West Virginia Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Eligibility

The Vital Registration Office of the West Virginia Department of Health's Health Statistics Center, in Charleston, issues certified copies of West Virginia birth certificates. A certified copy costs $12, and you can order in person for same-day service, by mail, or online through a third-party vendor. 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 West Virginia birth certificate, what it costs, who may get a certified copy, and how to correct or amend a West Virginia birth record. It applies to births that occurred in West Virginia.

Where to order a West Virginia birth certificate

The state office is the Vital Registration Office, 350 Capitol Street, Room 165, Charleston, WV 25301-3701, phone (304) 558-2931. Its certificate requests page says it "provides certified copies of births, deaths, marriages, and births resulting in stillbirth."

According to the office's genealogy page, it holds West Virginia birth records from 1917 to the present and delayed-filed birth records starting around 1850. The state pages we reviewed do not list any county office that issues certified birth copies, so the state office is the route they describe.

How to order

In person (fastest)

The state calls in-person ordering "the fastest way to obtain a certified copy of a vital record." Same-day walk-in service is available at the walk-up counter in the main lobby at 350 Capitol Street in Charleston.

The office asks you to "allow at least a 15-minute wait time, even though most requests are completed much quicker." It accepts cash, check and money order, and debit or credit cards at the walk-up counter carry a 4% surcharge.

By mail

Mail the birth certificate application form, a color copy of your identification, and a check or money order payable to Vital Registration to the Charleston address above. The state's page says the application, a copy of ID and proper payment are "required for all mail requests," and it does not accept debit or credit cards by mail.

Online

The state's certificate requests page links to VitalChek for online orders. It says online orders "are handled by third-party vendors," and any customer-service problem with such an order must be handled directly by the vendor you used.

Vendors set their own fees, but "regardless of the fees charged by third-party vendors, the state receives $12 per copy." Start from the state's certificate requests page rather than a search result, so you know which vendor the state itself points to.

How much a West Virginia birth certificate costs

The state notes a fee change effective July 1, 2023. If a computerized search does not find the record, the office searches the year you gave, the year before and the year after; further searches are paid at $12 per three-year period.

State law requires a free certified copy for a homeless person under 18 who applies with a written affirmation of homelessness (W. Va. Code §16-5-29(c)).

How long it takes

The only processing time the state publishes is for in-person orders: same-day service, with at least a 15-minute wait. The pages we reviewed give no processing time for mail orders and do not describe an expedited mail option, so call (304) 558-2931 before you rely on a date. Online vendors handle their own orders and shipping.

Who can get a certified copy

The state's application form says: "Birth records are confidential and not open to the general public, except for those that are at least 100 years old."

The current application form carries a footer that reads "Last Revised 1/9/09," so the eligibility list below is the list on that 2009-dated form. The statute, W. Va. Code §16-5-28(a), lists the registrant, parents, spouse, adult children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren, a legal guardian, or their authorized representative, and says others may be authorized to obtain a copy when they show it is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right. The form's list differs (it adds grandparents and adult siblings and leaves out great-grandchildren), so confirm with the Vital Registration Office if you are on only one of the lists. The form lists:

• You, if you are 18 or older, or an emancipated minor (the form says a court order would be required);
• parents and grandparents;
• adult children and grandchildren;
• adult siblings;
• a spouse; and
• legal guardians or legal representatives, with proof of guardianship or representation.

The form adds that proof of relationship may also be required. It warns that false statements and misuse of vital records result in criminal and civil penalties under W. Va. Code §16-5-38.

ID requirements

The state lists ID in two places, and the lists differ:

• Application form: one document from a primary list or two from a secondary list. Primary documents include a DMV-issued driver's license that is unexpired or expired not more than five years, a DMV-issued photo ID card expired not more than one year, and a U.S. passport expired not more than five years. Send a photocopy, not the original.
• Certificate requests page (which applies its list to both walk-in and mail orders): a state-issued driver's license (which can be expired), a U.S. or foreign passport, a military ID, or a photo ID card from a government-sponsored program. Otherwise, any two of a major credit card, a motor vehicle registration card, a state social services program card, or a recent utility bill in your name. The page says exceptions can be granted case by case.

If your ID fits one list but not the other, call (304) 558-2931 before you send it.

The form says photo identification is required for all orders, plus proof of relationship if you are ordering someone else's certificate.

