North Carolina Vital Records
Requesting Certificates in North Carolina
| A standard form must be signed and submitted to document all requests for copies of certificates. Links to those forms and Vital Records contact information are below. |
Information Needed
In order to process a request, Vital Records needs to know:
| Birth Certificate |
- Full Name on Certificate
- Date of Birth
- Mother's Full Maiden Name
- Father's Full Name
- Place (City or County) of Birth
|
| Death Record |
- Full Name of Deceased
- Date of Death
- Place (City or County) of Death
- Date of Birth
|
| Marriage Record |
- Full Name of Groom
- Full Name of Bride
- Date of Marriage
- Place (City or County) Where License Was Issued
|
| Divorce Record |
- Full Name of Husband
- Full Name of Wife
- Date of Divorce
- Place (City or County) of Divorce
|
In addition, in order to receive a certified copy, you must provide the requestor's relationship to the person named on the record. If the requestor is not of the immediate family, a brief statement as to why the certificate is needed MUST be included.
N.C. General Statute 130A-93(c) specifies who is entitled to a certified (as opposed to an uncertified) copy of a vital record.
| Note: Under North Carolina Law (G.S. 130A-26A), it is a felony violation to fraudulently request a certified copy of a vital record or obtain, possess, sell, furnish, use, or attempt to use for any purpose of deception a North Carolina birth certificate. |
Costs
- A fee of $24 is charged for each name searched in a three-year period, regardless of the search results as per G.S. 130A-93.1. If the record is located, one certified or uncertified copy of the record will be provided at no additional cost. Additional copies of the same record are $15 each.
- These fees are for a search, regardless of the results. Search fees are not refundable. Each additional request to search in a 3-year increment for records outside of the original 3-year period will cost an additional $24.
REQUESTS
Vital record certificates may be requested by mail, online, fax, phone or in person (see below). Rush service is also available at an additional charge.
Online, phone and fax requests:
Requests for copies of vital record certificates can be processed online or by fax or phone by having a credit card and making a request using a private company that offers expedited credit card service. Online, fax, and telephone (1-800-669-8310) services are available only by this method, and are not provided by NC Vital Records but by a private corporation, VitalChek Network, Inc. atwww.vitalchek.com
Mail Requests:
Select the form you need below. You can fill out the form on your computer and then print it out and sign it, or print the blank form and fill it out by hand. (To view and print the applications in PDF format, you will need to download the free Adobe Reader.)
- Birth Certificate Application form (English PDF, Spanish PDF) or the
- Death, Marriage, or Divorce Certificate Application form (English PDF, Spanish PDF).
Send the completed form with certified check or money order in the correct amount to North Carolina Vital Records, 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1903. DO NOT SEND CASH. Your order will be processed two to four weeks after we receive your request. Rush service is available at an additional charge for mail, on-line, fax, phone and in-person requests (see below).
In - Person Requests:
Individuals may visit the office on the first floor of the Cooper Memorial Health Building at 225 N. McDowell Street, Raleigh, N.C. between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, except on state government holidays. Parking is available on the north (Lane Street) side of the Cooper Building. Customers should bring a valid photo ID and non-refundable $24 search fee for each request. Forms of payment accepted are cash, certified check, money order, credit card (American Express, MasterCard, Discover), and debit card. You will be asked to fill out an application upon arrival or you may bring a completed one with you (see above for required forms). Walk-in requests for same day service are subject to an additional $15 expedited services fee and will usually be fulfilled in about one hour. Customers are encouraged to leave completed request forms with us for a mailed response to avoid the extra fee for same day services. In that case, normal turnaround time is two to four weeks plus mail delivery.
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Page last updated August 21, 2009