How to Find District of Columbia Birth Records
In 1801, District of Columbia was created from the states of Virginia and Maryland. Statewide registration of births began in 1874.
Next Step: When did the birth occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Births before 1874[edit | edit source]
- Before 1874, no births were recorded by the District. You must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
- The District of Columbia did not exist until 1801 with portions coming from the state of Virginia and the state of Maryland. Before 1801, be sure to search substitute records for Virginia and Maryland.
| Records that give birth information: | ||
Births between 1874 and 1897[edit | edit source]
If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in other records.
For births that occurred during this time period, try the following database.
| District of Columbia Births Database - Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| District of Columbia, Birth Returns, 1874-1897 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Online birth images; Indexes are not searchable--browse the index and the images.
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| Try 2nd: | ||||
| Order the birth record from the District of Columbia Department of Health ($) | The Department of Health will do a 3-year search of their indexes if you do not know the exact date of birth. ($)
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| Can't find your ancestor in the online index? | Tips for searching online indexes | |||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | |||
For a fee, the District of Columbia Department of Health office will do a 3 year search.
See list of restrictions for ordering birth records
If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.
Births after 1897[edit | edit source]
Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]
PART A: You know the exact date of birth
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the District of Columbia Department of Health.
| To Order Birth Records | |||
| From District of Columbia Dept of Health | |||
| Pros | Cons | ||
| Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee. | Birth records less than 100 years old may only be ordered by immediate family members. | ||
See list of restrictions for ordering birth records
PART B: You don't know the exact date of birth
If you do not know the exact date or place of birth:
For a fee, the From Districe of Columbia Dept of Health District of Columbia Department of Health office will do a 3 year search of their indexes.
See list of restrictions for ordering birth records
Restrictions for Obtaining Birth Records[edit | edit source]
Restrictions for persons born within the last 150 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 150 years from the government agency, you must be:
- The person on the certificate
- The parents of person on the certificate
- The wife or husband of the person on the certificate
- The children of the person on the certificate
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the birth record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 150 years have passed from the date of the birth.
If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.
Related Wiki Articles[edit | edit source]
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