Birth Certificates
The operating procedure for obtaining a vital statistic record in Pinellas County, such as a birth and death record, is on an appointment basis. There are also options such as mail-in orders, faxed orders, or online orders. Walk-in orders will be accepted; however, appointments will be given preference so wait times will vary. Walk-ins will not be accepted after 3:45pm to process everyone by close of business at 4:30pm. If you would like to make an appointment call our office during normal business hours. Please scroll down below to obtain more information on how to request orders by mail or fax. All online orders can be made by clicking on Certificates located in the toolbar above and choosing the VitalChek link in blue.
General Birth Certificate Information
Birth certificates are not public records. They only become public records 100 years following the birth.
Birth certificates can only be issued to the registrant (the child named on the record) if of legal age (18), parent, guardian or legal representative of one of these persons or by court order. Court orders must be the most current and signed or stamped by a judge.
If the registrant is deceased, upon receipt of the death certificate, the birth certification can be issued to the spouse, child, grandchild, sibling, if of legal age, or a legal representative of any of these persons as well as to the parent. The birth certificate will be stamped “Deceased”.
If the birth occurred in another state, please go to the following link to obtain address information to order the certificate: http:www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
Quick Links to Birth Certificate Forms
- Application for a Florida Birth Record - ENGLISH (PDF, 214KB)
- Application for a Florida Birth Record - SPANISH (PDF, 361KB)
- Affidavit to Release Birth Certificate (PDF, 64KB)
- FL Dept of Health Certificates and Registries
- Birth Records from other states
Additional Information
Florida law restricts the issuance of birth certificates. Proof of identity is required to prove eligibility. Acceptable forms of identification are a valid state Driver’s License, state ID Card, U.S. Passport, or Military ID Card. Expired forms of identification will not be accepted. Must include a copy of a valid form of identification.
Please Note: The birth certificate for a newborn is not automatically mailed to the parent after birth. The parent must apply for the birth certificate through a Vital Statistics office and pay the proper fee.
If the applicant was not born in Florida, please go to the following link to order certificates from other states: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
Types of Birth Certificates Available in Pinellas County
A Certified Certificate is an abstract of the original birth certificate and is accepted as legal proof of birth and citizenship. Certificates are available for birth years 1917 to the present.
Fees
When Ordering from DOH-Pinellas
Certified Computer Certificate: $13.00
- (AVAILABLE FOR ALL FLORIDA BIRTHS 1917 TO PRESENT)
- Computer generated copy of the original record.
- Accepted as legal proof of birth and citizenship.
Optional Purchase:
- Protective Plastic Cover for the birth certificate $2.00
- Notary Services for amendment forms only $10.00
Regular Orders:
- Orders not rushed will be processed within 5-10 business days. This does not include postal transit time to and from our office.
Rush Orders: $5.00
- Mark the outside of the envelope “RUSH”.
- Orders are processed within 3 business days of receipt. This does not include postal transit time to and from our office.
Payment Methods
When Ordering from DOH-Pinellas
In Person:
- Checks, money orders, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express are acceptable forms of payment. Current ID is required in person. Acceptable forms of ID are Driver’s License, State ID Card, issued by Dept. of Motor Vehicles, Military ID, or Passport.
By Mail:
- Check or money order should be made payable to Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express are also accepted. Credit card number, expiration date, 3 digit security code on backside of credit card and billing address are required. Include a copy of the applicant's valid identification. Orders will be returned unprocessed if the requests are incomplete.
By Fax:
- Credit cards only (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). Our Fax number: (727) 507-4335. Credit card number, expiration date, 3-digit security code on backside of credit card and billing address are required along with a copy of current ID. Acceptable forms of ID are Driver’s License, State ID Card, issued by Dept. of Motor Vehicles, Military ID, or Passport.
Please Note:
- The applicant must use their own credit card and their billing address in order to have their requests processed. If a card holder other than the applicant is paying for the service that card holder must complete the payment section and sign application on the CC Holder’s Signature line for request to be processed.
- All faxed requests have rush and overnight delivery options for additional fees.
- After faxing your application and required ID, please contact our office at 727-507-4330 ext. 6316 to verify your faxed request was received and the ID is clear to read.
Delivery Methods
When Ordering from DOH-Pinellas
USPS:
- Certificates mailed via U.S. Postal Service - Included with the purchase of certificate.
Overnight: $17.00
- Requests for overnight delivery must be marked “OVERNIGHT”.
How to Order Birth Certificates
When Ordering from DOH-Pinellas
Eligibility Requirements:
- Birth records can only be issued to the applicant (the child named on the record) AND be over 18 years old, or:
- The parent, guardian or legal representative of the person named on the certificate, or by court order.
- All applicants must show a valid form of Identification as noted above under Additional Information on this webpage. Also, if you have power of attorney, identification must be provided from the grantor and grantee.
Please Provide the following Information on the birth application or hand-written letter:
- Full name of child at birth and any legal name changes other than by marriage
- Date of birth (month, day and year)
- If the record is not located, this office keeps the search fee
- City or county of birth
- Father’s full name
- Mother’s full name including her maiden name
Additional Information Required:
- Applicant's name - Signature and printed
- Relationship to person named on the certificate (father, mother, self, etc.)
- Mailing address
- Daytime phone number
Please Note:
- Requests may be ordered by mail, by fax, online or brought in person to the Vital Statistics office.
- Please mail your request to:
- Florida Department of Health Pinellas
- Vital Statistics
- 8751 Ulmerton Road, Suite 1700
- Largo, FL 33771
- The applicant must use their own credit card and their billing address in order to have their requests processed. If a card holder other than the applicant is paying for the service that card holder must complete the payment section and sign application on CC Holder’s Signature line for request to be processed.
- All faxed requests have rush and overnight delivery options for additional fees.
- After faxing your application and required ID, please contact our office at 727-507-4330 ext. 6316 to verify your faxed request was received and the ID is clear to read.
