Vital Statistics

Birth, Death, Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership

Non-Genealogical Records (current events) are:

• Births occurring within the last 80 years
• Marriages occurring within the last 50 years
• Deaths occurring within the last 40 years
• All domestic partnerships and civil unions.

For all orders, the following must be sent with your application:

• all required copies of ID for proof of identity
• the correct fees
• copies of documents proving your relationship to the person named on the record, if requesting a certified copy

Your application will be returned if you do not send in all required documentation.

You must be able to fully identify the record by providing all of the information listed below on the application form. Your request cannot be accepted unless you provide the information below.

• Full name on the record
• City where the event occurred
• Exact date of the event  (month, day and year)
• Mother’s maiden name
• Father’s name (if recorded on the record)
• For Marriage, Civil Union or Domestic Partnership - Instead of parents’ names, you must provide the name of the spouse/partner.

You must provide acceptable ID in order to get a copy of any vital record. Copies of vital records must be mailed to the address listed on your identification. 

The following are acceptable forms of ID:

• A current, valid photo driver's license or photo non-driver's license with current address
  OR
• A current, valid driver’s license without photo and one alternate form of ID, both with current address
  OR
• Two alternate forms of ID, both of which must have current address.

Alternate forms of ID are:

• Vehicle registration
• Vehicle insurance card
• Voter registration
• US/Foreign Passport
• Immigrant Visa
• Permanent Resident Card (Green card)
• Federal/State ID
• County ID
• School ID
• Bank Statement (within previous 90 days)
• Utility bill(within the previous 90 days)
• W-2 for current/previous tax year   

People who are homeless can have a social worker or the coordinator of the homeless shelter where they are temporarily residing submit a request on behalf of the homeless person, one copy of their birth certificate with the fee waived. The request must be on their agency letterhead and provide the identifying information on the homeless person's vital record. The request must be accompanied by proof of employment by the agency and valid identification. The resulting copy of the vital record will be mailed to the agency.

People who are incarcerated can provide legal imprisonment, conviction papers or release documents that include the name, social security number and all possible aliases used in the past AND photo work identification from a prison/probation official.

Please do not send in original ID documents. Only copies are required.  If you want to have your order mailed to a different address than what is listed on your identification, your application must include a notarized letter that authorizes the order to be mailed to a different address. 

Fees for copies of vital records issued vary by municipality. Please contact the  Local Vital Records office where the event occurred for information about their fees.

The Office of Vital Statistics and Registry charges:

• $25 for the initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement; and
• $2 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time.

Applications mailed to the State may be paid by check or money order made payable to: Treasurer, State of New Jersey. Applications made to the municipal office should be made payable to the municipality. We cannot accept credit card payment by mail. Credit card requests must be placed via our online request site.

Please do not send cash through the mail.

ONLY required if ordering a certified copy of a vital record.

Proof of relationship is not required if you are asking for a certification, which is an uncertified informational copy of the vital record not valid for establishing identity or legal purposes.  However, you must still provide proof of identity when requesting a certification.

To get a certified copy of a person’s vital record, you must provide proof of your relationship to the person listed on the record and the proof must establish you are one of the following:

• The subject of the record
• The subject’s parent, legal guardian or legal representative
• The subject’s spouse/civil union partner; child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age
• A state or federal agency for official purposes
• Pursuant to court order

Regardless of the where you place your order you will have to send with your application:

• all required copies of ID establishing your identity
• the correct fee, and
• copies of documents proving your relationship to the person named on the record, if you are ordering a certified copy

Your application will be returned if you do not send in all required information.
Submit your request and supporting documentation via one of the following order methods:

If you are requesting a certification (an informational copy of a vital record not valid for legal purposes), you do not need to provide proof of relationship.

If you are looking for a certified copy of

• your own birth certificate and you have assumed your spouse’s/civil union partner’s surname

  you must provide a copy of the certified copy of your marriage/civil union certificate to link the name on your current ID to the name on your birth certificate.  

• your child’s birth certificate

  you don’t need any additional documents.

• your spouse’s/civil union partner’s birth certificate

  you must provide a copy of your marriage/civil union certificate.

• your parent’s or sibling’s vital record

  you must provide a copy of your birth certificate.

  if you have assumed your spouse's/civil union partner's last name you must also provide a copy of your marriage/civil union certificate to link the name on your current ID to the name on your birth certificate.
  
  

• your grandparent’s vital record

  you must establish that you are the person’s grandchild by providing proof that links the name on your ID to the name of the grandparent.   
  
  For example, if you changed your last name after marriage/civil union and want a grandparent’s vital record, you must:

  1. Provide your marriage/civil union certificate to show your name at birth,
  2. provide your birth certificate to identify your parent, and
  3. provide the parent’s birth certificate to identify the grandparent.

If you are not a person qualified to get a certified copy of a record

• but you are helping a person receive a certified copy of a vital record they are eligible to receive
   
  you must show your valid ID and a notarized, written release authorizing you to get the record on that person’s behalf including their proof of relationship to the subject of the record.

If you are an attorney

• who is

  executor

  of an estate

  you must supply proof of appointment as the executor.

• who is the legal representative of the executor of an estate

  you must supply proof of legal retainer by the executor and proof of the appointment of the individual as the executor.

• who is the legal representative of an individual that is eligible to receive a certified copy of a vital record

  you must supply proof of legal retainer by the eligible individual and their proof of relationship.

• who needs a certified copy of a vital record and you are not the legal representative of an eligible person

you must obtain a court order directing the State Registrar to issue a certified copy of the record. A subpoena is not sufficient to issue a copy of a vital record.

Visit the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.