How To Order A NYC Birth Certificate using VitalChek
NOTARY911 doesn’t provide or help to obtain New York birth certificates or letters of exemplification.
As I mentioned in my previous article, New York State has two separate systems for recording births and deaths - one serving New York City's five boroughs and the other serving all other municipalities in the state.
Types of Birth Certificates
There are two types of birth certificates that you can request:
- Short Form: This is the most commonly requested certificate and can be used for most domestic purposes. It includes your or your child's first and last name, place of birth, date of birth, sex at birth, and mother and father's first and last name.
- Long Form (also known as Vault-certified Copy of a Birth Certificate, or a Vault Birth Certificate): This certificate includes additional information. It is typically used for international purposes like dual citizenship, international adoptions, and international marriage. It is generally used for travel, passport, proof of citizenship, social security, driver's license, school registration, personal identification, and other legal purposes. It requires an apostille to use this birth certificate in a different country.
Who can order a NYC Birth Certificate?
The New York City Health Department is responsible for issuing birth certificates to all individuals born within the city. Although you can request the birth certificate by mail, the NYC Department of Health strongly suggests doing it online Using the NYC Health Department's Vital Records Portal through their authorized partner, VitalChek.
Please note that you can only order a birth certificate online if the following conditions are met:
The birth certificate is for you or your child, and your name is listed on the certificate.
You or your child were born in New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island).
The name on your certificate matches the name on your credit or debit card you will use for payment. If you are a woman, your first name should match. Your first and last name should match if you are a man. As a security measure, the certificate will be sent to the address connected to the card.
If you have legally changed your name for reasons other than marriage, and your certificate has already been amended with the NYC Dept of Health Corrections Unit.
You'll need to meet all of the above conditions to be able to place an order online and will need to order through mail or in person.
How do you order a Birth Certificate Online Using VitalCheck?
1. Go to the VitalChek website and select "Birth Certificate" as the type of record you want to order.
2. Who is eligible to obtain a birth certificate copy?
The person named on the birth certificate.
A parent of the person named on the birth certificate whose name appears on the birth certificate.
A spouse, child, or other person who has an order from a New York State Court to obtain a copy of a birth certificate.
3. Please choose New York as a state of birth.
4. Please choose in which New York City borough you were born (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, or Staten Island)
5. Date of birth
6. Reason for the new copy of birth certificate.
Depending on your chosen reason, the NYC Department of Health will decide which form you need - a short-form birth certificate or a long-form birth certificate (also called a vault birth certificate).
Reason for a new copy - Aposatille
This is also an essential step if you need to apostille your birth certificate.
If an apostille is needed, you must choose “Apostille/Authentication” as a reason - that is the only way to let the NYC Department of Health know to issue a Letter of Exemplification. This additional document is required in the apostille process of NYC-issued vital records and is created only with a new copy of the certificate.
Long Form Birth Certificate
The first copy costs $24.30, and there is no shipping fee (by regular mail).
Each additional copy costs $15.00 (you can only order two additional copies). The processing fee is per order, not per copy.
Short Form Birth Certificate
Prices are the same as with the Vault Birth Certificate.
7. Warning about misstating your identity
8. Name and Gender that appear on the Birth Certificate and Information about the birth hospital.
9. Names of parents
10. If your last name is different than your mother or father, you will be prompted to confirm it.
11. Shipping
Shipping by regular mail is free, but VitalCheck recommends using a commercial shipping company for an additional $20.00.
12. Payment
VitalChek accepts Visa (debit or credit), Mastercard (debit or credit), American Express, and Discover, and in some situations, electronic checks are accepted.
13. Terms and Conditions.
VitalCheck never gives you an exact date when you will receive your documents.
If you are in a rush, I would advise contacting the NYC Department of Health and scheduling an in-person visit.
Once you place the order, you will receive the confirmation email with a pin, a list of required ID documents you must upload to the website, and a link.
