Request for a Birth Certificate

• How do I request copies of birth certificates?

• What if I don't have all the information?

• What is the difference between a certified and an uncertified copy?

• What information will be on the birth certificate?

• How do I obtain an authentication or apostille for a birth certificate?

• How do I obtain a pre-adoptive birth certificate?

• How do I obtain a birth certificate if the birth occurred in another state or country?

• How can I contact the Wisconsin Vital Records Office directly?

• How can I protect myself against identify theft?

How do I request copies of birth certificates?

Wisconsin law requires that applications for copies of birth certificates include both a signature and the appropriate fees. Therefore, the Wisconsin Vital Records Office cannot accept applications through this Web site, by e-mail, or by telephone.  This applies to both information from and copies of birth certificates.

You can apply for a copy of a birth certificate three ways: in person, by mail, or by fax. If you still have questions after reading the information below, please contact us.

In Person:

You can apply in person for a copy of a birth certificate at 1 West Wilson Street, Room 158, in Madison, Wisconsin (driving directions/parking). The office is open from 8:00 A.M. until 4:15 P.M. (C.S.T.), Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.

Applications are available in our office or you may fill out the birth certificate application form (PDF, 149 KB) and bring it with you.

Identification is required to pick up copies of vital records in person.  The acceptable forms of identification are listed below.

All forms of identification must show your current name and address.  Expired cards or documents will not be accepted.

You do not have to present identification if the certificate copies are mailed to you.  There is no additional charge for postage.

Our office provides both regular service and expedited service for in-person requests.

Regular Service:  In-person requests for certified copies of birth certificates are completed within two hours of acceptance at our counter if received by 2:00 p.m.  Requests received at our counter after 2:00 p.m. will be completed by 10:00 a.m. on the next business day.

Because of the high demand for copies of birth certificates, requests for uncertified copies are not completed on the same schedule as certified copies.  In-person requests for uncertified copies of birth certificates may take up to three months to complete.

The cost for the search, which includes one copy of the birth certificate, if found, is $20.00. Additional copies of the same record, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each.  The cost is the same whether you request a certified or uncertified copy of the birth certificate.  

The fees are not refundable if no record is found. Acceptable methods of payment for in-person requests are cash, personal check, or money order.  Credit and debit cards are not accepted for in-person requests.

Expedited Service:  In-person requests for both certified and uncertified copies of birth certificates can be expedited for an additional fee.

Expedited in-person requests for certified copies of birth certificates generally will be completed within 15 to 30 minutes. Expedited in-person requests for uncertified copies of birth certificates will be completed within two hours. Expedited request will not be processed after 4:00 p.m.

The cost for expedited service is $20.00 per record in addition to the $20.00 birth certificate search fee.  Additional copies of the same certificate, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each.  The cost is the same whether you request a certified or an uncertified copy of the birth certificate.

The fees are not refundable if no certificate is found.  Acceptable methods of payment for in-person requests are cash, personal check, or money order. Credit and debit cards are not accepted for in-person requests.

By Mail:  

Applications for copies of birth certificates should be mailed to:

Please use the birth certificate application form (PDF, 149 KB) or request an application by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Incomplete or unsigned forms will be returned unprocessed.

If you are requesting a certificate for a birth that occurred prior to 1907, please check our list of earliest registered births to see if we may have the record.

The cost for the search, which includes one copy of the record, if found, is $20.00. Additional copies of the same record, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each.  The cost is the same whether you request a certified or an uncertified copy of the birth certificate. 

The fee is not refundable if no record is found.  You must enclose a personal check or money order made payable to Wis. Vital Records.  Please do not send cash.

Please include a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope with your request.

Requests for certified copies of birth certificates will be completed within one month. Because of the high demand for copies of birth certificates, requests for uncertified copies of birth certificates are not completed on the same schedule as certified copies and may take up to three months to complete.

Expedited service is not available by mail.  If you require expedited service for a copy of a birth certificate, you must apply in person or by fax.

By Fax:   

If you require expedited service for a copy of a birth certificate and cannot apply in person, you may submit a fax application. The certificate can be sent to you by regular mail or overnight United Parcel Service (UPS) Next Day Air.  

Please use the fax birth certificate application form (PDF, 37 KB) or call (608) 266-1373 to have the form faxed to you. Once the application is filled out, please fax it to the number listed on the top of the form. 

All requests received by fax will be charged for expedited service.  The cost for expedited service is $20.00 per record in addition to the $20.00 birth certificate search fee.  The search fee includes one copy of the certificate, if found.  Additional copies of the same certificate, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each.  All costs must be paid by credit card and there is an additional $6.00 fee for credit card processing.  

The fees are not refundable if no record is found.

Faxed requests for both certified and uncertified copies to be sent by regular mail will be completed and mailed within five business days.

Faxed requests for copies to be sent by overnight UPS will be completed and shipped within one to two business days.  UPS requests are processed until 1:00 p.m. each business day for next business day delivery. The fee for UPS shipping is $17.50 within the continental U.S. There may be additional shipping costs for areas outside the continental United States or for Saturday delivery. UPS requires a signature for delivery.

What if I don't have all the information requested in the application?

The Wisconsin Vital Records Office can search for birth certificates even if you cannot provide all the information requested in the application. For us to search our files for a birth certificate when some information is not available, you must provide the name of the subject at the time of birth and a period of time to search. 

Because of the different ways in which Wisconsin vital records have been indexed over time, how they are searched differs depending on the year(s) being searched. Please read the following carefully to see what constitutes a search and how much it will cost.

