Order a birth certificate

In the State of Washington, adoption records are sealed but King County Superior Court has information about how you can to petition for your adoption records.

You must have a relationship to the person whose birth certificate you are ordering. You will need to show proof of your identity and relationship. You will also need to pay any necessary fees. There are no refunds, even if we cannot locate the record or if you are not eligible to receive the birth certificate.

King County has birth records for all persons born in Washington state for births registered from 1907 to present.

Please follow the steps outlined below before you order.

Confirm you are eligible

• Spouses or domestic partners
• Parents, stepparents, or legal guardians
• Children or stepchildren
• Siblings
• Grandparents or great grandparents
• Legal representatives
• Authorized representatives
• Government agencies
• Courts (if used for official duties)

Confirm you have the right information

• First, middle, and last name
• First and last name of all the parents listed
• Date of birth (month, day, year)
• City or county of birth

Confirm you have documentation to show your identity and eligibility

• To prove your identity, you will need 1 government issued ID, like a drivers license or passport. The ID must include your photo, full name, and date of birth. The ID cannot be expired by more than 60 days. You can see a full list of acceptable IDs (144 KB) on the state Department of Health’s website.
• To prove your eligibility, you will need to provide 1 of the acceptable documents (207 KB) listed on the state Department of Health’s website.

Order and pay

Order online

• To order online, a credit card is required.
• Each birth certificate costs $25.
• VitalChek fees are: Other Agency fees of $6.00 and VCN Handling fee of 11.50 which includes standard shipping
• All online orders are processed within 4 to 5 business days and then sent by regular mail, unless you select rush delivery.
• Rush delivery is available via UPS for an additional fee of $18.50 or USPS Priority Mail for $9.90.
• UPS rush delivery requires a signature when delivered. UPS will not deliver to PO boxes.

Order by phone

• To order over the telephone, a credit card is required.
• Each birth certificate costs $25.
• VitalChek fees are: Other Agency fees of $6.00 and VCN Handling fee of 11.50 which includes standard shipping
• All telephone orders are processed within 4 to 5 business days and then sent by regular mail, unless you select rush delivery.
• Rush delivery is available via UPS for an additional fee of $18.50 or USPS Priority Mail for $9.90.
• UPS rush delivery requires a signature when delivered. UPS will not deliver to PO boxes.

Order by mail

• You can order a birth certificate by mail and pay with a check or money order. You will need to download the birth certificate order form (325 KB) and mail it in. There is a fee of $4 for mail orders. Your certificate will arrive in 3 to 4 weeks.
• Instrucciones para el Formulario de solicitud de actas de nacimiento (302 KB, Spanish)

Order in-person at the Vital Records Office

• King County Vital Records will be using VitalChek kiosks for ordering, and the fee is $28.50.
• Valet parking is available in the King Street Garage, and the first hour is free.

Change certificates

Make changes to a birth or death certificate

Death certificates

Order a death certificate

ADA accommodations

If you are visiting the King County Customer Service Center at 201 S. Jackson Street and want to request ADA accommodation, please complete and submit this form.

Birth records between 1949-1967.

If you were born between the years of 1949 to 1967, no times were reported on official birth records in Washington state.

You can try checking with the hospital where you were born to see if they have retained original records of your birth which may indicate the time however most private health care facilities typically destroy medical records after 10 years from the last patient's visit as it's costly to continuously archive records that carry a likelihood of not being used again.

The time of birth on records restarted in 1968.