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How to order a Virginia birth certificate

Who holds it: Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records (State Registrar), Richmond; also issued at local health departments and DMV customer service centers1

Last checked against official sources on .

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

Fee

$15 per certified copy or search (no refund if not found)2

Who may order

Registrant and immediate family (mother, father, current spouse, child, brother, sister, grandparents) with valid ID, or legal representative; public after 100 years3

Ordering online

VDH online application (5 business days processing) or VitalChek (VDH's contracted vendor): $20.80 per certified record + $12.70 VitalChek fee + optional UPS shipping4

Fee charged

Processing time

Mail: 8 business days; online: 5 business days (from receipt)2

How to search and order

Payment
Check or money order payable to 'The State Health Department'; in person also cash/cards; no cash by mail3
Walk-in service
Main office 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227, Mon-Fri 7:00 AM-4:00 PM, no appointment1

Fees

Amendment fee
$10 administration fee for an amendment/change to a certificate; $25 total if a certified copy of the amended certificate is wanted ($15 + $10)2

Older records and indexes

Years covered
1853-1896 and June 1912-present (no statewide births 1897-1911)3
Before adoption
From July 1, 2026 adult adoptees may request a copy of their sealed original birth record from the State Registrar3
Death certificates: who holds it
VDH Office of Vital Records (also local health departments and DMV)3
Death certificates: fee
$15 per certified copy or search (no refund if not found)2
Older records: births
LVA has 1853-1896 birth/death registers and pre-1936 marriage records on microfilm (free to view); certified copies only from VDH5
Older records: vital index
VDH online index: births/deaths 1912+, divorces 1918+, marriages 1936+ (open records)5

How Virginia handles it

  • DMV customer service centers issue certified birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates ($15 + $2 DMV processing fee).6

Birth certificates in Virginia 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
Albemarle County——$15 per certified copy or search (no refund if not found)7
Alexandria CityAlexandria Health Department, Vital Records8—$158
Arlington CountyDepartment of Human Services, Vital Records9—$1510
Chesapeake CityChesapeake Health Dept - Vital Records Office11—$15 per record search11
Chesterfield CountyVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records12——
Fairfax CountyFairfax County Office of Vital Records13—$15.00 per certificate and/or search; the $15 initial search fee applies even if no record is located13
Hampton CityHampton Health Department14—$15 per copy, June 1912-present; immediate family with valid ID14
Loudoun CountyLoudoun County Health Department, Vital Records Services15——
Newport News City———
Norfolk CityNorfolk Department of Public Health - Vital Records16——
Prince William CountyVirginia Department of Health (state); the Clerk has some historic records of genealogical value17—State fee: $15.00 per certificate search (VDH)18
Richmond CityRichmond City Health Department Vital Records Office19——
Spotsylvania CountySpotsylvania County Health Department20——
Stafford CountyNone at the county: Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records21—$15.00 per certificate search; no refund if not found22
Virginia Beach CityVirginia Beach Department of Health - Vital Records Office23—$15 per certified copy or search (state)24

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

Official warnings

  • VitalChek is VDH's contracted vendor for expedited orders and charges extra; standard VDH fee is $15.4

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 Virginia 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 Virginia: Virginia 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. Vital Record Walk-In LocationsVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  2. Online Application for a Vital RecordVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  3. Vital Records Frequently Asked QuestionsVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  4. Express Delivery through the VitalChek NetworkVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  5. GenealogyVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  6. Code of Virginia § 32.1-273. Fees for certified copies, searches of files, etc.Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System)checked November 4, 2026
  7. Online Application for a Vital RecordVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 8, 2026
  8. Vital Records (Alexandria Health Department)City of Alexandria, Virginiachecked November 4, 2026
  9. Land Records DivisionArlington County Circuit Court Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Vital Records (Birth/Death/Marriage)Arlington County Department of Human Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  11. Vital Records Services - Chesapeake Health DistrictVirginia Department of Healthchecked November 5, 2026
  12. Applications for a Vital RecordVirginia Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  13. Vital RecordsFairfax County, Virginiachecked November 4, 2026
  14. Vital Records - Hampton & Peninsula Health DistrictsVirginia Department of Healthchecked November 7, 2026
  15. Vital Records ServicesLoudoun County Health Departmentarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  16. Norfolk Department of Public HealthVirginia Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Record Copy RequestsPrince William County, Virginiachecked November 4, 2026
  18. Online Application for a Vital RecordVirginia Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  19. City of Richmond, VA home pageCity of Richmondchecked November 4, 2026
  20. Rappahannock Area Health DistrictVirginia Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  21. Circuit Court: Vital RecordsStafford County, Virginiachecked November 7, 2026
  22. Online Application for a Vital RecordVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 7, 2026
  23. Virginia Beach Vital RecordsVirginia Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  24. Online Application for a Vital RecordVirginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026