How to Find Virginia Birth Records
Finding United States Births 
Virginia Births
Statewide registration of births began in 1912 in Virginia and was generally complied with by [1925]. The counties have copies of these records.
Next Step: When did the birth occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Births before 1853[edit | edit source]
Before 1853, no births were recorded by the county or state. You must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
| Records that give birth information: | ||
Births from 1853 thru 1912[edit | edit source]
In 1853, Virginia passed a law requiring counties to record births although not all counties complied or continued to record them on a consistent basis. Statewide registration of births began in 1912. From 1896-1912, births were not recorded. Delayed birth registrations for the years 1896-1912 exist. World War I Draft Registration Cards are also an excellent substitute for birth records during this gap. They identify births of males born between 1872 and 1899. If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in other records.
For births that exist during the time period, try the following databases.
| Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| Virginia Births, 1853-1917 | FamilySearch - Free; most counties go to 1896 | |||
| Try 2nd: | ||||
| Virginia, Births, 1853-1896 | Ancestry Subscription - $; most counties go to 1896 | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | |||
Births after 1912[edit | edit source]
Currently, there are no online indexes to Virginia births after 1912.
Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]
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 county of birth or the Virginia Department of Health office.
If you do not know the exact date or place of birth:
For a fee, the Virginia Department of Health office will do a 3 year search.
Restrictions for persons born within the last 100 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 100 years, you must be:
- The person on the certificate
- The parents and grandparents of person on the certificate
- The wife or husband of the person on the certificate
- The children and grandchildren of the person on the certificate
- The brothers or sisters 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 100 years have passed from the date of the birth.
If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search.