Birth Certificates

Obtain Certified Copies

To obtain a certified copy of your Pennsylvania birth record or the record of an immediate family member:

You can go online at  Vitalchek.com  or PA Department of Health's (DOH) website  

You may also choose to visit one of the public offices located in

  • Philadelphia  215-560-3054
  • Scranton  570-963-4595

Requirements for U.S. Birth Certificates: 

The U.S. Department of State will require the full names of the applicant's parent(s) to be listed on all certified birth certificates to be considered as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship for all passport applicants, regardless of age. Certified birth certificates missing this information will not be acceptable as evidence of citizenship. 

In addition to this requirement, certified copies of birth certificates must also include the following information to be considered acceptable primary evidence of U.S. citizenship:

  • Full name of the applicant
  • Both parents names on the birth certificate
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal of issuing authority
  • Registrar's signature
  • The date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office (must be within one year)

For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of State's U.S. Passports page.

Not Born in Pennsylvania?

If you were not born in the state of Pennsylvania you may visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Where to Write for Vital Records page for information on ordering a birth records from another state.

Adding a father's name to a Birth Certificate? 

Please call 800-932-0211