Maryland Birth Records Search
Maryland birth records are official vital documents maintained by the Maryland Division of Vital Records and, for older records, the Maryland State Archives. If you need a certified copy of a birth certificate in Maryland, you can request one through a county health department, by mail to the state office, or online through an authorized vendor. This guide covers how to search for and get Maryland birth records, who is eligible to ask for them, what forms of ID you need, and how fees vary across the state.
Maryland Birth Records at a Glance
Where to Get Maryland Birth Records
Maryland offers a few ways to get a certified birth document. The main state office is the Division of Vital Records (DVR), which is part of the Maryland Department of Health Vital Statistics Administration. You can also visit your county health department in many counties to pick up a copy in person. For births that took place between 1898 and roughly the early 1940s, historical records are held at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. Each path has its own fees, wait times, and ID rules, so it helps to know your options before you start.
County health departments handle walk-in requests for many residents. Not every county has this service. Baltimore County, for example, does not run a local vital records office and directs residents to use the state DVR directly. In counties that do have local service, fees run between $20 and $25 per certified copy. That is higher than the $10 mail-order fee charged by the state, but the tradeoff is that you can often get your birth document the same day. Keep in mind that the state is working through a records system transition, and same-day service is not always guaranteed right now, even at county offices in areas like Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Howard.
The state birth certificate request page lists all current options in one place. It is the best place to start if you are not sure which route to take.
Maryland Division of Vital Records
The Division of Vital Records is the central state agency for birth, death, marriage, and divorce documents. Their office is at 6764-B Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21215. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but all visits must be by appointment. Walk-ins are not accepted. To book an appointment, call 410-764-3038 or the toll-free line at 1-800-832-3277. You can also reach the office by email at [email protected]. Bilingual forms in English and Spanish are available.
Mail orders go to a different address than the office itself: P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036. Your packet must include a completed request form, a photocopy of your valid government-issued photo ID, a check or money order payable to "Division of Vital Records," and a self-addressed envelope. Never send cash. The state does not offer any expedited shipping on mail orders, so factor in standard postal time plus processing. If your need is urgent, the online ordering option through VitalChek may be faster.
The screenshot below is from the Maryland Department of Health Vital Statistics Administration website, which is the official portal for all Maryland vital records requests and has up-to-date forms, hours, and contact info.
Check the VSA site before mailing your request, since processing times and any temporary closures are posted there first.
Ordering Maryland Birth Records Online
If you want to order a certified Maryland birth certificate online, you must use VitalChek. It is the only vendor the state has authorized to process online orders for Maryland vital records. Other sites may appear to offer this service, but they are not authorized, and orders placed through them may not produce a legitimate certified copy.
VitalChek accepts all major credit cards, including American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa. There are extra service fees charged by VitalChek on top of the state fee, and those amounts are set by VitalChek independently. The state and VitalChek are not responsible for fees charged by third-party sites claiming to sell Maryland birth documents. If you come across a site that is not the official state office or VitalChek, treat it as unauthorized and do not give them any payment or personal information.
The image below shows the VitalChek platform at www.vitalchek.com, where you start an online order for a Maryland birth document.
Go directly to the VitalChek website or follow the link from the official Maryland DVR birth page. Do not use any other online service for Maryland birth records.
Ordering Maryland Birth Records by Mail
Mail orders are a low-cost way to get a certified birth document. The state DVR charges $10 per certified copy for mail requests.
Your packet needs several things. Start with a filled-out request form, available on the state birth records page. You will need to supply the name at birth, any later name changes, date of birth (month, day, and year), place of birth listed as a county or Baltimore City, the full maiden name of the mother, and the full name of the father. Add a photocopy of a valid photo ID. Do not send the original. Include a check or money order payable to "Division of Vital Records" for $10 per copy requested. Do not send cash under any circumstance. Last, include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the office can mail back your certified birth record.
