At Massachusetts Document Retrieval, we transcribe original birth certificates from 1931 to the present at the Massachusetts State Registry of Vital Records and Statistics Office in Boston.

At the Registry, we access the statewide collection of public birth certificates encompassing over 6 million* birth certificates. This 92-year birth records collection is only accessible onsite and not online. (*Source: Massachusetts Births Boston, MA: Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, Department of Public Health. June 2023. The estimate is based on an average of 75K births per year multiplied by 92 years.)

With over 30 years of genealogical research experience, we meticulously hand-transcribe all pertinent birth-related information for you as if we were researching our own ancestor.

All pertinent birth-related information about your family member is abstracted and entered into our custom-designed record forms to create your personal PDF.

Here is an example of a Massachusetts birth certificate, transcribed for genealogy purposes and saved as a PDF.

Learn more about the detailed information recorded on State-certified birth records.

The fee for transcribing a birth record and sending it to you as an emailed PDF within 10 - 14 business days is $20.

Important Note: These transcribed birth certificates are valuable for their detailed family information but are only meant for family history. Transcribed records are NOT valid for any official purpose.

If you need a state-certified copy of a birth certificate for any legal reason (such as obtaining a passport, processing a "REAL ID" application, renewing a driver's license, getting United States citizenship and/or social security benefits, or other legal purposes), please note that transcribed records are not valid.

For official needs, order an official certified copy using our Massachusetts Birth Certificate order form.

Enter Search Information Fill out Birth Record Details

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Person's Name to Transcribe

* First Name

Legal first name on the birth record

Middle Name Optional

Helps identify the correct record

* Last Name

Legal last name/surname on the birth record

Person's Father

His First Name Optional

Father's first name on the birth record

His Last Name Optional

Father's last name on the birth record

Important Note About Massachusetts Birth Records

In Massachusetts, birth certificates for children born to single parents have special public record restrictions.

For privacy protection, Massachusetts law has special procedures for birth certificates of children born to unmarried parents. In these cases, only the person named on the certificate, their parent(s) listed on the certificate, or their legal guardian may request a copy directly from the Registry of Vital Records (RVR) or from the town/city clerk's office where the birth was recorded.

Photo identification is required with the application.

Find the complete regulations in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46: Registry and Return of Births, Marriages, and Deaths.

If these privacy restrictions apply to the birth record you're seeking, alternative record types like our transcribed copies aren't available through our service or any other agency.

However, if you're eligible to access this record, you can obtain a certified copy instead.

Find detailed instructions for requesting a Restricted Birth Certificate.

Person's Mother

Her First Name Optional

Mother's first name on the birth record

Her Maiden Name Optional

Mother's family name before marriage

Including a mother's maiden name significantly improves our ability to locate the correct record.

Person's Date and Place of Birth

Date of Birth

* Month of Birth

Month when the birth occurred

* Day of Birth

Day of month when the birth occurred

* Year of Birth

Enter year between 1931-2025

If the specific year of birth is unknown, enter the year you feel is most accurate.
In the "Additional Notes" section below, enter up to five consecutive years (e.g., 1961-1965) to have searched.
Birth records before 1931 are not available for ordering through this website. To order a birth record from 1930 or older, go to our page on Massachusetts Vital Records 1841-1930.

Place of Birth

* Town or City of Birth

City or town where birth was recorded

Additional Notes

EXAMPLES OF HELPFUL SEARCH INFORMATION INCLUDE:

Alternate name spellings

Range of years if exact year unknown

Hospital name if known

Towns to search if birthplace uncertain

Names of siblings (for confirmation)

Information to Help Locate the Record

Add any details that might help us locate the record

Your Contact Information

* Your First Name

Your legal first name

* Your Last Name

Your legal last name

* Email Address

Your document will be sent here

* Confirm Email Address

Re-enter to confirm

The transcribed birth record will be delivered as a PDF file to this email address within 10-14 business days.

Credit Card Information

* Card Holder's Full Name

Name as it appears on card

* Credit Card Type

Brand of credit card

* Credit Card Number

Card number (no spaces)

* Expiration Month

Month card expires

* Expiration Year

Year card expires

* Security Code (CVV)

3-4 digits on back of card

Secure Payment Processing

Your credit card information is securely transmitted using industry-standard encryption. We do not store complete credit card numbers after processing your payment.

Credit Card Billing Address

* First Name

First name on billing statement

* Last Name

Last name on billing statement

* Street Address

Street address or P.O. Box

* City/Town

City or town name

* Country

Country of billing address

* State/Province

State, province, or region

* Zip/Postal Code

Postal or zip code

Your billing address must match the address on file with your credit card company for successful payment processing.

Security Verification to Proceed with Order

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By clicking 'Review Order Details,' I understand I am ordering a birth record transcript for family history research only, not for official use. I also acknowledge the $20 fee is non-refundable in all cases: if no record is found, if the record lacks information I wanted, or if Massachusetts law restricts access to the record (such as for out-of-wedlock births).