How to Get a Georgia Birth Certificate

Start with the official Georgia resource

The State Office of Vital Records controls the application, eligibility, identification, and payment rules. Its birth-record page explains the current state, county, mail, and online options and links to the forms the agency accepts.

Use the official page to confirm current fees, delivery choices, and any special instructions before you file. Those details can change, so this guide does not replace the agency's requirements.

• Open the official Georgia birth-record page
• Review Georgia certificate ordering

Who may request a Georgia birth certificate

Georgia limits certified birth certificates to people with a direct and tangible interest in the registrant. The eligible list includes the person named on the certificate, a parent named on the record, a grandparent, an adult child, an adult sibling, and a legal spouse.

A legal guardian, attorney, or other legal representative may also request when the required court order or authorization is supplied. Each relationship has its own proof requirement, so confirm the exact documents before filing.

• The registrant can request with valid government-issued photo identification.
• A parent must be named on the birth certificate.
• A grandparent generally proves the relationship with the parent's birth certificate.
• An adult child or adult sibling generally provides their own birth certificate showing at least one shared parent.
• A spouse must provide the marriage record, a copy of the spouse's signature, and the permission letter the state requires.
• A legal guardian provides a certified copy of the court order establishing guardianship.
• An attorney or legal representative must document the representation and the reason for the request.

• Review Georgia birth-certificate eligibility and relationship documents

Use physical photo identification

Georgia requires a valid physical government-issued photo ID. The Department specifically says it does not accept electronic or digital forms of identification, so a photo on a phone is not a substitute for a copy or presentation of the physical credential.

Common acceptable IDs include a Georgia driver's license or state ID, a Georgia weapons carry license with photo, a driver's license or state ID from another U.S. state or territory, a U.S. or foreign passport, a military or veteran ID, a consulate card, a TWIC card, or a current school ID with a number and signature. Some Georgia credentials remain acceptable for a limited period after expiration, so check the official ID list.

• Use the name and address shown on the application and the identification consistently.
• If your name has changed, provide the marriage record, court order, or other official record that connects the names.
• A legal representative should include the identification and authorization documents required for that role.
• Do not rely on a digital ID, a screenshot, or a photocopy of a photocopy that is not legible.

• Review Georgia acceptable identification

State office, county office, or approved online vendor

The State Office of Vital Records handles birth records from January 1919 to the present. County vital records offices can also issue birth certificates for Georgia births, although individual offices may have their own service hours and local procedures.

Requests can be made in person or by mail. The Department also lists approved online ordering options, including the state's ROVER portal. Start from the official Georgia page so you do not use an unapproved intermediary.

For a birth before January 1919, contact the county where the birth occurred or the Georgia Archives. The State Office does not hold those older records.

• State office: use the current state application and the Department's mailing or in-person instructions.
• County office: confirm that the county can issue the record and whether it accepts the filing method you want.
• Online: use only a vendor listed by the Georgia Department of Public Health.
• Older births: contact the county of birth or the Georgia Archives rather than the State Office.

• Find a Georgia Vital Records office
• Review Georgia ordering instructions
• Learn how Georgia Vital Records is organized

What to have ready before you start

Use the details exactly as they appear on the birth record. A misspelled name, an incorrect county, or a parent's married name used instead of the name on the certificate can delay the search.

• The person's full name at birth, including any suffix.
• Date of birth and the city or county of birth in Georgia.
• The mother's name as shown on the record, including her maiden name.
• The father's or other parent's name as shown on the record, if listed.
• Your relationship to the person named on the certificate.
• Physical government-issued photo ID and any relationship documents.
• A deliverable mailing address and the payment method the filing channel accepts.

How a Georgia request usually works

• Confirm that the birth occurred in Georgia and that you are an eligible applicant.
• Choose the state office, a county office, or an approved online vendor.
• Gather physical photo ID and the proof required for your relationship.
• Complete the current application with the name, date, and place exactly as recorded.
• Submit the application and supporting documents through the channel you selected.
• Keep the confirmation and any order reference so you can follow up.
• Check the certificate when it arrives and use the amendment process if the record needs a change.

A correction is separate from ordering a copy. Do not file a standard order if the record itself needs to be amended first.

Corrections, amendments, and legitimacy changes

Georgia separates current-year corrections from general amendments. The Department's birth-record page lists the current forms for correcting a record, adding a parent through legitimation, recording a paternity acknowledgment, adding a spouse, completing a delayed birth record, and filing an out-of-institution birth.

The State Office processes these changes. A county office may help start an application, but the state office handles the amendment. Follow the instructions for the specific form rather than sending a general request.

• Use the current-year correction process for changes that qualify within the first year.
• Use the general amendment form for later changes, including court-ordered name changes and other record updates.
• Use the legitimation or paternity process when the father's or parent's information is being added or changed.
• Use the adoption process when the record is changing because of an adoption.
• Include the supporting records the form requires; a request without the required evidence will not be processed.

• Review Georgia correction and amendment forms

Adoption records and Andee's Law

When an adoption is finalized, the state issues a new birth certificate in the adoptive name. The original record is handled separately, and a standard certified-copy order is not the right path for an adoptee seeking the pre-adoption record.

Under Andee's Law, a person 18 or older who was born in Georgia may request an uncertified copy of their original birth certificate through the state's ROVER system. County registrars do not have access to those original records. A deceased adoptee's parent, sibling, or direct-line descendant may also qualify with the required proof.

• Use the adoption process for a new certificate in the adoptive name.
• Use the Andee's Law process for an uncertified pre-adoption record.
• The original-record request is filed online through ROVER, not at a county office.
• A request by a relative of a deceased adoptee needs death and lineage documentation.
• A pen-in-hand certified copy is a different product and is not available for the pre-adoption record.

• Read Georgia's pre-adoption birth-record guidance

Using a Georgia certificate outside the United States

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority issues apostilles for Georgia documents used in Hague Convention countries. The Secretary of State's office handles Great Seal authentication for countries outside the Hague Convention; it does not issue apostilles.

The birth certificate must be an official certified copy with the issuing official's signature and seal. If the destination requires a pen-in-hand certificate, request that format from Georgia Vital Records before submitting the document for an apostille.

• Review Georgia apostille instructions
• Review Georgia certificate FAQs

How USVC can help

USVC is an independent document assistance service, not a government agency. We provide a guided online request flow in plain language, review submitted information for completeness and inconsistencies, file the request with the agency, and help you track the request process.

The order form shows the current USVC processing fee before you pay. Agency fees and any shipping charges are separate and are charged upon review and acceptance by the issuing agency.

• We check your submitted information for missing details and inconsistencies before filing.
• We file the request with the issuing agency and give you an online way to track it.
• We do not control agency eligibility, fees, processing times, or the final decision to issue a record.
• You can always request the record directly from the official agency, potentially at a lower cost.