Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Birth Certificate: Fees, Ordering and Same-Day Offices
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 8, 2026). · 13 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records issues every certified Pennsylvania birth certificate for births from 1906 on, and a certified copy costs $20. You can order online through VitalChek (plus a $10 service fee), by mail, or in person at one of six public offices, where a request received before 2:30 p.m. may be filled the same day.
Information last verified on October 6, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
This guide covers births that took place in Pennsylvania: where to order, who is eligible, what it costs, how long it takes and how to change a record. If you were born somewhere else, start with our guide to birth certificates by state, because each state's vital records office holds its own births.
Where to get a Pennsylvania birth certificate
There is one issuer. The Department of Health says that all certified copies of birth and death records are issued by the Division of Vital Records, whether or not the record is public (Genealogy page). You do not order a recent Pennsylvania birth certificate from a county clerk.
The one exception is age. Births before 1906 were recorded at the county courthouse, where the clerk of the Orphans' Court holds them. Everything from 1906 to the present sits with the Division of Vital Records.
You can reach the division at 724-656-3100 or 844-228-3516. Its birth certificates page is the official starting point for every ordering route.
How to order: online, by mail or in person
Online through VitalChek
The department states that VitalChek is Pennsylvania's only authorized vendor for online orders, through mycertificates.health.pa.gov. You pay by credit card and choose first-class USPS delivery or pickup at a Vital Records office. Online applicants must be 18 or older because of the online payment and identity checks.
Be careful with lookalike sites. The department warns that all other online service providers convert your order to a paper application, which adds delay and cost. VitalChek is the only vendor the state authorizes to take online orders, so start from the department's own page rather than a search result.
By mail
Download the Application for a Birth Certificate from the department's birth certificates page and mail it with a legible photocopy of your ID (never the original) and payment. Pay by check or money order made payable to "VITAL RECORDS"; cash is not accepted. Send it to:
Division of Vital Records, Birth Certificate Processing Unit, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103
If the certificate will be mailed to you, your photo ID must also show your current address. The ID rules are covered below.
In person at a public office (same day possible)
The department runs six Vital Records public offices. Its public offices page says that if your request is received before 2:30 p.m., you may receive the certificate the same day. The offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed holidays, and accept credit cards.
| Office | Address |
|---|---|
| Erie | 156 E 14th Street, Erie, PA 16503 |
| Harrisburg | Forum Place, 1st Floor, 555 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 |
| New Castle | 105 Nesbitt Road, New Castle, PA 16105 |
| Philadelphia | 110 N. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (appointment required; call 844-228-3516, option 8) |
| Pittsburgh | 411 Seventh Avenue, Room 360, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 |
| Scranton | Scranton State Office Building, Room 112, 100 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503 |
The Philadelphia office has required appointments since Monday, October 6, 2025.
How much a Pennsylvania birth certificate costs
The department charges a flat price per copy. Its birth certificates page says the cost is $20 each regardless of the quantity you order.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certified birth certificate (each copy) | $20 |
| Online service fee (VitalChek orders) | $10 |
| Filing a Delayed Report of Live Birth | No fee |
| U.S. Armed Forces members and veterans (discharge other than dishonorable), or their spouses | Certificate fee waived, up to 10 copies per applicant per calendar year |
Fees are non-refundable. The department deposits payment when your application arrives and does not return it, even if no record is found, so check the spelling of names and the date and place of birth before you send anything.
The Armed Forces waiver applies if you or your spouse (including a widow or widower who has not remarried) is in active service or was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, per Act 137 of 2024, and you must document that status. It covers the applicant's own record, a spouse's or a dependent child's. It does not cover the $10 online service fee or genealogical requests. The department also offers specific fee-waived paper applications on its forms list.
How long it takes
The department publishes these estimates on its processing times page. They are estimates, not promises, and they do not include delivery time.
| Request | Published estimate |
|---|---|
| Online order (mycertificates.health.pa.gov) | Approximately 2 weeks |
| Mail application | Approximately 2 weeks |
| In person at a public office | Same day possible if received before 2:30 p.m. |
| Request to modify a birth record | Approximately 20 weeks |
| Modification after an adoption | Approximately 14 weeks |
| Adoptee's request for a noncertified copy of the original record | Approximately 45 days |
The department notes that mail requests involving genealogy, a subpoena, a court order or a power of attorney take longer. The department pages we reviewed do not list a separate expedite fee; in person is the quickest route.
