Birth, death, marriage and divorce records, state by state
Find the official office that holds your record, what a certified copy costs, who may order it, the ID you need and how long it takes. Every figure comes from the office itself, with a link to its own page.
Which office has my record?
Choose where the birth, death, marriage or divorce happened. Add the year and county if you know them: older records and some local records are kept by a different office.
Choose a record
- Birth certificatesCertified copies for a passport, REAL ID, school or benefits: who can order, fees and times, state by state.
- Death certificatesCopies for an estate, insurance or benefits: who qualifies, extra-copy fees and local offices.
- Marriage certificatesWhere marriage records are kept, state office or county, and how to get a certified copy.
- Divorce recordsA state divorce certificate or the full decree from the court that granted the divorce.
States and territories
Each state, the District of Columbia, New York City and the territories keep their own records. New York City is separate from New York State.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware official office
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas official office
- Kentucky official office
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan official office
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana official office
- Nebraska official office
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- New York City
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon official office
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island official office
- South Carolina official office
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin official office
- Wyoming official office
- American Samoa official office
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands official office
- Puerto Rico official office
- U.S. Virgin Islands official office
How this site checks every fact
Every fee, processing time, rule and address on this site comes from the official office that issues the record: the state vital records office, the city or county office, the court, or a federal agency for federal rules. Two researchers read each source separately, and a fact is published only when both readings match and the exact sentence is found in our dated copy of the official page. Tap the small source number next to any fact to read the state's own words.
We never estimate. If a state does not publish a processing time or a fee for one way of ordering, we leave it out instead of guessing. Read more in how we check and the editorial policy.
Recent fee changes
- Iowa birth certificate: $15 to $20 from July 1, 2026
- Iowa death certificate: $15 to $20 from July 1, 2026
- Iowa marriage certificate: $15 to $20 from July 1, 2026
- Utah birth certificate: $22 to $25 from July 1, 2026
Guides
- Birth certificate for a passportWhat the State Department accepts and how to get a qualifying copy fast.
- Birth certificate for REAL IDThe documents a REAL ID needs and which birth certificate counts.
- Long form vs short formAbstracts, long-form copies and which one an agency wants.
- VitalChek and other ordering servicesWhen a vendor is the state’s own channel and what it adds to the cost.
- How many death certificates you needWho asks for a certified copy after a death, and extra-copy fees.
- Who can order a birth certificateClosed and open records, and who the states name.
- Who can order a death certificateFamily, executors and funeral directors, state by state.
- Birth certificate without IDThe alternatives states accept when you have no photo ID.