Send everything to: P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036. No overnight or express mail service is offered for mail orders. If the state's system is in a transition period, expect longer processing times than usual.
What Maryland Birth Certificates Include
Current Maryland birth certificates cover births from 1973 to the present. These documents show the child's full name, sex, date of birth, and place of birth, which is listed as a county or Baltimore City. Both parents' names, birthplaces, race, age, residence, and occupation are included. The certificate also shows the number of children previously born to the mother and the name and address of the medical attendant at the birth.
A few fields are not on the certified copy you receive. Blood type, birth weight, and Social Security Number are not shown. If you need birth weight for a specific reason, the hospital where the birth took place may have that on file.
Historical birth records from 1898 through 1972 have a slightly different format. They show the child's name, birth date, place, sex, and race, along with whether the birth was living or stillborn and the birth order. Parent fields include names, race, occupation, birthplace, and residence, plus the attending medical person's information. Worth knowing: child names were not routinely included on Maryland birth certificates until 1911. Records from before that year may have a blank name field. Baltimore City began keeping birth records under a city ordinance dating to 1875, which predates the statewide system that started in 1898 by more than two decades.
Who Can Request a Maryland Birth Record
Maryland treats certified birth certificates as restricted vital documents. You must fall into one of the approved groups before your request will be filled. The rules are set by state law and apply to all Maryland vital records offices, both state and county.
The person named on the certificate can always request their own birth record. A parent listed on the certificate can also ask for it directly. A court-appointed guardian can request the record but must provide proof of guardianship. A foster care appointment does not qualify as an acceptable form of guardianship for this purpose. A surviving spouse may be able to get the record in some counties, though that policy can vary. A representative acting on behalf of the person named can request the birth document if they carry a notarized letter signed by the person named, a qualifying parent, or a guardian, and that letter must be certified by a notary. An individual who holds a valid court order can also submit a request. Finally, certain persons with rights under Maryland family law related to adoptions may request birth records under those specific legal provisions.
If you are unsure whether you meet the criteria, call the DVR at 410-764-3038 before submitting your request and payment.
ID Requirements for Maryland Birth Records
Valid identification is required for every birth record request in Maryland. The type of ID you need depends on whether you are applying in person or by mail.
For in-person visits at the state office or a county health department, you need a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID that shows both an issue date and an expiration date. Acceptable forms are a driver's license, a U.S. passport, a Maryland MVA photo ID, or a military ID. Expired IDs will not be accepted.
For mail orders, send a photocopy of one of those same photo IDs rather than the original. If you do not have a qualifying photo ID, you can substitute two different types of documents that each show your current mailing address. Options include a utility bill, car registration, pay stub, bank statement, tax return or W-2, a letter from a government agency that is itself requesting the vital record, or a signed lease or rental agreement. Both documents must be different types. Two utility bills, for instance, would not satisfy the requirement. All mail-in ID documents must be photocopies, not originals.
Birth Records Fees Across Maryland Counties
The cost of a certified Maryland birth certificate varies by where you request it. The state DVR charges $10 per copy for mail orders. County health departments charge more, with most falling between $20 and $25 per copy. A handful of counties have not published a set fee and ask that you call ahead to confirm.
| Office | Fee Per Certified Copy |
|---|---|
| State DVR (mail order) | $10 |
| Allegany County | $20 |
| Anne Arundel County | $20 (+ 2.2% credit card surcharge) |
| Baltimore County | No local service; use state DVR |
| Calvert County | $25 |
| Cecil County | $25 |
| Charles County | $25 |
| Garrett County | $20 |
| Harford County | $25 |
| Howard County | $25 |
| Montgomery County | $25 |
| St. Mary's County | $25 |
| Somerset County | $25 |
| Talbot County | $22 |
| Washington County | $20 |
| Wicomico County | $22 (free for active military and homeless individuals) |
Wicomico County waives the fee for active military members and people experiencing homelessness. Anne Arundel adds a small surcharge for credit card payments on top of the base fee. Counties including Caroline, Carroll, Dorchester, Frederick, Kent, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, and Worcester ask that you call to confirm current fees before submitting a request.