Who can order a certified copy
You must be at least 16 to apply in person or by mail, and 18 to apply online. According to the department's birth certificates page, these people are eligible:
- The person named on the certificate
- A spouse
- A parent or step-parent
- A brother, sister or half-sibling
- A son, daughter, step-son or step-daughter
- A grandparent or great-grandparent
- A grandchild or great-grandchild
- Someone holding power of attorney, or an attorney or legal representative of the person named
If the person named has died, a family member who is not on that list must also submit a copy of the death certificate. For deaths, see our guide to Pennsylvania death records.
ID requirements
The department's acceptable ID page requires an unexpired government-issued photo ID at the time you apply. If you pick the certificate up, accepted IDs include a driver's license, state ID card, License to Carry Firearms, U.S. or foreign passport, military ID, inmate ID or medical marijuana ID card.
If the certificate will be mailed to you, the department accepts only a photo ID that shows your current address: a driver's license, state ID card, License to Carry Firearms, or inmate ID. A passport, military ID or medical marijuana ID card works only when you pick the certificate up. If you show a recent inmate ID and are no longer incarcerated, you must also send release papers or a letter from the institution verifying your current mailing address.
If you have no photo ID, you can send two documents that verify your name and current mailing address instead. Mail applicants send a legible photocopy, never the original.
What the certificate looks like and what it is good for
Pennsylvania issues one standard certified format with a raised, embossed seal. The department says this standard birth certificate satisfies the proof of identity requirement for a REAL ID. Its birth certificates page does not describe separate short and long forms, but the department's REAL ID FAQ says PennDOT does not require parent names, so a "short form" certificate is still valid for REAL ID.
For a U.S. passport, federal rules say a birth certificate must show your full name, date and place of birth and your parents' full names, be signed by the official custodian, bear the issuing office's seal and show a filing date within one year of birth (22 CFR 51.42). A birth registered more than a year late needs secondary evidence as well.
For use in another country, select dual citizenship or other as the intended use on your application, then get an apostille from the Pennsylvania Department of State. Federal guidance says a vital record issued by a state needs its apostille from that state's secretary of state, not from the U.S. Department of State (USA.gov).
New parents do not need to order right away. The department mails one complimentary birth certificate after the hospital registers the birth, typically within 20 days, or up to 60 days when an Acknowledgement of Paternity is involved (Filing a report of birth).
Correcting or changing a Pennsylvania birth certificate
The department no longer accepts the old correction form printed on the back of certificates. Every change now goes through a Request to Modify form chosen by the registrant's age: infant (under 1), child (1 to under 7, 7 to under 14, and 14 to under 18) or adult (18 and older). A separate Request to Modify Parentage form adds, removes or replaces a parent.
Mail completed forms to: Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries, ATTN: Birth Registry, 555 Walnut Street, 6th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101-1934. The adult form must be signed in front of a notary, and the department's REAL ID FAQ says in-person and same-day services are not available for modifications. Requests that are not signed, not notarized or missing documentary evidence are suspended until corrected.
The department's amending a birth record page says these changes are governed by the Vital Statistics Law, Title 23 (Domestic Relations), Title 54, Chapter 7 and 28 Pa. Code Chapter 1.
The evidence you need depends on what you are changing:
| Change | Evidence the department asks for |
|---|---|
| Spelling of a name | A document such as an ID, marriage certificate, passport or Social Security Numident |
| Any name change or added name | A certified court order that meets Pennsylvania's judicial name change process |
| Date, time or place of birth | An early medical, baptismal or school record |
| Sex recorded incorrectly | A medical record |
| Parent information | The parent's birth certificate or a court order |
The modification forms list the $20 cost for each new certified copy; the department's pages do not state a separate modification fee, so confirm the total before you mail. If you return an incorrect certificate you received within the last 45 days, the adult form lets you request a free replacement after the record is modified. Expect approximately 20 weeks.
Legal name change
To change a name, as opposed to fixing a spelling, the department asks for a certified court order that meets Pennsylvania's judicial name change process. The court process is covered in our guide to Pennsylvania name change laws; once you have the certified order, send it with the Request to Modify form for the registrant's age.
