Vital Records


 



Department of State
Division of Vital Records Administration

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
 


     

1.  How do I get copies of my birth, marriage or divorce certificate?

2.  How do I correct my Birth Certificate?

3.  How do I get a Birth Certificate for my foreign born child I
     
adopted in NH?

4.  Where can I research my family history?

5.  What is the cost of a copy of a vital record?

6.  How do I get a certified copy as soon as possible?

7.  What is the normal turn around time between the request and
     receipt of a certificate?

 

    Questions & Answers:
 

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1.  How do I get copies of my birth, marriage or divorce certificate?
Effective January 1, 2005 all individuals requesting a certified copy of a record (Pursuant to RSA 5C-16) must present positive identification, including, but not limited to, a driver’s license, passport or other government issued picture Identification.  NH vital records are considered to be private and NH Statute restricts access to them to only those individuals who can demonstrate a "direct and tangible interest" in the record. Certain older records are exempt from these access restric-tions.  Birth records prior to 1901 and death, marriage and divorce records prior to 1948 are available with unrestricted access.  Individuals wishing to research these genealogical records may do so by visiting our Genealogical Research Center.  Alterna-tively, a written request may be made to the Vital Records offices and staff will research records upon receipt of request and search fee.
 

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2.  How do I correct my Birth Certificate?
Sometimes a person finds that the information on the official record is not complete or that some item of information on the certificate does not agree with what he or she believes to be the facts.  When this is the case, it is possible to have missing information added, or to have errors on the certificate corrected. Any person may apply for completion or correction of any certificate in which he or she is directly interested.  Ordinarily, this will be the person whose certificate needs to be completed or corrected, one of the parents or the legal representative of the individual.  If a registrant is 18 years of age or older, he or she must approve the requested change when the application is submitted by anyone other than themselves.
 

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3.  How do I get a Birth Certificate for my foreign born child I adopted in NH?
NH Statute requires that the Registrar of Vital Records will, upon request, issue a birth certificate when a foreign born person has been adopted in a NH Court.  Contact DVRA staff for a Form VS 37 FB.  By filling out and returning this form, you will supply DVRA the information needed to prepare a new birth certificate.  The form needs to be signed by the adoptive parent(s) and the signature(s) must be notarized.  The fee for preparing the birth certificate will be $25.00 which includes issuing a certified copy of the record.
 

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4.  Where can I research my family history?
You can request access to unrestricted records (births prior to 1901; deaths, marriages and divorces prior to 1948) by contacting the DVRA offices.  Furthermore, if you are a direct family member, you can access DVRA's restricted database.  The Division also has a Research Room located at the DVRA offices.  It is open to the public from 8:30AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday
.  Volunteers will assist you in your research.
 

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5.  What is the cost of a copy of a vital record?
The cost of a search for a vital record is $12.00.  If  DVRA staff find a record after the search, a certified copy will be issued free of charge.  Additional certified copies of the same record are available at a cost of $8.00 each.  Lamination of a birth card is available for an additional charge of $.50 per card.  Using a credit card to pay will cost an additional $6.00.

 

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6.  How do I get a certified copy as soon as possible?
Using a major credit card, there is an expedited vital record service provided through a third party vendor, USCerts.  In addition to the $12.00 search fee, your credit card will be charged additional processing and shipping fees.  You should receive your certificate within 3 to 6 days of your order.  You may initiate this service by calling USCerts at 877-878-8007 or by visiting them online at www.uscerts.com.
 

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7.  What is the normal turn around time between the request and receipt of a certificate?
If you visit our office in person, we can issue the certificate while you wait.  If you mail in a request, please allow 30 business days for your certificate to arrive by return mail although we endeavor to complete the requests as soon as possible.
 

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