State-certified birth records are official, legal documents obtained through the Massachusetts State Registry of Vital Statistics in Boston.
The State Registrar embosses the official raised Massachusetts state seal on every birth certificate, signs it, includes the original date of issue and current copy date, prints it on secure, heavyweight, watermarked paper, and adds a scanned, digital bar-code for tracking.
Certified birth records are valid for obtaining passports, processing "REAL ID" applications, providing proof of age, obtaining United States citizenship and social security benefits, and many other legal purposes.
The fee for obtaining and shipping a Massachusetts-certified birth certificate within the United States for delivery in 10 - 14 business days is $45.
PLEASE NOTE! After almost three years of the pandemic closures, a massive office flooding event, and long-awaited technological enhancements and improvements, the Registry of Vital Records research room is now open to the public.
We can now offer genealogical research services and obtain birth, marriage, and death records transcriptions.
We have also added a NEW ORDER FORM developed strictly for ordering transcribed Massachusetts birth records.
Still not sure if you need a certified or transcribed record? Here is an example of a Massachusetts transcribed birth record.
SUBJECT'S NAME
SUBJECT'S FATHER
PLEASE NOTE!
Birth records for persons born to unwed parents are restricted in Massachusetts and not available through this application.
Non-marital birth records are limited by Massachusetts State Regulations, Chapter 46, to either the subject, parents named on the form, or legal guardian or representative of the child.
Proceeding with this application to obtain a non-marital birth record may hinder your ability to receive a full refund.
SUBJECT'S MOTHER
SUBJECT'S DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH
If the month is unknown, select Not Known.
If the day is unknown, select Not Known.
- If the specific year is unknown, enter the year you feel is most accurate.
- In the "Notes Section" further down on this form, enter up to five years, i.e., 1961 - 1965, to have searched.
- Records before 1931 are not available through this application. For that period, see Massachusetts Vital Records 1841 - 1930.
NEXT, SELECT DELIVERY BY EITHER FIRST CLASS or EXPEDITED MAIL.
Then, choose the number of records you want under that shipping method using the drop-down arrow.
YOUR NAME AND SHIPPING ADDRESS
CREDIT CARD INFORMATION
BILLING ADDRESS