Sex designation
The adult Request to Modify form (revision 04/21, read on October 7, 2026) treats two situations differently. A sex recorded incorrectly at birth is corrected with documentation such as a medical record. To display a gender designation other than the recorded sex, the form asks for a letter from the attending physician who is providing clinical treatment for gender transition. Policies in this area change, so confirm the current requirement with the Division of Vital Records before you apply.
If your birth was never registered
The process starts with a Certificate of No Birth Record from the department. People over 7 can then file a Delayed Report of Live Birth with documentary evidence that matches the details on the report. There is no fee to file, and the department notifies you whether it accepted or denied the report.
For a child under 7 whose birth was never reported, or for an unattended home birth, contact the Department of Health directly about a late report.
Adoption and your original birth certificate
The Request to Modify forms are not used for changes that result from an adoption; the department lists a separate estimate of approximately 14 weeks for adoption modifications. Adoptees can apply for a noncertified copy of their original birth record, which the department estimates at approximately 45 days by mail. Who may obtain that record, and when, is covered in our guide to Pennsylvania adoption records.
Older records and genealogy
Pennsylvania birth records are not open to the public. Under the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, the original Report of Live Birth is not a public document until 105 years after the birth, and it is not available through a Right-to-Know Law request. For the broader question, see are birth certificates public records.
Once a record turns 105, it becomes available through the Pennsylvania State Archives, run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). PHMC holds indices of public birth records from 1906 to 1913. Noncertified copies of public records come from the State Archives; if you need a certified copy of a public record, you still order it from the Division of Vital Records and mark genealogical use on the application.
Division staff conduct every record search; you cannot search the files yourself. For births before 1906, write to the clerk of the Orphans' Court in the county where the birth took place.
This article provides general legal information about Pennsylvania birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees, forms and procedures change, so confirm with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records (724-656-3100 or 844-228-3516) before ordering. Information verified October 6, 2026.
Related
- Birth certificates by state
- Are birth certificates public records?
- Pennsylvania adoption records
- Pennsylvania name change laws
- Pennsylvania death records
Last updated: October 6, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a birth certificate in Pennsylvania?
The Division of Vital Records charges $20 per certified copy, whatever the quantity. Online orders through VitalChek add a $10 service fee, and fees are non-refundable.
Can I get my Pennsylvania birth certificate the same day?
Possibly. At the six Vital Records public offices, a request received before 2:30 p.m. may be filled the same day. The Philadelphia office requires an appointment (844-228-3516, option 8).
How long does a Pennsylvania birth certificate take by mail or online?
The Department of Health estimates approximately 2 weeks for either route, not counting delivery. Genealogical, subpoena, court order and power of attorney requests take longer.
Can I get a Pennsylvania birth certificate from the county?
Not for births from 1906 on. The Division of Vital Records issues all certified copies. Births before 1906 are held by the county Orphans' Court clerk.
Who can order a Pennsylvania birth certificate?
The person named, a spouse, parent or step-parent, sibling or half-sibling, child or step-child, grandparent, great-grandparent, grandchild or great-grandchild, or someone with power of attorney or legal representation. Applicants must be 16 or older (18 online).
How do I correct a birth certificate in Pennsylvania?
Use the Request to Modify form for the registrant's age, or the Request to Modify Parentage form, with the supporting evidence the department lists. The old correction form is no longer accepted, and the department estimates approximately 20 weeks.
When do Pennsylvania birth records become public?
105 years after the birth, under the Vital Statistics Law of 1953. Public records are then available through the Pennsylvania State Archives (PHMC), while certified copies still come from the Division of Vital Records.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Birth Certificates(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Public Records and Genealogy(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Vital Records Public Offices(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Processing Times(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Acceptable Identification(pa.gov).gov
- 22 CFR 51.42, Persons born in the United States applying for a passport(ecfr.gov).gov
- USA.gov: Authenticate an official document for use outside the U.S.(usa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Filing a Report of Birth(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Amending a Birth Record(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Request to Modify an Adult's Birth Record (form)(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: REAL ID and Birth Certificate FAQ(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of State: Certifications, Apostilles and Authentication of Documents(pa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Application for a Birth Certificate (form)(pa.gov).gov