Types of West Virginia birth certificates

The Vital Registration pages we reviewed do not describe a long form, a short form, or an informational copy, so ask the office if an agency needs a particular format. 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). A state-issued vital record used abroad needs an apostille from that state's secretary of state, according to USA.gov.

Correcting or amending a West Virginia birth certificate

West Virginia distinguishes two kinds of change, per the state's correct or amend a certificate page. A correction fixes incorrect information, such as a misspelled name. An amendment changes the information itself, such as adding a father, a legal name change, or adding information missing from the original record.

Birth certificates for births more than 100 years ago cannot be amended. Amendments are governed by W. Va. Code §16-5-25.

Evidence and the court-order route

An application must include at least two original items of documentary evidence that support the change and were established at least five years before the application, or within seven years of the birth. The evidence must show the full correct name and the date of birth or age.

If you cannot get that evidence, the change can be made only by petitioning a court and giving the office a certified copy of the court order. West Virginia residents petition a court in the county where they live; non-residents may petition their local court or the Kanawha County Circuit Court.

Use the Affidavit to Correct Birth for an adult's certificate, or the Affidavit of Minor for a child's.

Fees for amendments

Amendments cost $10 under the state's fee rule (64CSR51 Appendix D, effective July 1, 2023), and each certified copy is $12. There is no amendment fee within the first year after the birth, for court-ordered paternity, or for paternity affidavits submitted within the first year of birth.

Adding a father

Adding a father is an amendment. To add or change paternity information, the state's corrections and amendment forms page says to call (304) 558-2931 and choose the Corrections Unit option.

Legal name change

A legal name change is an amendment. Under W. Va. Code §16-5-25(d), on receiving a certified copy of a court order changing the name of a person born in West Virginia, and on request of that person or a parent, guardian or legal representative, the state registrar amends the birth certificate to show the new name. The court process itself is covered in our guide to West Virginia name change laws.

Sex designation

As of October 8, 2026, the state's correct or amend page says: "To change the sex designation on your birth certificate, please have your physician fill out the Sex Designation Form and also provide the appropriate affidavit found above." The page does not say whether the $10 amendment fee applies to this change, so ask the office.

If a birth was never registered

The state does not post delayed-registration requirements or a fee online. Its forms page says to register a delayed birth, call (304) 558-2931 and choose the option for the Corrections Unit.

Adoption and new birth records

The Vital Registration pages we reviewed do not describe how an adoption changes a West Virginia birth record. Who can get adoption and original birth records is covered in our guide to West Virginia adoption records.

Older records and genealogy

West Virginia birth records at least 100 years old are open to the public; younger records are confidential. Whether birth certificates are public records elsewhere is covered in are birth certificates public records.

For family history, the Vital Registration Office says the best resource is the West Virginia Division of Culture and History's Archives and History Library, in the Cultural Center in the Capitol Complex in Charleston. The office says the State Archives holds county birth and death records and even older records from Vital Registration.

This article is general legal information about West Virginia birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change; confirm with the West Virginia Vital Registration Office before ordering. Information last verified on October 8, 2026.

Related

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

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in West Virginia?

A certified copy costs $12 per copy from the Vital Registration Office, and the fee includes a nonrefundable search fee. Online vendors add their own fees, and cards at the walk-up counter carry a 4% surcharge.

Can I get my birth certificate the same day in West Virginia?

Yes. The Vital Registration Office at 350 Capitol Street in Charleston offers same-day walk-in service and asks you to allow at least 15 minutes.

How long does a West Virginia birth certificate take by mail?

The state does not publish a mail processing time. Call the Vital Registration Office at (304) 558-2931 if you need a date.

Who can get a certified copy of a West Virginia birth certificate?

The state's application form, marked Last Revised 1/9/09, lists the registrant 18 or older, parents, grandparents, adult children and grandchildren, adult siblings, a spouse, and legal guardians or representatives with proof. W. Va. Code 16-5-28(a) also names great-grandchildren and says others may be authorized to obtain a copy when they show it is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right. Records at least 100 years old are open to anyone.

How do I correct a birth certificate in West Virginia?

Submit the Affidavit to Correct Birth (adult) or Affidavit of Minor (child) with at least two original documents that meet the state's age rules, plus the $10 amendment fee where it applies. Without that evidence, you need a certified court order under W. Va. Code 16-5-25.

Can I order a West Virginia birth certificate online?

Yes. The state's certificate requests page links to VitalChek; online vendors set their own fees and handle their own customer service, while the state receives $12 per copy.