When requesting vital documents, be clear about what is being offered, what you actually want, and what you end up requesting.
The county clerk and recorder in the Illinois county where I was born have a copy of my birth certificate. It was created by some photographic process from the original certificate on file in the state vital records office in Springfield, Illinois. If I request a certification of birth from the county clerk, I will get a document certifying that they have a copy of my birth certificate. That document will state what the original says–including my name, date of birth, place of birth, and names of my parents. That certification of birth will not include a “reproduction” of the actual certificate.
Genealogists usually want an actual copy of the actual record–usually done by some sort of photographic reproduction. This cuts down on transcription errors by a records clerk reading an old record (not that MY birth certificate is all that old <grin>).
In my case the original has my mother’s signature on it–a neat addition that’s not on the “certification of birth.”
3 Responses
I just went thru this process in Kansas. I needed a “Certified Copy” of my Birth Certificate to satisfy the requirements to obtain a Federal recognized Drivers License for boarding an airplane, etc. When I contacted the state Vital Records Dept, they offered a “Certified Copy” and a copy. I requested and paid for a “Certified Copy”. I received an image of the Birth Certificate with watermarked paper. If you order a “copy” you don’t get the watermark and hence not Certified. If you make a copy of the Certified document, the watermark does not copy. You’re right, make sure you know what you are ordering and order the quantity you need.
BobH
Hello,
I live in Virginia. I was adopted at birth. Both my A-parents and B-parents are deceased. I have my non-ID from Social Services and they told me who my birth parents were back in 2009. I was born in ‘53 in VA. How can I go about getting my original birth certificate? I need it for DAR and Mayflower Descendant genealogy proof. Thank you.
Contact the county/city where you were born and see what the access restrictions are. You may also want to contact the agency at the state level in Virginia that handles the registration of vital events.