Find Birth Records in Washington County
Washington County birth records from 1940 to the present are available through the Washington County Health Department in Hagerstown, which operates on an in-person-only basis for local requests. If you cannot visit the Hagerstown office, mail and online options through the Maryland Division of Vital Records in Baltimore are available as alternatives.
Washington County Overview
Washington County Health Department Vital Records
The Washington County Health Department at 1302 Pennsylvania Avenue in Hagerstown handles birth certificate requests for Maryland births from 1940 to the present. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. You can walk in during those hours to make your request. The fee is $20 per certified copy.
One key difference at this location compared to some other Maryland county health departments: the Washington County office does not accept mailed applications. If you want to submit by mail, that request must go directly to the Maryland Division of Vital Records in Baltimore, not to the Hagerstown office. For phone and online requests, the same applies. Local in-person service is for visits only. This is worth knowing before you try to send in paperwork to the county. Your envelope would either be returned or not processed, and you would lose time waiting for a response that is not coming.
| Address | 1302 Pennsylvania Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21742 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 240-313-3200 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. |
| Service | In-person only (no mail accepted at county office) |
| Records Available | Maryland births from 1940 to present |
| Website | washcohealth.org |
How to Get a Washington County Birth Certificate in Person
Visiting the health department is the only way to use the local Washington County option. No appointment is needed for walk-in service during regular hours.
When you arrive at the office, ask for the vital records request form. Fill it in with the full name on the birth record, the date and place of birth, and the parents' names as they appear on the certificate. Hand the completed form to the clerk along with your ID and payment. The fee is $20 per copy. The office accepts cash, Visa, and MasterCard. Note that Discover cards are not accepted at this location. Once staff locate the record in the state system and confirm everything looks right, they will issue your certified Washington County birth certificate.
Arriving earlier in the day is generally a good idea. The office closes at 3:45 p.m., which is earlier than some other county health departments in Maryland. Getting there well before closing leaves time to work through any questions that might come up with your request.
Payment note: Discover cards are not accepted. Bring cash, a Visa or MasterCard, or call ahead at 240-313-3200 to confirm current payment options before your visit.
Accepted ID for Washington County Birth Records
The Washington County Health Department accepts a specific set of photo IDs for in-person birth certificate requests. Not all government-issued IDs qualify.
Accepted forms of ID are: a driver's license, a U.S. passport, an MVA-issued ID card, and a U.S. military ID. If you do not have one of these, or if your ID has expired, you may not be able to get same-day service at the county office. In that case, the alternative is a mail request sent to the state office in Baltimore. For mail-in submissions, two pieces of documentation showing your name and current address may be used in place of a standard photo ID. Acceptable alternatives for mailed requests include a current utility bill, current vehicle registration, a recent pay stub, a current bank statement, a copy of a tax return or W-2, a letter from a government agency requesting the vital record, a current lease or rental agreement, or a recent medical bill. You would need two of these, not just one, and both must reflect your current address.
Who Can Request Washington County Birth Records
Access to certified birth certificates is limited. You must have a qualifying relationship to the person named on the record.
The individual whose name is on the certificate can request their own record. A parent can request a certificate for their child. A legal guardian may apply if they bring proof of their court-appointed role. Foster care placement alone does not qualify as acceptable proof of guardianship. A representative can pick up a birth certificate on behalf of an eligible person if they carry a notarized letter granting them that authority. The letter must come from someone who qualifies under the rules above, and it must be certified by a notary public. If your situation does not clearly fit one of these categories, call the Washington County Health Department at 240-313-3200 before making the trip to Hagerstown to confirm what documentation you need.
Mail and Online Options for Washington County Birth Records
Because the Washington County Health Department does not accept mailed requests at its Hagerstown office, both the mail and online routes go through the state office in Baltimore.
For online orders, VitalChek at vitalchek.com is the only vendor authorized by the Maryland Department of Health. Enter the birth record information, pay with a major credit card, and the request is sent to the state office in Baltimore for processing. VitalChek adds a service fee on top of the state fee. Expedited shipping is available if you need your Washington County birth certificate quickly. For direct mail, download the state request form at health.maryland.gov/vsa/Pages/birth.aspx, fill it out completely, include a photocopy of your ID, make out a check or money order for $10 to "Division of Vital Records," and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send everything to P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036. There is no expedited option for direct mail orders.
Important: The Maryland Division of Vital Records does not ask for Social Security numbers or credit card PINs. VitalChek is the only authorized online vendor. Avoid third-party sites that charge inflated fees.
Name Corrections for Washington County Birth Certificates
If a child is under one year old and a correction is needed to the given name on the birth certificate, the process can be handled through the Maryland Division of Vital Records at no cost.
Submit a notarized affidavit to the Division of Vital Records, and they will issue a corrected birth certificate free of charge for that specific situation. Mail the affidavit to: State of Maryland, Division of Vital Records, Reisterstown Road Plaza, 6550 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215. Note that this address is different from the standard mail-in request address for ordering copies. For corrections to records older than one year, or for changes other than a given name, a court order is typically required before the Division of Vital Records will make any change. The Washington County Health Department does not handle corrections at the local level.
Pre-1940 Washington County Birth Records
The Washington County Health Department only holds records from 1940 forward. Older birth records are not available at the Hagerstown office.
For births before 1940, start with the Maryland Division of Vital Records in Baltimore or the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. The State Archives holds historical vital records and genealogical materials dating back many generations. Contact them at 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401, or call 410-260-6400 or 800-235-4045. Their online portal at msa.maryland.gov is a useful starting point before making an in-person visit to research older Washington County birth records.
Home Birth Registration and Washington County Records
Births that take place outside of a hospital, including home births, follow a separate registration path in Maryland. The Maryland Department of Health provides guidance on how those records are filed and how they can be accessed later.
The page below is hosted on health.maryland.gov, the official source for home birth registration information relevant to Washington County birth records and Maryland vital statistics generally.
If you are looking for a Washington County birth record from a home birth, the same office in Hagerstown can assist, or you can contact the Maryland Division of Vital Records to confirm how that specific record was registered.
Cities in Washington County
Hagerstown is the county seat of Washington County and where the health department that handles birth records is located. Other communities in the county include Boonsboro, Funkstown, Smithsburg, and Williamsport.
No cities in Washington County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. All Washington County birth certificate requests, regardless of which community in the county the birth occurred in, are handled through the in-person service at 1302 Pennsylvania Avenue in Hagerstown.
Nearby Counties
Washington County is in western Maryland and borders both Allegany County to the west and Frederick County to the east. Each county health department handles birth certificates for records from its own area.