Texas Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees, Long vs Short Form

Texas birth certificates are issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Vital Statistics, in Austin and by local county, city and district offices. A certified copy from DSHS costs $22, long form or short form. You can order online through Texas.gov, by mail with a notarized application, or in person, where DSHS says most applicants get the record 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 happened in Texas: which certificate to order, who qualifies, fees, processing times and how to change a record. For other states, see our guide to birth certificates by state.

Long form or short form: order the right Texas birth certificate first

Texas issues two kinds of certified birth certificate at the same $22 price, and picking the wrong one can mean paying for a second order. DSHS describes them on its record types page:

If you are applying for a passport, order the long form. DSHS lists the long form as required for a passport, and the federal passport rule asks 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(a)).

For a REAL ID, the federal rule accepts a "certified copy of a birth certificate filed with a State Office of Vital Statistics or equivalent agency in the individual's State of birth" (6 CFR 37.11(c)(1)(ii)). DSHS says the long form is required for a driver's license in most states.

How to order a Texas birth certificate

Online through Texas.gov

Texas.gov is the state's online ordering portal for DSHS records. According to DSHS's online order requirements, you will need a driver's license or state ID number, your Social Security number, and your relationship to the person on the record, and you pay by credit or debit card.

Online ordering is narrower than mail or in-person ordering:

• Texas residents may order their own certificate or those of immediate family members.
• Out-of-state residents may order only their own certificate, or their child's if they are listed on it as a parent.

If you live outside Texas and need a sibling's or parent's certificate, use mail or go in person.

By mail

DSHS's mail and in-person requirements are strict, and an application that misses one is rejected:

1. Fill out the original application with every box completed, and no cross-outs, white-out or correction tape.
2. Sign it in front of a notary and get the notary's seal.
3. Include a photocopy of acceptable ID.
4. Pay by check or money order made out to "DSHS Vital Statistics."
5. Mail it to the correct address. For regular processing: Texas Vital Statistics, Department of State Health Services, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040.

DSHS warns that "When an application is rejected, it is considered closed." You can resubmit, but processing starts over.

Expedited mail

DSHS processes overnight-mail applications that include the $25 expedited fee first. Send them by an overnight service to: Texas Vital Statistics, MC 2096, DSHS, 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756 (DSHS mailing addresses). Expedited processing also requires paid expedited return shipping: $16 for overnight delivery or $22.95 for USPS Express.

In person

You can go to a local office or the Vital Statistics headquarters in Austin during business hours with your original ID. DSHS says on its birth records page: "In most cases, you will get your record the same day, but some applications require 24 hours or more to process." At the Austin office, paying by credit card adds a $2.25 processing fee.

Local offices: county clerks and city registrars

You can also get a Texas birth certificate "in the county, city, or district where the event occurred," and DSHS notes that "some offices also provide birth records from anywhere in the state." DSHS keeps an A-Z list of these offices on its order records locally page.

Local offices are not bound by the DSHS price list. DSHS says "Counties, cities, and districts set their own hours of operation, fees, and procedures for requests," so a county clerk's fee may differ from $22. Call the office before you go.

How much does a Texas birth certificate cost?

DSHS's costs and fees page lists:

DSHS fees are non-refundable, even if the record is not found.

The $3 reduced price for an additional copy on the DSHS fee page is listed for death certificates, not birth certificates.

Free birth certificates

Texas law requires the state registrar, a local registrar, or a county clerk to issue a certified birth record without a fee to certain applicants, each with supporting documentation:

• a homeless child or youth, a child in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services, or a young adult aged 18 to 20 in a DFPS-paid foster placement (HB 123);
• a victim of family or dating violence, and their children, who are currently fleeing a dangerous living situation (SB 798);
• a county or child welfare board requesting the record for a suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed by a governmental entity (HB 4466).

DSHS also waives the fee for a certified birth record used to apply for a Texas Election Identification Certificate. Its fee page also lists the fee as waived for military personnel under Texas Government Code 437.217, with a letter from the unit commander (DSHS fees). The required forms and documents are on DSHS's mail and in-person requirements page.

How long does it take?

DSHS publishes average processing times, in business days, on its processing times page:

These are averages, not commitments. In person, DSHS says most applicants get the record the same day, and expedited overnight-mail applications go to the front of the mail queue.

Who can get a certified Texas birth certificate?

Texas releases certified copies only to "qualified applicants." DSHS, citing 25 Texas Administrative Code section 181.1, lists them on its qualified applicants page:

• the person named on the record;
• immediate family: a child, parent, brother or sister, grandparent or spouse, whether by blood, marriage or adoption;
• a guardian;
• a legal agent or representative.

Everyone else needs documents showing a direct, tangible interest. In DSHS's words, they "must provide legal documentation (such as a court order establishing guardianship, an insurance policy listing the applicant as the beneficiary, etc.) that documents a direct, tangible interest in the birth or death certificate."

ID you need

DSHS's acceptable ID page sets three groups. You need one of these combinations:

• one Group A ID, such as a U.S. driver's license, a federal or state ID card, a military ID, a U.S. passport or a permanent resident card; or
• two Group B documents; or
• one Group B document plus two Group C documents.

Check the DSHS page for the Group B and C lists. By mail, send a photocopy; in person, bring the original.

