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How to order a New Jersey birth certificate

Who holds it: Local Registrar (vital records office) of the municipality where the birth occurred, or the NJ Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. The state holds the most recent 100 years; older records are at the NJ State Archives.1

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. Older records and indexes
  5. More details
  6. Related records in New Jersey
  7. How New Jersey handles it
  8. Birth certificates in New Jersey counties with a full guide
  9. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  10. Sources

State fee

$25 search + one certified copy/certification/No Record Statement; $2 each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time2

Who may order

Certified copy: the subject; parent, legal guardian or legal representative; spouse/civil union partner, child, grandchild or sibling (if of legal age); a state or federal agency for official purposes; or by court order. Proof of relationship is required. A plain-paper 'certification' (not valid for identity) needs only ID.3

Ordering online

Online through VitalChek, linked by NJ DOH; credit card, ID and scanned documents required4

Processing time

Online orders through VitalChek: 4-6 weeks per the non-genealogical page, but the Online Requests page says 6-8 weeks. Mail through VitalChek: 2-4 weeks. Walk-in at the state office in Trenton: typically within 2 hours (no cash from 6/18/2026).3

How to search and order

Court order
Subpoena insufficient3

Fees

Fee vital chek
Via VitalChek (state's linked vendor): same $25/$2 plus $6 processing by mail or $12.95 by phone; optional UPS $182
County fee
Local (municipal) fees vary by municipality3

Who may order and what is restricted

Restrictions
Births within the last 80 years are non-genealogical. ID is required for every request, and copies are mailed only to the address on the ID. A subpoena is not enough; attorneys without a qualifying client need a court order.3
ID required
Photo driver's/non-driver license with current address, or alternatives3

Older records and indexes

State holds100years
State office holds the most current 100 years; older records at State Archives5
Genealogy copies
Genealogical (deceased persons only): births more than 80 years ago, up to 1925. $25 first copy, $2 each additional, $1 per extra year searched, $25 per extra name/county. By mail only, 10-12 weeks. Records over 100 years old are at the State Archives.5

More details

Cert vs certification
Certified copy (raised seal, safety paper, legal use) vs certification (plain paper, genealogy only)6
Jersey city
Jersey City Office of the City Clerk, Division of Vital Records issues certificates for Jersey City births after 19257
Address
Mail: NJ Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625-0370. Walk-in: 140 East Front Street, Trenton, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Mon-Fri. Phone 877-622-7549.8
Apostille
Apostilles can be added only to certified copies issued by the state Office of Vital Statistics and Registry (not local copies). Order the certified copy from the state office marked as needed for an Apostille, then forward it to the NJ Department of the Treasury (the same FAQ also calls it 'an Apostille Seal from the New Jersey Secretary of State').1
Death certificates: who holds it
Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred, or the NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry9
Older records: vital holdings
Births May 1, 1848–Dec 31, 1925; marriages and deaths May 1, 1848–Dec 31, 1950. Later records are owned by NJ DOH.10
Older records: pre1848births
No government birth records before 1848 except Records of Births of Slave Children filed with County Clerks from 180410
Older records: vital records for genealogy
DOH Office of Vital Statistics holds the most recent 100 years; older records go to the State Archives5

How New Jersey handles it

  • Municipal local registrars hold vital records. Birth, death and marriage records are issued by the Local Registrar of the municipality (city/town/township) where the event occurred, as well as by the state office. Local fees vary.1
  • Jersey City vital records. Jersey City's City Clerk Division of Vital Records issues birth certificates for Jersey City births after 1925.7

Birth certificates in New Jersey 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
Atlantic CountyMunicipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry11——
Bergen CountyMunicipal Local Registrars12——
Burlington CountyMunicipal Local Registrars13—State fee: $25 search and one certified copy (state office)14
Camden CountyMunicipal Local Registrar15—State office: $25 search and one certified copy; municipal fees vary16
Cape May CountyMunicipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry17——
Cumberland CountyLocal registrar of the municipality of birth, or NJ Department of Health18—State office: $25 search and one certified copy; $2 per additional copy ordered at the same time19
Essex CountyMunicipal Vital Statistics Office of the municipality of birth (or NJ Department of Health)20——
Gloucester CountyLocal registrar of the municipality of birth, or NJ Department of Health21—State office: $25 search and one certified copy; municipal fees vary22
Hudson CountyMunicipal registrars23——
Hunterdon CountyMunicipal registrars24—State fee: $25 search and one certified copy (NJ DOH)25
Mercer CountyMunicipal local registrars of the 12 Mercer County municipalities26—State fee: $25 search and one certified copy (state office)27
Middlesex CountyNJ Office of Vital Statistics & Registry, or the Local Registrar of the municipality of birth28——
Monmouth CountyMunicipal clerk or registrar where the event took place29——
Morris CountyMunicipality where the birth occurred, NJ Vital Statistics, or NJ State Archives30——
Ocean CountyMunicipal Local Registrars / NJ Office of Vital Statistics and Registry31—State fee: $25 search and one certified copy (state office); local fees vary by municipality32
Passaic CountyMunicipal Local Registrar of the municipality where the birth occurred, or the NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry33——
Salem CountyMunicipal Local Registrars34——
Somerset CountyMunicipal registrars35——
Sussex CountyMunicipal registrar of the town where the birth occurred (or NJ DOH); not kept by the county36——
Union CountyMunicipal Local Registrar of the municipality of birth, or NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry37——

For any other county, see the county list on the New Jersey guide.

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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey: New Jersey public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 37 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  2. Fees at a GlanceNJ Department of Health
  3. Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical RecordsNJ Department of Health
  4. Online RequestsNJ Department of Health
  5. Getting Copies of Genealogical RecordsNJ Department of Health
  6. Order a Vital RecordNJ Department of Health
  7. Jersey City/Hudson County Birth RecordsNJ Department of Health
  8. Vital Statistics Contact UsNJ Department of Health
  9. Frequently Asked QuestionsUnion County Surrogate
  10. Genealogical CollectionsNJ State Archives
  11. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  12. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  13. Marriage ServicesBurlington County, NJ
  14. Fees at a GlanceNJ Department of Health
  15. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  16. Vital Records FeesNJ Department of Health
  17. Vital Statistics FAQsNJ Department of Health
  18. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  19. Vital Records FeesNJ Department of Health
  20. Frequently Asked QuestionsEssex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages
  21. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  22. Vital Records FeesNJ Department of Health
  23. Jersey City/Hudson County Birth RecordsNJ Department of Health
  24. County ClerkHunterdon County Clerk
  25. Vital records feesNJ Department of Health
  26. Mercer County
  27. Fees at a GlanceNJ Department of Health
  28. Registry Frequently Asked QuestionsCounty of Middlesex (NJ)
  29. Open Public Records Act (OPRA)Monmouth County, New Jersey
  30. Records VaultMorris County Clerk
  31. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  32. Fees at a GlanceNJ Department of Health
  33. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  34. Clerk: Archives Room & HoldingsSalem County
  35. Copy of my birth certificateSomerset County, New Jersey
  36. Vital Records (County Clerk)Sussex County, New Jersey
  37. Vital Statistics FAQsNew Jersey Department of Health