Order Your Texas (TX) Birth Certificate Online

Texas Birth Certificate Replacement

Your Texas birth certificate is an essential legal document that you will need in order to do things like:

• Apply for a passport, Social Security card, and other identification documents
• Enroll in school
• Get a marriage license

So, if your birth certificate has been lost, stolen, misplaced, or destroyed, you should apply for a Texas birth certificate replacement as soon as possible.

Fortunately, getting a certified copy of your Texas birth certificate no longer requires you to stand in line at your local vital records office.

You can apply online in just a few minutes and get your certified Texas birth certificate copy mailed straight to your home.

The Vital Statistics Section (VSS) of The Texas Department of State Health Services (DHSH) is responsible for filing and maintaining all Texas vital records, including birth certificates, death records and marriage records. 

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They also maintain the Texas Birth Index, which contains over 15 million records of Texas births from 1903-1997. The index includes information like the:

• Full name at birth
• Gender at birth
• Place and date of birth
• Parents’ names (if available)
• Birth certificate number (if available)

However, there are several other vital records offices in Texas that can issue birth certificate copies, including those in:

• Austin
• Bexar County
• Dallas
• El Paso
• Fort Worth
• Harris County
• Houston
• San Antonio
• Tarrant County

You can view the full list of Vital Records offices in Texas towards the end of this page

You should be aware that, starting October 1st, 2021, you must have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card to fly within the U.S. or enter a federal facility. There are some additional requirements to get a REAL ID. You will have to prove both your citizenship and identity, and the easiest way to do this is with a certified copy of your birth certificate.

How to Get Your Texas Birth Certificate Copy

If you need a copy of your Texas birth certificate, it’s a pretty straightforward process when you apply online. All you have to do is complete the online birth certificate application and mail it to the Texas vital records office. The application will ask for your:

• Full name at birth
• Gender at birth
• Place and date of birth
• Parents’ names, including maiden name(s)
• Reason for requesting the certificate

You will also need to prove your identity by including a clear photocopy, of both sides, of one of the forms of photo ID listed below, along with your completed application form.

• U.S. driver’s license
• State-issued ID card
• U.S. Passport

If you do not have any of the IDs listed above, Texas will also accept a:

• Mexican voter registration card
• Medicaid card or Medicare card
• DD Form 214 Certificate of Release
• Employee ID card
• Foreign passport or visa with Form I-94
• Foreign photo ID

If you are applying for a birth certificate for someone other than yourself or your child, you must include proof of your relationship to the person on record.

Mail your complete application package to:

Texas Vital Records

Department of State Health Services

P.O. Box 12040

Austin, TX 78711-2040

Who is eligible to apply?

Birth records are restricted in Texas. You can only apply for a birth certificate for yourself, your child, or an immediate family member. You may also apply on behalf of an individual if you are their legal guardian or legal representative, or you have a court order.

Your Texas birth certificate is an important form of identification that you may need in order to start a new job, apply for or renew a passport or driver’s license, apply for government benefits, or sign up for school or sports.

Texas Birth Certificate Types

There are several different types of replacement birth certificates in Texas, so it’s important to make sure you’re applying for the correct one. The following section will cover the differences between the types of Texas birth certificates, including:

• Certified or long-form birth certificates
• Informational or short-form birth certificates
• Heirloom birth certificates
• Birth certificates for election identification

Long-Form Birth Certificates

A long-form copy is a certified copy of the original birth certificate. This type of copy is legally valid and can be used as proof of identity or citizenship. So, this is the type you will need to do things like apply for a passport or driver’s license. You will also need this type of copy to submit with your application to make corrections to your birth records.

A certified copy of a birth certificate will contain the registrar’s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, the registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was originally filed. You can only order a certified copy on behalf of another person, if you meet certain eligibility requirements.

Short-Form Birth Certificate

Short form birth certificate copies are also referred to as informational copies or abstracts. As the name implies, they only contain basic information about the person on record on their birth.

Informational birth certificates clearly state on the document that they are “informational, not a valid document to establish identity.” So, they cannot be used for any legal purposes and will not be accepted as official documents. However, they are useful for genealogical purposes.

