TEXAS
Health
and
Human
Services
Texas
Department
.
of
State
Health
Services
Correcting a Birth Certificate
THIS FORM CANNOT BE USED TO CORRECT A RECORD BASED ON AN ADOPTION.
Who Can Apply for a Correction?
• The person named on the birth certificate, if at least 18 years of age.
• Parent(s) named on the birth certificate, if child is under 18 years of age.
• Legal guardian(s), managing conservator, or legal representative (proof required) of the person named
on the birth certificate.
• Hospital or medical facility where the person named on the birth certificate was born.
How Do I Make a Correction?
☐ Complete and sign this application. See pages 4 and 5.
☐ Section 1, 2, 5 and 6 MUST be completed. See pages 2 and 3 for how to complete Section 3 or 4.
☐ Everyone signing section 6 must sign before a notary public and ATTACH A COPY OF
THEIR VALID PHOTO ID(S).
☐ The application must be original. P
hotocopies, alterations, strike-through, or write overs will not
be
accepted.
☐ Submit
the appropriate documentation. See pages 2 and
3.
☐ Submit the appropriate
fees. See fee schedule
below.
For Frequently Asked Questions, go to: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vs/faq/#correct.
For more information, go to: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.
Where Do I Mail the Application?
Regular Mailing Instructions - Estimated processing time is 6-8 weeks.
See https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vs/processing/ for current times.
Please submit your application, supporting documents (if required) and fees to:
DSHS – Vital Statistics Section, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040.
Expedited Service Mailing Instructions - Estimated processing time is 20-25 business days.
The order and $5.00 processing fee must be sent to the Vital Statistics Section via an overnight mail
service such as: FedEx, Lone Star, or UPS.
Please submit your application, supporting documents (if required) and fees to:
DSHS-Vital Statistics Section, MC 2096, 1100 W. 49
th
Street, Austin, TX 78756.
FAILURE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REQUESTED ON THIS FORM, MAY RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT
PROCESSING DELAYS AND/OR DENIAL OF YOUR APPLICATION.
Fees: How much must I submit?
Filing Fees (Select One):
Correction to Birth Certificate (Not required if child’s name change is in
same court order to add/replace/remove parent)
Correction to Birth Certificate by adding/removing/replacing a parent
New Birth Certificate based on child’s sex or parent’s race or color
See “Correcting the Child’s Sex or Parent’s Race or Color” on Page 3.
For urgent requests, orders may be EXPEDITED by paying the below expedited processing fee AND
sending the order through an overnight mail service, such as: FEDEX, LoneStar, or UPS to: DSHS-Vital
Statistics Section, MC 2096, 1100 W. 49
th
Street, Austin, TX 78756.
Expedited processing Fee (per application)
All orders are returned free of charge by USPS regular mail. For expedited return mail service, select
one of the overnight return shipping methods below.
Expedite Overnight Mail (shipping within USA)
USPS Express Overnight Mail (shipping overnight to PO Box ONLY)
Certified Corrected Birth Certificate ($22.00 per copy)
Fees may be combined in one check or money order made payable to DSHS – Vital Statistics
For the status of your request, contact VSS by telephone at 1-888-963-7111 or online at: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/orderstatus/.
Page 1 of 5 VS-170 (Rev. 1/21)