Records guides by state
Twenty states so far. More are added as we read their official pages.
| State | Main state office | Last verified |
|---|---|---|
| California | California Department of Public Health, Vital Records (CDPH-VR) | 2026-10-27 |
| Texas | Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section | 2026-10-27 |
| Florida | Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics | 2026-10-27 |
| New York | New York State Department of Health, Vital Records (everywhere except New York City) | 2026-10-27 |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records | 2026-10-27 |
| Illinois | Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records | 2026-10-27 |
| Ohio | Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics | 2026-10-27 |
| Georgia | Georgia Department of Public Health, State Office of Vital Records | 2026-10-27 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Vital Records (NC DHHS) | 2026-10-27 |
| Michigan | Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics | 2026-10-27 |
| Massachusetts | Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS), Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Massachusetts Archives for older records | 2026-10-27 |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry; New Jersey State Archives for older records | 2026-10-27 |
| Virginia | Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records; Library of Virginia for older microfilm | 2026-10-27 |
| Washington | Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics; Washington State Archives (Digital Archives) for older records | 2026-10-27 |
| Arizona | Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Bureau of Vital Records | 2026-10-27 |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records; Tennessee State Library and Archives for older records | 2026-10-27 |
| Indiana | Indiana Department of Health, Division of Vital Records; county clerks of court for marriage and divorce; Indiana State Library for genealogy | 2026-10-27 |
| Missouri | Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records; county recorders of deeds and circuit clerks; Missouri State Archives | 2026-10-27 |
| Maryland | Maryland Department of Health, Division of Vital Records; Maryland State Archives for older records; county circuit courts | 2026-10-27 |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Vital Records Office; county Register of Deeds offices | 2026-10-27 |
Also see our guide to finding old newspapers: obituaries, marriage notices and birth announcements.
Looking for a state that is not listed? It is not covered yet. Each state's official vital-records office is the right first stop for birth and death certificates.