U.S. Birth Certificate requirements for a passport

Which Birth Certificate the U.S. Department of State will accept for a passport application, where to order yours, and what to do if you don't have one.

About vital records

How U.S. birth certificates are filed and where to find yours

The federal government does not keep a central registry of births. Your certificate sits with the State, city, or county office that handled the birth.

State & local records

An official certificate of every U.S. birth should be on file in the locality where the event occurred. The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records — they are filed permanently in a State vital statistics office or in a city, county, or other local office.

To obtain a certified copy, write or visit the vital statistics office in the State or area where the event occurred. For step-by-step instructions, the CDC publishes a directory Where To Write For Vital Records. If you need it fast, VitalChek's express certificate ordering service can handle the request online in most U.S. jurisdictions.

What the State Department accepts

Which Birth Certificate the State Department accepts

All applicants must submit a certified Birth Certificate with all required elements — the version commonly called the "Long Form." Short Form, abstract, hospital-issued, or digital copies will be returned and the application delayed.

Accepted

Certified Birth Certificate (Long Form)

  • Issued by the State or local vital statistics office where the birth was registered.
  • Shows your full name, date and place of birth, and parents' full names — the element most Short Form copies lack.
  • Bears the registrar's signature and the office's official seal.
  • Filed within 1 year of birth (late-filed certificates need additional secondary evidence).
  • Original document — not a photocopy, even if notarized.
Not accepted

Anything short of the Long Form

  • Notarized photocopies of Birth Certificates.
  • Hospital birth records or hospital-issued certificates.
  • Short Form Birth Certificates.*
  • Abstract Birth Certificates.
  • Digital, mobile, or electronic copies of any kind — a physical document is required.

* Texas exception: Short Form birth certificates from Texas are accepted only when marked with the letter "i" (institutional use) next to the date filed. California and Puerto Rico have their own state-specific rules — when in doubt, request the Long Form.

You don't lose your Birth Certificate by sending it in. Originals are mailed back by the State Department after the passport is processed — usually within a few weeks, in one or more separate USPS First Class envelopes (the certificate doesn't arrive in the same package as the passport itself).
How to order yours

How to order a certified Birth Certificate

Order directly from your State or county vital statistics office — or expedite the request online through a vetted service.

Order by mail or in person

CDC Vital Records directory

Write or go to the vital statistics office in the State or area where the birth occurred. The CDC publishes a step-by-step directory of addresses, fees, identity requirements, and how to apply for every U.S. state and territory.

Where To Write For Vital Records

Order online — expedited

VitalChek · LexisNexis

VitalChek partners with 400+ vital record agencies across 52 of the 57 U.S. jurisdictions, including Washington DC and Puerto Rico. They take your request online, verify your identity, and forward it to the agency — which then prints and ships the certificate directly. Expedited shipping is available where the agency supports it. Total cost = state certificate fee + VitalChek service fee + your chosen shipping option.

VitalChek express ordering
Don't have a Birth Certificate? If records are unavailable, request a Letter of No Record from the registrar, then submit it together with Form DS-10 (Birth Affidavit) and early public/private records from the first 5 years of your life. See full passport requirements →