Questions people ask before ordering a vital record.

No. We are a private, independent document preparation and submission service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any federal, state, or local government agency, including any state Department of Health or Office of Vital Records. You may apply directly with your state’s Vital Records office yourself, which may cost less. Our fee covers form preparation, accuracy review, submission, and support.

Yes. You receive a certified copy issued by the state or county Vital Records agency, bearing the official seal. Certified copies are accepted for passports, REAL ID, Social Security, school enrollment, employment verification, insurance claims, probate, and other legal purposes.

Preparation of the application on the issuing agency’s current form, a line-by-line accuracy and eligibility review before filing, submission to the correct custodian, and support from application to delivery. We do not issue certificates and we do not charge for the certificate itself.

No, and no service can. Approval and processing time rest solely with the issuing agency. What we control is that the application is correctly prepared, eligible, and filed with the right office the first time.

Most states restrict certified copies to the person named on the record, their parent, child, spouse, sibling, grandparent, legal guardian, or an authorized legal representative. Requirements differ by state and record type. Our form asks for your relationship up front so an eligibility problem is flagged before you are charged, rather than after a rejection.

Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons people use us. Vital records are held by the state where the event occurred, not where you live now. We handle all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico from a single form, and ship to your current address.

Usually an unexpired government-issued photo ID — a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. A phone photo is acceptable. Some states additionally require a sworn or notarized request for mailed applications; where that applies, we tell you exactly what to sign.

It depends on the purpose. Passports and immigration filings generally require a long-form certified copy; some states also issue informational copies that are not valid for identity. Tell us what the record is for and the correct version is requested.

Yes, and for death certificates especially we recommend it. Institutions keep the copy they are given, and one application for several copies is faster and usually cheaper than filing twice.

The first is our processing and review fee, charged when you place your order. The second is the state agency fee plus shipping, which is set by the issuing state and charged only after that agency reviews and accepts your application. It appears separately on your statement. Both amounts are itemized on your review screen before you confirm anything.

No. The itemized total on the review screen is the amount you approve, and it will not be exceeded. If a state raises its fee before your application is filed, we tell you before anything further is charged.

Because applications are reviewed and processed immediately on receipt, our processing fee is generally non-refundable once work has begun. If you contact us before your application has been submitted to the state agency, we will do our best to accommodate a cancellation. Full terms are set out in our Refund Policy and Terms of Service.

It can be. The state agency fee is the same either way; applying directly avoids our preparation and review fee. What you take on instead is identifying the correct custodian, version, ID rules, and current fee yourself, and the risk of a returned application.

Turnaround is set by the issuing agency and varies considerably — some states process in days, others take several weeks, and older records held in archives take longer. We review and submit your application the same business day it is received, and email you tracking the moment your certificate ships. Current estimates for your state are shown before checkout.

You will receive a confirmation email with your order reference as soon as you submit, and a further email when your certificate is dispatched. In between, reply to that confirmation or contact support with your reference and we will pull up the current position with the agency.

We answer routine requests on your behalf and tell you what was asked and what we sent. Where the agency needs something only you can provide — a signature, a document, a clarification — we contact you directly and explain precisely what is required.

Contact us as soon as you notice. If your application has not yet been submitted to the state agency, we can correct it at no additional charge from us. Our review step is designed to catch the common errors — misspelled names, wrong county, incorrect date — before submission.

All data is transmitted over 256-bit SSL encryption and stored with strict internal access controls. Your information is used only to prepare and submit your application to the issuing agency. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third-party marketers. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

No. Amendments to a registered record — a misspelled name, a date, a parentage determination — are made only by the issuing agency, usually through a separate legal amendment process with its own evidence requirements. We can order a certified copy of the record as it currently stands.

Records are retained only as long as needed to complete your application and to meet legal and accounting obligations, then handled according to our retention policy. Identification images are not used for any purpose other than your application.