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How to order a Maryland birth certificate

Who holds it: Maryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration, Division of Vital Records (Baltimore); also some local health departments; records older than 100 years at Maryland State Archives1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. How to search and order
  2. Older records and indexes
  3. Related records in Maryland
  4. How Maryland handles it
  5. Birth certificates in Maryland counties with a full guide
  6. Official warnings
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Fee

$10 per certified copy (MDH); online via VitalChek adds $13 processing; local health department fees vary2

Who may order

The registrant; a parent named on the certificate; a court-appointed guardian (foster care appointment not acceptable); a surviving spouse; or a representative with a notarized letter from the individual, a parent named on the certificate, or the guardian1

Ordering online

VitalChek is the only authorized online vendor3

Processing time

Lobby (by appointment): same day; mail: 6 weeks; online: 5 weeks regular / 3 weeks expedited shipping4

How to search and order

Mailing address
Division of Vital Records, P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036; check or money order payable to Division of Vital Records1

Older records and indexes

Older records
Maryland State Archives: births 1875-1925 (Baltimore City) and 1898-1925 (counties); birth records restricted 100 years; $25 certified / $5 uncertified PDF5
Death certificates: who holds it
MDH Division of Vital Records for deaths in 2012 or later; earlier deaths at the Maryland State Archives6
Death certificates: fee
$10 first certified copy, $12 each additional copy in the same transaction (MDH); VitalChek adds $13; local health departments set their own fees2

How Maryland handles it

  • Vital records are split by year: MDH issues births, deaths (2012+), marriages (2007+) and divorce verifications; births over 100 years old, older deaths and older marriages are at the Maryland State Archives3

Birth certificates in Maryland 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
Anne Arundel CountyAnne Arundel County Department of Health: Vital Records7—$20 at the county Health Services Building for births in Maryland after 1942; 2.2% card fee8
Baltimore CityMaryland Department of Health, Division of Vital Records9—$10.00 per certified copy (MDH)10
Baltimore CountyMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administration11—Birth $10.00 (MDH fee page)12
Calvert CountyCalvert County Health Department13—$25.00 per certificate at the Health Department; cash, Visa, Mastercard or Discover14
Carroll CountyCarroll County Health Department: same-day certified Maryland birth certificates by appointment (410-876-4442)15——
Cecil CountyCecil County Health Department - Office of Vital Records16——
Charles CountyCharles County Department of Health - Vital Records17——
Frederick CountyFrederick County Health Department18——
Harford CountyHarford County Health Department - Vital Records19—$30.00 per certified birth certificate at the Harford County Health Department (cash or credit card)19
Howard CountyHoward County Health Department - Vital Records Office20—$25.00 per birth certificate (county health department)20
Montgomery CountyMontgomery County DHHS Vital Records Office, Dennis Avenue Health Center21—State fee table, Birth: Fee for Certificate $10.00; Internet $13.00; Expedited Shipping (only for internet orders) $20.0022
Prince George's CountyPrince George's County Health Department, Vital Records23—$25.00 per copy24
St. Mary's CountySt. Mary's County Health Department25—$25 per certificate (in person at the Health Department)26
Washington County——State fee: $10 per certified copy (MDH); online via VitalChek adds $13 processing; local health department fees vary27
Wicomico CountyWicomico County Health Department - Birth & Death Certificates28——

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

Official warnings

  • MDH Vital Records: phone scam targeting people who misdial; DVR never asks for SSN or card PIN; VitalChek is the only authorized online vendor29
  • MDH: other online services just mail your request; only VitalChek is authorized3

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 Maryland 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 Maryland: Maryland 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. Birth CertificatesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026
  2. Md. Code, Health-General § 4-217 (copies of vital records; fees)Maryland General Assembly (Department of Legislative Services)checked November 4, 2026
  3. Division of Vital RecordsMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026
  4. Processing TimeMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026
  5. Birth Certificate ordersMaryland State Archiveschecked November 4, 2026
  6. Request Death and Fetal Death CertificatesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026
  7. Anne Arundel County, Maryland Manual On-LineMaryland State Archiveschecked November 4, 2026
  8. Vital RecordsAnne Arundel County Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  9. Register of Wills for Baltimore CityMaryland Register of Willschecked November 4, 2026
  10. FeesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Circuit Court for Baltimore CountyBaltimore County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  12. FeesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026
  13. Calvert County Health Departmentchecked November 7, 2026
  14. Birth CertificatesCalvert County Health Departmentchecked November 7, 2026
  15. Birth CertificatesCarroll County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  16. Birth and Death CertificatesCecil County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Maryland Manual On-Line: Charles County, Maryland - GovernmentMaryland State Archiveschecked November 7, 2026
  18. Birth CertificatesFrederick County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  19. Birth CertificatesHarford County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  20. Birth & Death CertificatesHoward County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  21. Birth and Death Certificates (Vital Records)Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  22. FeesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026
  23. Local health departments issuing certificatesMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026
  24. Birth and Death Certificates | Prince George's CountyPrince George's County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  25. St. Mary's County Government home pageSt. Mary's County, Marylandchecked November 4, 2026
  26. Birth CertificatesSt. Mary's County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  27. Md. Code, Health-General § 4-217 (copies of vital records; fees)Maryland General Assembly (Department of Legislative Services)checked November 6, 2026
  28. Wicomico County Health Department (home)Wicomico County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  29. Vital Statistics Administration homeMaryland Department of Health, Vital Statistics Administrationchecked November 4, 2026