You can order online or by phone through VitalChek (the state's only authorized vendor), by mail, or in person by appointment in Raleigh. For faster service, the Register of Deeds in the county where the birth happened can usually issue a certificate the same day.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This guide covers births that took place in North Carolina: where to order a certified copy, what it costs, how long each route takes, and how to correct or change the record. If you were born in another state, see our guide to birth certificates by state, since each state's vital records office holds its own births.

Where to get a North Carolina birth certificate

North Carolina has two kinds of issuing office: the state office and the county Register of Deeds offices. The right choice depends mostly on how fast you need the certificate.

The state office is North Carolina Vital Records, within the NCDHHS Division of Public Health's State Center for Health Statistics. Its mailing address is 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1900, and it sits in the Cooper Memorial Health Building, 225 N. McDowell St., Raleigh, NC 27603-1382. The general number is 919-733-3000, and regular certificate inquiries go to 984-236-7268.

The state office holds birth records from 1913 to the present. For a birth before 1913, the state says to contact the Register of Deeds in the county where the birth occurred and not to contact NC Vital Records.

The Register of Deeds in the county where the birth occurred also issues birth certificates. NC Vital Records says that in most cases certificates can be obtained from the Register of Deeds the same day. Each Register of Deeds sets its own process and fees, and the state notes that a record for a birth outside that county is not necessarily available there, so go to the office in the county of birth. The state keeps a Register of Deeds directory.

How to order from the state office

The state office offers three routes for a regular certified copy. Its ordering instructions are on the NC Vital Records order page.

Online or by phone through VitalChek. NC Vital Records calls VitalChek "the only authorized vendor for a state-issued, certified birth certificate." You can order on VitalChek's site through the state's order page or by phone at 1-800-669-8310 (1-615-372-6800 from outside the U.S.). VitalChek delivers to a street address only, not to a PO Box, APO or FPO address.

By mail. Send the application with a copy of your ID and payment to ATTN: VC Certificate Orders, 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1900. The state says mail applications go to the attention of VitalChek and payment is made out to VitalChek. Include $24 for the first copy and $15 for each additional copy, plus the VitalChek processing fee noted on the application.

In person, by appointment only. The Raleigh office serves customers by appointment Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The state warns that, because of demand, appointments are usually filled a month or two out. If you need a certificate sooner, the county Register of Deeds is the walk-in alternative.

The state does not accept requests by email. Only NC Vital Records, its authorized vendor VitalChek, and the county Registers of Deeds issue certified North Carolina birth certificates, so be cautious of other websites offering to order one for you.

North Carolina birth certificate fees

These are the state office fees. A county Register of Deeds sets its own fees, so ask that office directly.

Two points about the search fee are worth knowing before you order. It applies to any certificate type and is nonrefundable even if no record is found. And because it covers a single three-year period, a wrong or unknown birth year can mean paying the search fee again for another period.

How long it takes

NC Vital Records publishes current processing times. As of the page last modified July 13, 2026, the state listed 10 business days for birth certificates, both for births from 1971 to the present and for births from 1913 to 1970. That estimate runs from the date the request is entered into the state's system to the date it ships, and it does not cover amendments, adoptions or delayed registrations. Shipping time comes on top.

Expedited service is available only in person at the state office, by appointment, for a $15 fee. The state says expedited service applies only to regular certificate requests, not to amendments or corrections, and it is not offered by mail.

If you need a certificate the same day, the faster route is usually the Register of Deeds in the county of birth.

Who can order a certified copy

North Carolina limits certified copies to people with a family or legal connection to the record. The state's FAQ quotes N.C. Gen. Stat. 130A-93(c) as making certified copies available only to:

• a person requesting his or her own record, or that of the person's spouse, sibling, direct ancestor, direct descendant, stepparent or stepchild;
• a person seeking the information for a legal determination of personal or property rights; and
• an authorized agent, attorney or legal representative of either of those people.

You must provide proof of identity and proof of eligibility. The state also says that if you cannot meet the ID rules yourself, a family member who is entitled to the certificate may order it.

ID you need to send

NC Vital Records says ID of the person requesting a certificate is required, and requests that do not include ID will be returned. Send a copy of one of these:

• a current driver's license or state non-driver ID, with an address that matches the application;
• a passport or visa;
• a U.S. military ID;
• a Department of Correction photo ID dated within a year;
• a state or U.S. government agency photo ID (only for people ordering as part of that agency's business); or
• a student ID with a transcript.

If you have none of those, the state accepts two different secondary documents showing your current address, such as a temporary driver's license, a utility bill, a vehicle registration, a bank statement, a pay stub, a tax return or W-2, a government letter dated within six months, or a concealed weapon permit.

Certified copies and uncertified copies

A certified North Carolina birth certificate carries a statement that it is a true copy or true abstract of the original record held by the state, plus the State Registrar's signature and a raised Vital Records seal. That is the version agencies ask for.

An uncertified copy is printed on plain paper, stamped "Uncertified," and has no raised seal. It is for information only. The state says uncertified copies are available to anyone who supplies the required information and pays the search fee, unless legal restrictions apply.