If you are requesting a birth certificate for a person with a common last name such as Anderson, Johnson, or Smith, you must include additional identifying information such as the place of birth or parents’ names. Please include as much additional information as possible to assist in the search.

What is the difference between a certified and an uncertified copy of a birth certificate?

A certified copy of a birth certificate issued by the Wisconsin Vital Records Office will have a raised seal, will show the signature of the State Registrar, and will be printed on security paper. A certified copy is required to obtain a state-issued driver’s license or identification, a passport, or insurance benefits, or to travel to some foreign countries.

State law restricts who may obtain a certified copy of a birth certificate. A certified copy may be issued to:

• The person named on the record,

• The spouse of the person named on the record,

• A parent of the person named on the record,

• A sibling of the person named on the record,

• A child of the person named on the record,

• A grandparent of the person named on the record,

• A person authorized in writing by one of the above. The written authorization must accompany the request and the relationship of the authorizing party to the subject of the record must be clearly explained,

• A person who can demonstrate that the record is required to protect a personal or property right.

If you do not meet one of the above criteria, you cannot receive a certified copy of a birth certificate.

An uncertified copy of a birth certificate is available to anyone who applies. An uncertified copy will contain the same information as a certified copy but will not be acceptable for legal purposes, such as obtaining identification.

According to Chapter 69, Wisconsin Statutes, the following kinds of birth certificates cannot be issued in uncertified format:

• A child born to unmarried parents when paternity has not been established, or

• A child born to unmarried parents when paternity was established by court order.

 What information will be on the birth certificate?

An uncertified copy of a birth certificate will be a photocopy on plain, white paper of the original document that was filed in our office. The information provided on a birth certificate varies from year to year. Typically, a birth certificate from 1907 will include the name of the child, the date of birth, the place of birth, and the parents’ names. Birth certificates from later years may include information on the time of birth, and the ages, place of birth, and occupation of the parents.

A certified copy of a birth certificate may be issued in two formats, a computer-printed extract or a photocopy of the original record. Either format will be acceptable for legal purposes such as obtaining a driver’s license or a passport, or for foreign travel. Unless you specify otherwise, you will receive a computer-printed extract.

The certified extract will show the name of the subject at birth, date of birth, place of birth, parents’ names, file date, and certificate number. If changes have been made to the certificate, it may also show previous information.

The certified photocopy will be a copy on security paper of the original certificate. It may contain additional information such as time of birth. Many birth certificates were handwritten and may be difficult to read. If changes have been made to the certificate, the original information may be crossed out and new information written in. You may need a certified photocopy of a birth certificate if you require an apostille or are planning to adopt a child from a foreign country. If you require a certified photocopy of the birth certificate, please specify that in your request.

 How do I obtain an authentication or apostille for a birth certificate?

An apostille is a specific authenticating certificate that may be required by other states or countries.  In Wisconsin, an apostille is issued by the Office of the Wisconsin Secretary of State.  Information on how to obtain an apostille is available on the web site of the Office of the Secretary of State at http://www.sos.state.wi.us/apostilles.htm (exit DHS) or by calling (608) 266-5503.

If you are ordering a certified certificate from our office and also need an apostille, our office can mail your certified certificate directly to the Office of the Wisconsin Secretary of State. Clearly indicate on your application that your certificate should be sent to the Office of the Wisconsin Secretary of State and contact their office to arrange for the payment of their fees and return shipping.

Fees for the State of Wisconsin Vital Records Office must be paid separately from the fees required by the Office of the Secretary of State.

 How do I get a copy of a pre-adoptive birth certificate?

Once an adoption has taken place, the original birth certificate and the accompanying paperwork are impounded and can only be released by court order or through the Adoption Search Program. More information on the Adoption Search Program is available on the Internet at http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/children/adoption/adsearch.htm (exit DHS) or by calling (608) 266-7163.

How do I request a birth certificate if the birth occurred in another state or country?

The Wisconsin Vital Records Office has certificates only for births that occurred in Wisconsin or for foreign-born children who were adopted in Wisconsin. You can find information on obtaining certificates from other states or U.S. territories on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm (exit DHS).

For information on obtaining birth documentation for a birth that occurred outside of the United States or U.S. territories, you can find information on the sites listed below:

1. If you are requesting a copy of the birth certificate on file in the country of birth, you may contact the U.S. Embassy in that country or that country's consulate located in the United States.

Reminder: This document will most likely be completed in the official language of the country of birth. 

Addresses and telephone numbers for consular offices in the U.S. can be found on the Internet at http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco (exit DHS).

2. For U.S. citizens born abroad, if you need a replacement copy of the Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America, you can find information at the following U.S. Department of State Web site: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_828.html (exit DHS).

How can I contact the Wisconsin Vital Records Office directly?

If you have a question that is not answered on this Web site, please contact us directly in one of the following ways :

• E-mail:  Our e-mail address is DHFS VitalRecords@wisconsin.gov.

• Telephone:  For automated assistance 24 hours a day, please call (608) 266-1371.   To contact our service counter during the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:15 P.M. (C.S.T.), Monday through Friday, please call (608) 266-1373.

• Mail:  Our mailing address is Wisconsin Vital Records Office, P.O. Box 309, Madison, WI   53701-0309.

How can I protect myself against identity theft?

On the Web: http://privacy.wi.gov (exit DHS) Telephone: 1-800-422-7128.

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Last Revised:  July 22, 2008