How to Find Delaware Birth Records
How to Find United States Births 
Delaware Births
Statewide registration of births began in 1861 but was discontinued in 1863. Registration resumed in 1881 and was generally complied with by 1921. The Delaware Bureau of Vital Statistics has birth records from the past 72 years. You can obtain copies by writing:
Next Step: When did the birth occur? |
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Births before 1861
Delaware did not have birth registration on a statewide level until 1913. You can use substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
| Records that give birth information: | ||
Births 1861 - 1863
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.
| Delaware Births Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| Try | ||||
| 1861-1922 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; not a complete list of records. Images are available to view. | |||
| 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 | |||
Births 1864 - 1880
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.
| Delaware Births Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| Try | ||||
| 1861-1922 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; not a complete list of records. Images are available to view. | |||
| 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 | |||
Births 1881 - Present
STEP ONE: Find Birth Information
| Ancestry Database: Includes Index Only | ||||
| Choose one of the following: | ||||
| 1861-1922 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; not a complete list of records. Images are available to view. | |||
| 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 | |||
Requesting a Birth Certificate
The Delaware Public Archives houses birth certificates created since 1913 that are 72 years or older. This means the archives only has birth certificates up through and including 1940.
The Office of Vital Statistics holds Delaware birth certificates from 1939 to the present
To order a birth certificate for an individual select the proper agency below:
Jesse S. Cooper Building
417 Federal Street
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 744-4549
Chopin Building
258 Chapman Rd.
Newark, DE 19702
Phone: (302) 283-7130
Thurman Adams State Service Center
546 S. Bedford Street
Georgetown, DE 19947
Phone: (302) 856-5495
To request a death record for an individual who was born prior to 1904 contact the Delaware Archives.
Delaware Public Archives
121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North
Dover, DE 19901
If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.
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