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How to order a Kentucky birth certificate

Who holds it: Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics (Cabinet for Health and Family Services), Frankfort; records from 19111

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. How to search and order
  2. Fees
  3. Who may order and what is restricted
  4. More details
  5. Related records in Kentucky
  6. How Kentucky handles it
  7. Birth certificates in Kentucky counties with a full guide
  8. Official warnings
  9. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  10. Sources

Fee

$10 search/certified copy (search fee even if no record)2

Who may order

Statute directs the state registrar to issue a certified copy to any applicant upon application; disclosure otherwise only as authorized by KRS 213/regulation/court order3

Processing time

Mail/drop box orders filled within five business days; allow up to 30 working days by mail4

How to search and order

How to order
VitalChek (only authorized online/phone vendor), mail (check/money order to Kentucky State Treasurer), in person/drop box at 275 E. Main St., Frankfort1
Walk in payment
Walk-in: cash, check or money order, or debit/credit card with an additional $2.50 processing fee5

Fees

Fee waivers
No fee for veterans' benefit claims, deploying National Guard, children in cabinet custody, verified homeless individuals6

Who may order and what is restricted

Restrictions
Birth records become public 100 years after birth7

More details

No uncertified
OVS issues only certified copies8
Death certificates: who holds it
Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, records from 19111
Death certificates: fee
$6 search/certified copy2

How Kentucky handles it

  • Vital records split by date. June 1958 central registration1

Birth certificates in Kentucky counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Boone CountyKentucky Office of Vital Statistics (state; records from 1911); not a county function9——
Campbell CountyKentucky Office of Vital Statistics (Cabinet for Health and Family Services), Frankfort; records from 191110—$10 search/certified copy (search fee even if no record)11
Daviess CountyKentucky Office of Vital Statistics (from 1911)12—$1013
Fayette CountyKentucky Office of Vital Statistics (statewide, births from 1911); $10 certified copy14——
Hardin CountyKentucky Office of Vital Statistics (Cabinet for Health and Family Services), Frankfort; records from 191115—$10 search/certified copy (search fee even if no record)16
Jefferson CountyKentucky Office of Vital Statistics17—$1018
Kenton County———
Madison County———
Warren CountyKentucky Office of Vital Statistics (Cabinet for Health and Family Services), Frankfort; records from 191119—$10 search/certified copy (search fee even if no record)20

For any other county, see the county list on the Kentucky guide.

Official warnings

  • Consumer alert on vital record vendors (Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics (CHFS))1

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Kentucky office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: birth certificates in every state. Everything else in Kentucky: Kentucky public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Office of Vital StatisticsKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  2. 901 KAR 5:050 Fees for searches, certified copies of certificates and recordsKentucky Legislative Research Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
  3. KRS 213.136 – Certified copy of a vital record.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)checked November 4, 2026
  4. Certificate Purchase OptionsKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  5. Business Procedures for Accepting Walk-In/Mail/Phone/Internet OrdersKentucky Office of Vital Statisticschecked November 4, 2026
  6. KRS 213.141 – Fee for certified copies of certificates or records or for a search of records -Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)checked November 4, 2026
  7. KRS 213.131 – Inspection of records -- Public records.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)checked November 4, 2026
  8. Birth CertificatesKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  9. Office of Vital StatisticsKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  10. Office of Vital StatisticsKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Serviceschecked November 7, 2026
  11. 901 KAR 5:050 Fees for searches, certified copies of certificates and recordsKentucky Legislative Research Commissionchecked November 7, 2026
  12. Office of Vital StatisticsKentucky CHFSchecked November 4, 2026
  13. 901 KAR 5:050 vital records feesKentucky Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  14. 901 KAR 5:050 Fees for vital recordsKentucky Legislative Research Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
  15. Office of Vital StatisticsKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Servicesarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  16. 901 KAR 5:050 Fees for searches, certified copies of certificates and recordsKentucky Legislative Research Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Office of Vital StatisticsKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  18. 901 KAR 5:050 Fees for searches, certified copies of certificates and recordsKentucky Legislative Research Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
  19. Office of Vital StatisticsKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Serviceschecked November 7, 2026
  20. 901 KAR 5:050 Fees for searches, certified copies of certificates and recordsKentucky Legislative Research Commissionchecked November 7, 2026