Note: Do not send cash in any mail-in request. Payment must be by check or money order payable to "Division of Vital Records." Contact county offices directly to confirm their accepted payment methods before visiting.
Home Birth Registration in Maryland
A birth that happens outside a hospital still needs to be registered with the state. Maryland has a clear process for this, and the steps depend on whether a licensed clinician was present.
If a clinician attended the birth, they are responsible for the paperwork. The clinician fills out an Attending Clinician Attestation Form along with a Mother's Worksheet and a Facility Worksheet, then uploads all of it to the Electronic Birth Registration System, which is known as EBRS. The parent does not need to file anything separately when a clinician handles the registration.
If the birth was unassisted or unplanned and no clinician was there, the process is different. You need to contact your local health department right away. Under COMAR 10.03.01.03E, the local health officer is responsible for verifying the facts of the birth. That may mean an interview or additional paperwork. Once the health officer confirms the facts, the birth is registered through the state system. The page below, on the Maryland DVR home birth registration page, explains both scenarios in detail.
Call the DVR at 410-764-3038 if you are unsure which home birth process applies to your situation.
Correcting a Maryland Birth Certificate
All corrections to a Maryland birth record go through the state DVR. County offices cannot make changes to birth certificates. The steps depend on the age of the person named on the document.
For a child under one year old, given name corrections are possible through a notarized affidavit submitted to the DVR. A corrected certificate is issued free of charge in that case. Once a person is over one year old, a court order is required before any name change or significant correction can be made on the birth record. Other correction types may also need supporting documents, and the DVR will spell out exactly what is needed when you contact them. Send all correction requests to the state office: 6764-B Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, or by mail to P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036.
Historical Maryland Birth Records and Genealogy
For birth documents from earlier decades, or for genealogy research, the Maryland State Archives is the main source. The Archives holds pre-1940 birth records along with a wide range of other historical vital records that are no longer handled by the DVR.
The Archives are located at 350 Rowe Blvd, Annapolis, MD 21401. You can reach them at 410-260-6400 or toll-free at 800-235-4045. TTY users can call 800-735-2258. Email inquiries go to archives@mdsa.net. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged if you plan to do extended research. Staff can help you work through older indexes and record sets that are not available online. Keep in mind that early Maryland birth records, especially those from the 1800s and very early 1900s, were not always complete. Baltimore City had records going back to 1875 under a local ordinance. Statewide recording did not begin until 1898. For births between 1898 and 1910, the child's name may be missing, since it was not required on birth certificates until 1911.
Scam Warnings for Maryland Birth Records
The Maryland DVR and Vital Statistics Administration have both issued warnings about fraud targeting people who search for vital records online. It is worth knowing what to watch for before you submit any payment or personal information.
The DVR will never ask for your Social Security number or your credit card PIN. If anyone claiming to represent the state asks for those, it is not legitimate. The VSA also does not upload your vital records to any external account or cloud service on your behalf. Fraudulent websites sometimes look official and charge fees without delivering any real certified birth document. If you discover you have given payment information to a fraudulent group, contact your card issuer right away to dispute the charge and report it to local police.
The only authorized online vendor for Maryland birth records is VitalChek. The image below is from the official Maryland birth certificate request page, which lists the authorized ordering options and includes the state's own caution about unauthorized vendors.
When in doubt, start at an official state or county government website. If a site asks for your Social Security number to retrieve a birth certificate, leave immediately.
Browse Maryland Birth Records by County
Each county health department handles local requests for certified birth documents. Select a county below to find specific office details, fees, and contact information.
Birth Records in Major Maryland Cities
Residents of larger Maryland cities can request birth certificates through the county health department that serves their area. Find your city below for local details.