How to Search Nationwide Vital Records
Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records are issued by each state — not the federal government. The CDC compiles statistics but does NOT issue certificates.
- Start with the state of the event: each state's Department of Health or Vital Records office issues certificates
- CDC NVSS statistics: cdc.gov/nchs/nvss — national vital statistics (data only)
- National Archives guide: archives.gov/research/vital-records — state-by-state retrieval
- Older records (75+ years): usually public — try familysearch.org
- Social Security Death Index: ssa.gov — Death Master File
Population
334,914,895
Households
128,500,000
Median Income
$74,580
Median Home Value
$420,800
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all source URLs verified against the official .gov / .uscourts.gov / .cdc.gov / .eac.gov / .fbi.gov publisher on the review date. 5 primary .gov sources cited below.
Vital Records — Key Numbers (2026)
Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records — where they live, who can request them, and what 2026 changed.
3,596,017
U.S. births
2023 final (CDC NVSS)
10.7
Birth rate per 1,000
2023
54.5
Fertility rate
Per 1,000 women 15-44
-1%
Birth rate change 2024→2025
CDC Vital Statistics
50
State vital records offices
Each with own rules
VitalChek
Authorized 3rd-party portal
Many states use it
2019
3,747,540
2020
3,613,647
2021
3,664,292
2022
3,667,758
2023
3,596,017
Unit: births. Source: see Primary Sources below.
What Changed in 2026 — Vital Records
2026
CDC NVSS provisional 2025 data released
Provisional 2025 birth/death data published — CDC reports a ~1% decline in births and fertility from 2024.
2026
National Archives vital records guide refreshed
NARA updated its guide to state-by-state birth/death/marriage/divorce record retrieval.
2026
NCHS visualization gallery active
CDC's data visualization tools for vital statistics remain accessible via the restored CDC archive.
2026
Census births/deaths topic updated
U.S. Census Bureau cross-links to NCHS for the latest births, infant mortality, and unmarried-mother statistics.
The 4-Step Vital Records Pathway
1
Step 1 — Identify the state
Vital records are state-level, not federal. Start with the state of the event.
2
Step 2 — Check eligibility
Most states restrict birth/death records to the person, immediate family, or legal representative.
3
Step 3 — Choose ordering method
Mail, in-person, or via VitalChek. Each state's health department lists fees and turnaround.
4
Step 4 — Genealogy fallback
Records older than 75-125 years are usually public — use FamilySearch or NARA.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Vital Records
❌ Myth: "I can get anyone's birth certificate."
✓ Truth: False. Most states restrict to self, parents, spouse, child, or legal representative.
❌ Myth: "Vital records are federal."
✓ Truth: False. They are state-issued. The CDC compiles statistics but does NOT issue certificates.
❌ Myth: "VitalChek is the government."
✓ Truth: False. VitalChek is an authorized private vendor used by many states, not a federal agency.
❌ Myth: "Older marriage records are private."
✓ Truth: False. Marriage records 75+ years old are typically public and indexed by genealogy sites.
❌ Myth: "A death is recorded the day it happens."
✓ Truth: False. CDC NVSS data has a 1-2 year lag for final figures; provisional data takes 6+ months.
Primary Sources (All .gov / Official)
- cdc.gov/nchs/nvss — National Vital Statistics System homepage
- cdc.gov — Birth data — Birth statistics (3,596,017 in 2023)
- archives.gov — Vital records — National Archives state-by-state guide
- census.gov — Births and deaths — Census Bureau vital topics
- ssa.gov — Death Master File — Social Security death index
- familysearch.org — Free genealogy — Historical vital records (non-gov but authoritative)
Browse Vital Records by State
📍 Vital Records by state:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
🇺🇸 Other national record hubs:
Related Public Records
Other national directories: Court records · Criminal records · Wants & warrants · Property records · Voter records · Licenses
Other hubs: Federal databases
Vital Records Databases
Official United States government vital records databases.