Heirloom Birth Certificates

Texas also offers what is called an heirloom birth certificate, which is another type of informational or abstract copy. Heirloom copies typically contain similar information to a short-form copy, however, they also feature decorative elements and are commonly framed and displayed as memorable keepsakes. They have no legal validity and cannot be used for any official purposes.

Birth Certificate for Election Identification

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) offers another type of birth certificate copy that is unique to the state. Citizens born in Texas can request a free copy of their birth certificate to specifically use to request an Election Identification Certificate (EIC).

However, the birth certificate copy will clearly state, “For Election Identification Purposes Only.” So, the fee waiver only applies to certified birth records needed for EICs.

You must apply in person at a Vital Statistics Unit (VSU), local registrar, or county clerk to qualify for the fee waiver, and this type of copy cannot be requested on behalf of someone else. In addition, you can only be issued this type of copy once during your lifetime.

Start Texas Birth Certificate Application

Texas Birth Certificate Apostille

Texas also provides apostilles for birth certificates to provide them with legal validity abroad.

If you need to use your Texas birth certificate outside of the country, you follow the steps below to get an apostille:

1. Click the link above to order a certified copy of your Texas birth certificate
2. On your application, mention “Apostille” as the reason for the request
3. When you have received your certified copy, submit it to the Texas Secretary of State’s office, along with a completed apostille application and payment for the processing fees.

Texas Birth Certificate Fees

Texas charges a $22 fee to apply for a birth certificate. You must include the full payment with your application.

Processing Time for a Texas Birth Certificate

Our online service lets you skip the long lines and red tape at your local government office, saving you time and hassle. Simply complete our short application, wait for our experts to assemble your application package, then follow the included instructions to submit your application to the Texas vital records office. Once it’s processed, the vital records office will mail your birth certificate to you. In most cases, birth certificate applications in Texas are processed within 9-12 weeks. However, applications may take longer during peak request periods.

If you need a certified copy of your Texas birth certificate, we recommend applying early to avoid delays. This will ensure that you get your certificate in time to apply for travel documents and passports, enroll in school or sign up for a sport, or start a new job.

Start Texas Birth Certificate Application

Texas Vital Records Office

Below you will find a full list of all vital records and health department offices in Texas that can issue birth certificate copies. You may experience faster processing times at a smaller county office than at a larger city or state office.

Texas Vital Records offices

Arlington Vital Records Bureau

101 W. Abram, 1st Floor
Arlington, TX 76010

Austin Vital Statistics (Travis County)

7201 Levander Loop, Building C
Austin, TX 78702

College Station City

1101 Texas Avenue
College Station, TX 77840

Collin County Clerk’s Office

900 E Park Blvd #140C
Plano, TX 75074

Columbus Birth Certificates

P.O. Box 219
Palo Pinto, TX 76484

Corpus Christi Department Of Vital Statistics

Main Health District Building
1702 Horne Road, Room 21
TX 78416

Dallas Bureau Of Vital Statistics

1515 Young St.
Dallas, TX 75201

Denton County Clerk

1450 E. Mckinney Street, Suite 1103
Denton, TX 76209

Edinburg City Office

415 West University Drive
Edinburg, TX 78541

El Paso County Clerk

500 E. San Antonio, Ste 105
El Paso, TX 79901-2496,

Galveston County Health District

9850-A Emmett F. Lowry Expy. Suite A-102
Texas City, TX 77591

Houston Health Department

8000 North Stadium Drive
Houston, Texas 77054

Laredo City Vital Statistics

2600 Cedar Ave
Laredo, TX 78040

Northeast Texas Public Health District

815 N. Broadway Avenue
Tyler, TX 75702

San Antonio Office Of The City Clerk

719 South Santa Rosa
San Antonio, TX 78204

Tarrant County Clerk

200 Taylor Street, Suite 301
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Texarkana City

220 Texas Blvd
Texarkana, TX 75504,

Webb County District Clerk’s Office

1110 Victoria St 203
Laredo, TX 78040