The state's pages do not say whether it issues a separate long form and short form, so ask NC Vital Records which version fits your purpose if an agency specifies one. For a U.S. passport, federal rules require a birth certificate showing the applicant's full name, place and date of birth and the parents' full names, signed by the official custodian of birth records, bearing the issuing office's seal, and showing a filing date within one year of birth (22 CFR 51.42). For REAL ID, the federal rule accepts a certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the vital records office in your state of birth (6 CFR 37.11).

Are North Carolina birth records public?

No. NC Vital Records says vital records are not free public records; certified copies are limited to the people listed above. For the wider question, see are birth certificates public records.

Correcting or changing a North Carolina birth certificate

The state's rule is short: once the State Registrar accepts a birth certificate for registration, "no birth certificate can be altered or changed except by a request to the state office." You can start a change in one of three ways:

• online through the NCOVR portal, using the Birth Certificate Modification Application (you need an account);
• at the Register of Deeds in the county where the birth occurred, since some counties handle these requests; or
• by mail to NC Vital Records.

The application must be notarized and come with ID evidence. Amendments and corrections are to be processed within 30 calendar days after the office receives the completed, notarized application with its evidence and payment. Expedited service does not apply to amendments or corrections. The state also says a field that was modified once cannot be modified again without a court order.

Legal name change

A court-ordered name change does not reach the birth certificate on its own. The state says court orders must be mailed in with certified copies of the documents, and the fee is $39, nonrefundable, to search for the record and process the application. For the court process itself, see our guide to North Carolina name change laws.

Legitimation and adding a father

When parents marry after a child's birth, the child's birth certificate can be updated through legitimation. NC Vital Records says to get a Legitimation Affidavit from the county Register of Deeds, and legitimation requests go by mail with the $39 fee described above. Acknowledgments of paternity follow a separate process on the state's paternity page, which this guide does not cover, so check with NC Vital Records before you file.

Sex designation

The state pages reviewed for this guide do not describe the process or requirements for changing the sex designation on a North Carolina birth certificate. Contact NC Vital Records for the current rule before you apply.

If your birth was never registered

A person born in North Carolina who is more than one year old and has no registered birth certificate may file a delayed certificate of birth with the Register of Deeds in the county of birth. The steps run in this order:

1. Get a "NO RECORD FOUND" letter from NC Vital Records. The state search costs $24 and is nonrefundable.
2. File with the Register of Deeds in the county of birth, with documents proving the facts of your birth. The Register of Deeds will tell you its fees.
3. The state processes the delayed certificate only after the county has.

For a child one year old or younger, the state says to contact the deputy registrar at the local health department instead.

Adoption

After an adoption, North Carolina issues a new birth certificate through the state's adoption process, not through VitalChek, and the original certificate is held in a legally sealed file. Certified copies of an adopted person's birth certificate go only to the adoptee, the adoptive parents, and the adoptee's children, spouse and adoptive siblings (NC Vital Records FAQ). Who can see the original is governed by adoption law, covered in our guide to North Carolina adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

For family history research, NC Vital Records says to start with the Register of Deeds in the county or the North Carolina State Archives rather than the state office. The state holds birth records only from 1913 forward, so earlier births are with the county Register of Deeds.

Using a North Carolina birth certificate abroad

If a foreign government wants an apostille, NC Vital Records says it cannot provide or facilitate one (NC Vital Records FAQ). Order a certified copy first, then request the apostille from the North Carolina Secretary of State, which accepts only certified copies.

This article is general legal information about North Carolina birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees, processing times and procedures change, so confirm with North Carolina Vital Records or your county Register of Deeds before you order. Information verified October 7, 2026.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in North Carolina?

NC Vital Records charges a $24 search fee that includes one certified copy if a record is found, and $15 for each additional copy of the same certificate. Ordering online or by phone through VitalChek adds a $13.95 processing fee, for $37.95 with regular shipping.

Can I get my North Carolina birth certificate the same day?

Usually, yes, at the Register of Deeds in the county where you were born, which the state says can issue certificates the same day in most cases. The state office in Raleigh offers $15 expedited service in person, but only by appointment, and appointments are usually filled a month or two out.

How long does it take to get a birth certificate from NC Vital Records?

The state's processing-times page listed 10 business days for birth certificates as of July 13, 2026, measured from the date the request is entered into the state's system to the date it ships. Amendments, adoptions and delayed registrations take longer.

Who can order a North Carolina birth certificate?

Under N.C. Gen. Stat. 130A-93(c), as quoted by the state, certified copies go to the registrant and the registrant's spouse, siblings, direct ancestors, direct descendants, stepparents or stepchildren, people who need it for a legal determination of personal or property rights, and their authorized agents, attorneys or legal representatives.

Can I get a refund if NC Vital Records cannot find my birth record?

No. The state says the $24 search fee is nonrefundable even if a record is not found, and it covers only one three-year period, so give the exact birth year if you can.

How do I correct a birth certificate in North Carolina?

Submit a notarized modification request with ID to NC Vital Records, online through the NCOVR portal, by mail, or through some county Registers of Deeds. Court-ordered name changes and legitimations must be mailed, and the state aims to process amendments within 30 calendar days of a complete application.

Where do I get a North Carolina birth certificate from before 1913?

From the Register of Deeds in the county where the birth occurred. NC Vital Records holds births only from 1913 to the present and asks people not to contact the state office for earlier records.