Oregon Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Eligibility

The Oregon Health Authority's Center for Health Statistics, known as Oregon Vital Records, issues Oregon birth certificates. A computer issued (short form) certificate costs $25 and a full image (long form) certificate costs $30, and you can order online or by phone through VitalChek, by mail, through a drop box, or in person by appointment. 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 copy of an Oregon birth certificate, what it costs and how long it takes, who may order one, and how to correct or amend an Oregon birth record. It applies to births that occurred in Oregon.

Where to order an Oregon birth certificate

The Center for Health Statistics issues certified copies of vital records for events that occurred in Oregon. OHA encourages customers to order only from the Center for Health Statistics, their local Oregon county health department, or VitalChek, OHA's contracted vendor. OHA's ordering page links to a list of county vital records offices.

OHA says most county vital records offices in Oregon issue birth records for six months following the birth, and ORS 432.440 lets county registrars sell certified copies within six months of the event. For an older birth, order from the state.

OHA has issued a consumer alert about third-party websites that charge high fees to "process" or "help apply" for Oregon certificates. Start from the state's Order a Birth Certificate page.

Online or by phone through VitalChek

You can order online through VitalChek or by phone at 1-888-896-4988, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You confirm your identity by answering a quiz generated from your name and date of birth; if you fail the identity check, you must send a copy of acceptable ID.

On the VitalChek website, shipping defaults to UPS Next Day Air, which costs an additional $20. You can switch to regular mail on the shipping address page.

By mail

Send your signed order form, the fee, a copy of your ID and any other required documents to:

Oregon Vital Records, PO Box 14050, Portland OR 97293

Pay by check or money order made out to OHA/Vital Records; OHA does not accept cash by mail. The exact date of birth is required on mail orders unless the record is more than 100 years old.

Drop box

You can leave the same materials in a sealed envelope in the secure drop box at the west door entrance of Oregon Vital Records, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland OR 97232. The fees are the same as for mail orders.

In person by appointment

In-person service is by appointment only, at the Portland State Office Building in Portland. Appointments last 30 minutes and run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with the last appointment at 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Appointments are for ordering certificates only; OHA does not process amendments in person.

OHA notes that some full image records will not be available the same day and will be mailed or made available for pickup the next workday.

How much an Oregon birth certificate costs

The state fee depends on the certificate type, and the total depends on how you order. These are the figures OHA publishes:

OHA says that once a search for a record has started, orders cannot be cancelled and fees cannot be refunded.

How long it takes

OHA publishes these estimates:

These are the agency's estimates, not guarantees, and shipping time comes on top. If you have a deadline, order online or by phone, or book an appointment.

Who can order a certified copy

ORS 432.380(2)(c)(B)(ii) limits certified copies of a birth record to the registrant, the registrant's spouse, a domestic partner registered by the state, a parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, legal guardian or legal representative, an authorized representative, or a government agency acting in its official duties.

Except for the registrant and a parent whose ID name matches the record, OHA asks for proof of the relationship: for example, your own birth certificate for a child or sibling, your child's birth certificate naming you for a grandparent, or a state-issued marriage or domestic partnership certificate for a spouse.

OHA says you must be at least 18 (or an emancipated minor) to order, or at least 15 if you are ordering your own certificate.

Aunts and uncles, cousins, stepchildren, ex-spouses and partners are not eligible unless they qualify as a legal guardian or authorized representative. An eligible person can sign OHA's notarized permission form, which can be used only once within a year of being signed. A stepparent is eligible only while still married to the child's parent and only if the child is under 18, with additional documents.

ID requirements

OHA accepts any one current photo ID, such as a driver license or state ID, a passport, a tribal ID with photo, a military ID, a permanent resident card or a consulate card. Without one, you can send any three documents from OHA's list, as long as at least one shows your current address. Expired documents are not accepted.

Short form or long form

Oregon issues two types of certified birth certificate:

• Computer issued (short form), $25. OHA says this works for most legal needs, including a passport application. Births in 2008 or later can only be issued in this form.
• Full image (long form), $30. This is a copy of the original paper or microfilm record, available for births before 2008. OHA says to order the full image certificate if you need it for use outside the U.S., for an apostille from the Oregon Secretary of State, or for dual citizenship.

If your birth record has been amended, OHA says to submit the full image certificate with a passport application. If you select the computer issued option by mistake when you needed the full image, OHA will ask for an additional $5.

For a first U.S. passport, federal rules call for 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, bears the issuing office's seal, and shows a filing date within one year of birth (22 CFR 51.42). For 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). State-issued vital records used abroad need an apostille from that state's secretary of state (USA.gov).

