Genealogy Friday—Vital Records: Birth Certificates

posted in: Genealogy, Vital Records | 0

Last week, we discussed vital records and their importance.  Now let’s dig a little deeper.

birth certificate 2When a person is born a birth certificate is filled out and filed with the state.

The birth certificate list the date of birth and the parents’ names.

These are a great asset in determining the parents or birth date of your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.

However, birth certificates were not kept by the states until the beginning of the 20th Century.  The exact year varies depending on the state.  I encourage you to research the state of interest for the exact dates.

Also, ordering a birth certificate is very difficult.

If the individual is still living, it is very difficult to obtain a birth certificate for another individual without their permission.

Most states have agreed to not release birth certificates to the general public for a minimum of 100 years.  The reason for this is to protect the individual’s privacy.

If your loved one has passed away and you request a birth certificate from the Health Department,you have to provide documentation of your relationship and reason for requesting this information.

Have you obtained a birth certificate from the state?

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