How to correct or change a Texas birth certificate

Changes are made by mail only, on form VS 170, signed before a notary, with a copy of your ID, the fee and the supporting documents for that kind of change. Corrections cannot be ordered through Texas.gov. DSHS's average processing time for a correction is 25 to 30 business days.

The person named on the record, a parent, a legal guardian, a managing conservator or a legal representative (with proof) may request a change. DSHS's supporting documentation page sets out what each change needs. Some common ones:

• Hospital error before the child's first birthday: the hospital where the child was born must sign and submit the application.
• Hospital error after the first birthday: one hospital or medical record from the birth, or a letter from the hospital explaining the correction.
• Legal name change: a "certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate." The court case comes first; see our guide to Texas name change laws.
• Adding a parent when the parents were married before the birth: a certified copy of the marriage license and both parents' notarized signatures.

Adding, removing or replacing a parent costs $25; all other corrections cost $15. A new certified copy of the corrected record is $22.

Sex marker

DSHS's list of birth record changes includes one sex-related item: correcting the child's sex "due to proven incompletion or inaccuracy," supported by a hospital or medical record from the birth or a letter from the hospital identifying the error. For any other request involving the sex marker, contact DSHS Vital Statistics directly before filing.

Registering a birth that was never recorded

DSHS says "Births occurring in Texas should be officially registered within the first year. If this does not occur, you can apply for a Delayed Certificate of Birth through Vital Statistics" (DSHS delayed birth registration).

1. First order a certified copy of the birth certificate. If DSHS has no record, it sends you the forms and instructions for a delayed certificate.
2. The registrant, the parent or legal guardian of a minor registrant, or a legal representative completes the application. It is signed before a notary by the parent or guardian if the registrant is under 15, or by the registrant if 15 or older.
3. Mail it with a copy of acceptable ID, the $25 filing fee, the required documents and the Not Found letter; without that letter DSHS adds $22 for the certified copy.

What you must prove depends on age:

• Child aged 1 to 4: a notarized affidavit from the parents and the birth attendant, plus two or more supporting documents.
• Child aged 4 to 15: two or more supporting documents.
• Age 15 or older: three or more documents, at least one created within 10 years of birth, and documents other than affidavits must be at least five years old.

A late filing can matter for a passport. The federal rule expects a filing date within one year of birth, and an applicant whose certificate does not meet that standard must submit secondary evidence, such as hospital, baptismal, medical or school records (22 CFR 51.42(b)).

Adoption and the Texas birth certificate

After an adoption, a new Texas birth certificate is filed through the attorney or district clerk with a Certificate of Adoption (VS-160) and a certified copy of the final decree. DSHS charges a $25 filing fee and $22 for the new certified copy, plus a $15 Central Adoption Registry fee when the adoption decree was granted in Texas ($62 total). DSHS "can only process adoption birth certificates for individuals born in Texas, even if adoption takes place in another state" (DSHS). An adult adoptee may order a non-certified copy of the original birth certificate for $10. Who can see the original record, and how, is covered in our guide to Texas adoption records.

Are Texas birth records public?

Certified copies are not open to the public: DSHS issues them only to qualified applicants. Anyone who can give the full name, date and place of birth may order a birth verification letter, which confirms the name, date of birth and county for births since 1903, but it is not a substitute for a certificate. For the national picture, see are birth certificates public records.

DSHS does not say on the pages we reviewed when Texas birth records become publicly available, so for older family records, ask DSHS or the county clerk where the birth occurred.

Using a Texas birth certificate abroad

A foreign government may ask for an apostille. Vital records issued by a state "will need an apostille from that state's secretary of state," here the Texas Secretary of State (USA.gov). DSHS lists dual citizenship among the uses that require the long form.

This article provides general legal information about Texas birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees, forms and procedures change, so confirm with the Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics (888-963-7111) or your local office before ordering. Information verified October 6, 2026.

Related

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

Last updated: October 6, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Texas?

DSHS Vital Statistics charges $22 for a certified copy, long form or short form. Local county and city offices set their own fees, which may differ.

Can I get my Texas birth certificate the same day?

Usually, if you go in person. DSHS says that in most cases you get the record the same day at a local office or the Austin headquarters, though some applications take 24 hours or more.

Which Texas birth certificate do I need for a passport?

The long form. DSHS lists the long form as required for a U.S. passport; the short form is a certified abstract meant for uses such as school registration and employment.

How long does it take to get a Texas birth certificate by mail?

DSHS averages 25 to 30 business days for mail orders and 20 to 25 for Texas.gov orders. Overnight-mail applications with the $25 expedited fee are processed first.

Who can order a Texas birth certificate?

The person named on the record, a child, parent, brother or sister, grandparent or spouse, a guardian, or a legal representative. Anyone else must provide legal documentation of a direct, tangible interest.

Can I order a Texas birth certificate online if I live in another state?

Only your own, or your child's if you are listed as a parent. Texas residents can order online for themselves and immediate family members.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Texas?

Mail a notarized form VS 170 with a copy of your ID, the fee ($25 for parent changes, $15 for others) and the supporting documents DSHS lists for that change. DSHS averages 25 to 30 business days.

Is a Texas birth verification letter the same as a birth certificate?

No. DSHS says verification letters are not legal substitutes for certified copies, though anyone with the name, date and place of birth can order one.