Find Birth Records in Kent County
Kent County birth records from 1940 to the present are available through the Kent County Health Department in Chestertown, located on the third floor of the building at 125 S. Lynchburg Street. The office handles in-person requests Monday through Friday, and some applications may also be submitted by fax, though you should call ahead to confirm the current process before sending anything.
Kent County Overview
Kent County Health Department Vital Records
The Kent County Health Department issues birth certificates at 125 S. Lynchburg Street in Chestertown. The vital records office is on the third floor of the building. When you arrive, go up to the third floor rather than stopping at the main entrance desk. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is closed on weekends and state holidays.
Kent County is one of Maryland's smaller counties on the Eastern Shore. The health department office there handles a lower volume of requests than larger urban counties, which can make in-person service somewhat faster. That said, you should still call ahead before you drive to Chestertown. Current fees are not published with a fixed rate online, and the department advises contacting the office to confirm the current amount before your visit. Calling 410-778-1350 in advance takes less than a minute and confirms the fee, any schedule changes, and whether walk-in service is available that day.
Some applications may also be submitted by fax. Call the office to get the fax number and to ask about the specific documents you will need to send along with the request form. Fax submissions still require a copy of your valid ID and the applicable fee, so ask about payment options when you call. Do not send a fax without first confirming the office can process it.
| Address | 125 S. Lynchburg Street, 3rd Floor, Chestertown, MD 21620 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 410-778-1350 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Service Type | In-person; fax available (call for number) |
| Records Available | Births from 1940 to present |
| Floor | 3rd floor of building |
Call first: Contact the Kent County Health Department at 410-778-1350 before your visit to confirm current fees and office availability. Fees are subject to change.
How to Apply for a Kent County Birth Certificate
Call 410-778-1350 before you go. This confirms the office is open, what the current fee is, and whether any documents beyond the basics are needed for your specific request.
On the day you visit, bring a valid government-issued photo ID. You will need to show it at the window before the Kent County Health Department will process your birth record request. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver's license, state ID card, or passport, as long as the document is valid and has not expired. Bring your payment for the fee as well. Ask about accepted payment types when you call, since smaller county offices sometimes have different payment policies than larger urban departments.
Fill out the request form before or at the office. The form asks for the full name on the birth record, the date of birth, the place of birth, your relationship to the person named on the record, and your contact information. The more complete and accurate your form, the faster the staff can process your Kent County birth record. If any information is unclear or missing, the staff will have to follow up with you, which adds time to the process.
If you are not the person named on the certificate, come prepared to explain and document your relationship. A parent applying for a child's record needs to bring ID showing their name. A guardian needs proof of guardianship. An authorized representative needs a notarized letter from the eligible individual. The Kent County staff will check these documents before releasing the birth certificate, and they cannot skip that step for anyone.
Who Can Request Kent County Birth Records
Access to certified birth certificates in Maryland is restricted by state law. Kent County follows the same eligibility rules as every other county in the state.
The person whose name is on the Kent County birth record may request a copy of their own document. A parent listed on the certificate may request a copy for their child. A parent whose name is not on the birth record may need to show court papers to prove their legal relationship to the child before the office will release the document. A court-appointed guardian may request a birth certificate for a minor in their care, but they must bring proof of guardianship to the appointment. An authorized representative acting on behalf of a qualifying individual may also pick up a Kent County birth record if they bring a notarized letter granting them that authority. If the request does not fall into any of these categories, a court order will be required. The health department staff will ask about your relationship to the person named on the record before they process any application.
Kent County Birth Records Before 1940
The Kent County Health Department only holds records for births from 1940 onward. Births that happened before 1940 are not in the county system.
For older Kent County birth records, you need to contact the Maryland Division of Vital Records or the Maryland State Archives. The Maryland State Archives at 350 Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis holds historical vital records that predate the modern county health department systems. Call the archives at 410-260-6400 or visit in person if you are looking for a pre-1940 Kent County birth document. The archives staff can tell you what records they have on file and how to order a copy. The Maryland Division of Vital Records at 6764-B Reisterstown Road in Baltimore may also hold some older records. Call them at 410-764-3038 or 1-800-832-3277 to ask before making a trip.
Historical Kent County birth records at the state archives can be useful for genealogy research and family history projects. Some records from the Eastern Shore may be organized differently from those in other parts of Maryland due to regional record-keeping variations in the early twentieth century. The archives staff can guide you through what to expect for Kent County specifically.
State Options for Kent County Birth Records
You do not have to visit Chestertown in person to get a Kent County birth certificate. Two state-level options are available.
VitalChek is Maryland's only authorized online vendor for vital records. Visit vitalchek.com to order a Kent County birth document online. You will pay the state base fee of $10 plus a VitalChek service charge, and the certificate will be mailed from the Maryland Division of Vital Records in Baltimore. Several shipping speeds are available. This is a convenient route if you are not close to Chestertown or cannot visit during weekday business hours.
Mail-in requests go directly to the Maryland Division of Vital Records. Download the birth certificate request form from health.maryland.gov/vsa/Pages/birth.aspx, complete it fully, attach a clear photocopy of your valid government-issued photo ID, include a $10 check or money order made out to "Division of Vital Records," add a self-addressed stamped envelope, and mail everything to P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036. The state can process Kent County birth records for births from 1940 onward. Allow extra time for mail processing, especially during busy periods when the state office is managing a high volume of requests from across Maryland.
Correcting a Kent County Birth Record
Like all county health departments in Maryland, the Kent County office cannot make any changes to a birth certificate. Corrections must go through the Maryland Division of Vital Records in Baltimore.
The first name correction on a Kent County birth record requires a notarized affidavit and costs nothing. A second correction, or a change beyond a simple name error, requires a court order. Contact the Maryland Division of Vital Records directly at 410-764-3038 or 1-800-832-3277 to find out what documents are needed for the specific change you want to make. You can also visit the state office at 6764-B Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215 if you prefer to handle the process in person in Baltimore rather than by mail. The Kent County Health Department staff cannot help with corrections, but they can direct you to the right state office if you have questions about where to start.
Maryland Birth Certificate Request Page
The Maryland Division of Vital Records birth certificate page is the main state resource for ordering birth records, including Kent County birth certificates through the mail or through VitalChek online.
The page includes the downloadable request form, instructions for mail-in orders, a link to VitalChek, and contact information for the state office that processes all Maryland birth record requests, including those for Kent County births from 1940 to present.
Cities in Kent County
No cities in Kent County meet the population threshold for dedicated pages on this site. Chestertown, the county seat, serves as the main community in the county, and all Kent County birth records are handled through the county health department there regardless of where in the county a birth occurred.
If you are looking for birth records from a nearby county with a qualifying city, check the pages for Cecil County or Queen Anne's County below.
Nearby Counties
Kent County is on Maryland's Upper Eastern Shore. It borders Cecil County to the north and Queen Anne's County to the south. If you are researching a birth that may have occurred in one of these neighboring counties, contact the appropriate county health department.