There are a few different ways to search for public birth records. One option is to look in newspaper archives. Another option is to contact your state’s Department of Health or vital records office.
Some states index deaths, marriages, and births starting in 1880. These records contain only the name, date, and certificate number.
Start With a Name
Some state requires doctors and midwives to report births, but the law was enforced in the 1880s. Before that time, records were usually recorded by village, town, or city clerks. Fortunately for researchers, many of these records have been microfilmed and can be found at local centers or online. To find the right record, you need to start with a name. If the name is familiar, try searching for it by middle initial or nickname. You can also search for a birth certificate number, which can help link an old name to an amended one on an original birth certificate.
Look for a place of birth
There are ways to find public birth records without paying for a paid service. You can visit the official state website for vital statistics or a private company. Some ancestry services will also offer this information. Depending on the country, these services will work differently. For example, some may only display a person’s name and location. Others may allow you to see actual images of the certificate.
In the United States, birth records are maintained by each state. If you are interested in finding a birth record for a deceased person, you can contact the government in that state. The National Center for Health Statistics can help you locate the correct office. Alternatively, you can use a service to order a copy of the birth certificate of a person who has died.
Birth certificates became publicly accessible after 1870, but before that date, it was a local law for village, town, and city clerks to record each birth as a single-line entry in ledger books. These were later copied to the state. The archives and nine other repositories in the state have microfiche indexes for this period.
Other offline sources that can contain birth information include obituaries and church records. However, these are not likely to be available online, as most churches have little incentive to surface these old documents.
Look For a Birth Date
It is essential to search local newspapers for birth announcements. These may contain the infant’s name and birth date; parents’ names; religion; and other details about the family. You may also find death notices and wedding announcements in these papers. These records can be an excellent information source for researchers seeking out-of-town relatives and friends.
You should check newspapers from the week of and the week after the birth. Newspapers often have limited space and birth announcements are sometimes prioritized over other stories. The sections dealing with area residents, community news, or local events will likely contain the birth announcements. You may have to wait a few weeks for an announcement to appear, so keep checking the paper or set up an alert of the infant’s last name.
If you find a birth announcement in a newspaper, you can request a copy of the certificate from the town or city clerk in the county where the birth occurred. Some state law requires villages, towns, and cities to record births and file copies with the Department of Health. These records are usually available to the public after 75 years, although they may be confidential to immediate family members.
The state archives maintain indexes of these births that can be searched online.
Look For a Parent’s Name
Aside from death records, birth certificates are the most important documents when researching an ancestor’s life. These documents provide information such as the person’s name, date and place of birth, parents’ names, sex, and other details. In addition, these vital records are created at or near the time of the event, making them more accurate than many other sources of information.
Most US states began recording these events around the early 1900s, but some go back much further. These are referred to as public records and are easy to obtain online. However, it’s essential to know that some states keep records closed for up to 75 years. This means that even if you know when someone was born, it may be challenging to find their birth certificate.
There are various ways to search if you are looking for a birth, marriage, or death record. For example, the municipal archives hold the most extensive collection of these documents in the five boroughs. It also has indexes to help you request copies from the relevant recordkeeper.
The state’s public health law protects the confidentiality of birth records. They can only be released to the individual when they reach the age of 18, a parent named on the birth certificate, or a legal representative. Consequently, you should contact the Department of Health in the county where your ancestor was born to inquire about obtaining these records.