Correcting or amending an Oregon birth record

ORS 432.235 and OAR 333-011-0265 govern amendments. OHA says an applicant must be 18 or older, prove eligibility, complete the amendment order form and any affidavit or form for the specific change, and send original evidence documents when required.

OHA waives the amendment fee in some cases: corrections by the birthing facility to the date, time or sex of birth at any age, facility errors corrected within the first year, and adding a child's missing name within 12 months.

OHA posts current amendment processing times and updates them weekly. As of October 8, 2026, it listed 13 weeks for affidavit corrections to birth records, 11 weeks for adoptions, 14 weeks for court-ordered name changes and 2 weeks for court-ordered sex changes.

Name changes

A court-ordered name change is added to the birth record as an amendment. The court process itself is covered in our guide to Oregon name change laws.

Parentage

As of January 1, 2026, OHA uses the term "parentage" in place of "paternity" for the process of establishing a child's legal second parent. Contact Oregon Vital Records at 971-673-1190 for the current forms and fees before adding a parent to a record.

Sex designation

Oregon allows a person to change the name, the sex, or both on a birth record to affirm gender identity in one of two ways: administratively, by signing an application before a notary attesting that the change is to affirm gender identity, or by court order. The applicant must be 18 or older or an emancipated minor; for a minor, a parent, legal guardian or legal representative applies. The rule is in ORS 432.235(3)(a) (name) and (3)(b) (sex). OHA says each can be changed only once through the administrative process; further changes need a court order.

If a birth was never registered

Under ORS 432.113, when a birth in Oregon was not registered within one year, a delayed report of live birth may be submitted under the State Registrar's rules once the evidence requirements are met. Delayed registrations are processed only at the Center for Health Statistics. The certified copy shows that the record was delayed and the date it was registered, and a delayed record cannot be registered for a person who has died.

OHA charges $35.00 for delayed registration, which does not include the cost of a certificate. We did not review the rule that lists the evidence documents required, so call 971-673-1190 before you gather documents.

Adoption and original birth records

After a U.S. court approves an adoption, Oregon Vital Records prepares a new birth record. The original birth record and the adoption documents go into a sealed file that generally can be opened only by an Oregon court order, although OHA says adult adoptees can order their preadoption birth record.

Adult adoptee access to an original birth record is covered in our guide to Oregon adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

Oregon law restricts access to birth records for 100 years after the date of birth. After that, ORS 432.380(3) lets OHA issue a certified copy to anyone who submits an application with proof of identity, without proof of eligibility. Whether birth records are public in other states is covered in are birth certificates public records.

This article is general legal information about Oregon birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change; confirm with the Oregon Health Authority, Center for Health Statistics (Oregon Vital Records), before ordering. Information last verified on October 8, 2026.

Related

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

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Oregon?

Oregon Vital Records charges $25 for a computer issued (short form) certificate and $30 for a full image (long form) certificate, and $25 for each additional certificate. Online orders through VitalChek total $47.50 for the first certificate as OHA lists it, phone orders $49.20, and in-person appointments $28.00.

Can I get an Oregon birth certificate the same day?

Oregon offers 30-minute in-person appointments at the Portland State Office Building for ordering certificates. OHA notes that some full image records will not be available the same day and will be mailed or made available for pickup the next workday.

How long does it take to get a birth certificate in Oregon?

OHA says online and phone orders are typically processed within three workdays after VitalChek forwards them, mail orders take approximately 3 to 5 weeks, and drop box orders approximately 8 to 10 weeks from receipt. Shipping time is extra.

Should I order a short form or long form Oregon birth certificate?

OHA says the computer issued (short form) certificate works for most legal needs, including a passport, but if your record was amended, submit the full image certificate with a passport application. Order the full image certificate for use outside the U.S., an apostille or dual citizenship; births in 2008 or later get the computer issued version.

Can my aunt or cousin order my Oregon birth certificate?

Not on their own. OHA says aunts, uncles, cousins, stepchildren, ex-spouses and partners are not eligible unless they qualify as a legal guardian or authorized representative, for example through a notarized permission form, which can be used once within a year of signing.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Oregon?

Submit OHA's amendment order form with proof of eligibility, any required evidence and the $35 amendment fee, which does not include a certificate. OHA lists affidavit corrections to birth records at 13 weeks as of October 8, 2026, and an optional $30 expedite fee gets processing in three full business days once everything is received, plus mailing time.

How do I change the sex on my Oregon birth certificate?

Oregon allows a name or sex change to affirm gender identity either administratively, by signing a notarized application, or by court order, under ORS 432.235(3). The applicant must be 18 or an emancipated minor; for a minor, a parent, legal guardian or legal representative applies.