District of Columbia
Birth Certificate Application
Please follow the instructions below when submitting your
application.
Please note: THE D.C. REGISTRAR MAY, AT ANY TIME, REQUEST ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION TO
HELP DETERMINE THE IDENTITY OR ELIGIBILITY OF THE APPLICANT.
1. A separate application form must be submitted for each individual certificate being requested, and a separate VitalChek
Processing Fee is required for each separate application.
("LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc. is in partnership with the District of Columbia Dept. of Health to enable enhanced electronic processing of mail-in vital record applications.")
2. Current identification (as listed on the table below) is required for each certificate being requested. Expired IDs will not
be accepted.
Choose 1 Primary ID, OR at least 3 Secondary IDs (if Primary ID is not available)
PRIMARY ID (1)
Valid, unexpired State-issued
driver’s license
Valid, unexpired Passport
Valid, unexpired State-issued ID Card
(non-driver)
OR
SECONDARY ID
(3 or more)
W-2 Form or current, filed tax form
Current utility bill showing full name and address
School ID with transcript
Work ID with photo Veteran ID
Social Security Card with signature
Notarized letter from parent listed on certificate
Voter Registration Card
Valid Department of Corrections ID Card with photo,
accompanied by probation documents or discharge papers
Car registration or title with current name and address
Military ID or Selective Service Card Federal Government Census Record
3. Only the persons named on the certificate (Mother, Father, or Child), an immediate family member or a legal
representative are eligible to receive DC birth certificates. If you are not one of the persons named on the birth
certificate, you must also send additional documentation (as shown below) with your completed application to prove
your relationship to the person named on the certificate or your legal need to the certificate.
Named on Certificate
Additional Documentation Required
(in addition to the required identification listed above)
A copy of your birth certificate
A copy of your child’s birth certificate
Adult Grandchild
A copy of your birth certificate, and a copy of your parent’s birth certificate which names
your grandparent
A copy of the valid guardianship papers certified by the court naming you as legal guardian
Social Worker
A copy of your work ID, and
A letter from the parent (or legal guardian), a court order, or a letter from your
organization (on official letterhead, signed by a supervisor) stating your professional
relationship to the person named on the certificate being requested
Attorney
A signed document stating you have been retained by your client (such as a retainment or
engagement letter), documentation establishing a legal or tangible interest in the record
(such as court paperwork), or a letter (on official letterhead) stating your professional
relationship to the person named on the certificate being requested
Documentation providing legal, tangible interest in the certificate being requested
4. If the record you requested is not located, a “Certificate of Search” will be issued. As the request was processed and
the certificate was searched for, both the Agency Certificate Fee and the VitalChek Processing Fee are non-refundable.
Departmen
t of Health
Vital Records Division
ATTN: New Applications Dept.
899 North Capitol St., NE, 1
st
Floor
Washington, DC 20002
For expedited order placement
and processing please visit
www.VitalChek.com.
5. Please mail your completed application, along with identification and additional documentation (if required), to:
6. Please allow 5 to 7 business days for your application to be received prior to calling our customer service department with
any questions about your application. We can be reached at 1-877-572-6332.