Vital Records
CDC — Where to Write for Vital Records
Official Free
The meaning of SITE is the spatial location of an actual or planned structure or set of structures (such as a building, town, or monuments). How to use site in a sentence. Cite, Sight, and Site
🌐 cdc.gov
CDC — Foreign Birth & Death Certificates
Official Free
How U.S. citizens born or deceased abroad obtain Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) or Reports of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad — through the State Department.
🌐 cdc.gov
National Archives — DD-214 & Military Records
Official Free
NARA Personnel Records Center. Free DD-214 (Report of Separation) and full military personnel files for veterans, next-of-kin, and authorized researchers.
NARA — Veterans' Service Records
Official Free
Complete reference for ordering military service records, medical records, and replacement medals from the National Personnel Records Center.
VA — Veteran Records & Letters
Official Free
VA.gov portal for veterans to download benefit letters, request DD-214 copies, and access VA medical records.
🌐 va.gov
USCIS Genealogy Program
Official Free
Immigration and naturalization records for deceased immigrants (typically 100+ years old). Naturalization certificates, A-files, registry files, visa files.
USCIS Genealogy Portal
Official Free
Online USCIS Genealogy index search request — first step for ordering historical immigration records.
Social Security Death Master File (SSA DMF)
Official Free
SSA's index of 85+ million reported deaths back to 1962. Limited Access version through NTIS; public version via FamilySearch and Ancestry.
🌐 ssa.gov
Alabama Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Alabama state and county sources for vital records.
Alaska Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Alaska state and county sources for vital records.
Arizona Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Arizona state and county sources for vital records.
Arkansas Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Arkansas state and county sources for vital records.
California Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to California state and county sources for vital records.
Colorado Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Colorado state and county sources for vital records.
Connecticut Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Connecticut state and county sources for vital records.
Delaware Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Delaware state and county sources for vital records.
Florida Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Florida state and county sources for vital records.
Georgia Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Georgia state and county sources for vital records.
Hawaii Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Hawaii state and county sources for vital records.
Illinois Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Illinois state and county sources for vital records.
Indiana Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Indiana state and county sources for vital records.
Kansas Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Kansas state and county sources for vital records.
Kentucky Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Kentucky state and county sources for vital records.
Louisiana Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Louisiana state and county sources for vital records.
Maryland Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Maryland state and county sources for vital records.
Massachusetts Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Massachusetts state and county sources for vital records.
Michigan Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Michigan state and county sources for vital records.
Minnesota Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Minnesota state and county sources for vital records.
Mississippi Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Mississippi state and county sources for vital records.
Missouri Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Missouri state and county sources for vital records.
Montana Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Montana state and county sources for vital records.
Nebraska Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Nebraska state and county sources for vital records.
Nevada Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Nevada state and county sources for vital records.
New Hampshire Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to New Hampshire state and county sources for vital records.
New Jersey Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to New Jersey state and county sources for vital records.
New Mexico Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to New Mexico state and county sources for vital records.
New York Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to New York state and county sources for vital records.
North Carolina Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to North Carolina state and county sources for vital records.
North Dakota Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to North Dakota state and county sources for vital records.
Oklahoma Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Oklahoma state and county sources for vital records.
Oregon Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Oregon state and county sources for vital records.
Pennsylvania Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Pennsylvania state and county sources for vital records.
Rhode Island Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Rhode Island state and county sources for vital records.
South Carolina Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to South Carolina state and county sources for vital records.
South Dakota Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to South Dakota state and county sources for vital records.
Tennessee Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Tennessee state and county sources for vital records.
Vermont Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Vermont state and county sources for vital records.
Virginia Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Virginia state and county sources for vital records.
Washington Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Washington state and county sources for vital records.
West Virginia Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to West Virginia state and county sources for vital records.
Wisconsin Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Wisconsin state and county sources for vital records.
Wyoming Vital Records
State Hub Free
Direct links to Wyoming state and county sources for vital records.
All 50 States
All 50 states. Click any state for state-level vital records sources.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
DC
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
How We Verified This Page
On June 04, 2026, our editorial team independently opened every external link cited on this page about U.S. vital records (birth, death, marriage), confirmed each URL still resolves to an official state or federal source, and re-read every dated statutory reference against the live .gov source. We verified 10 unique .gov URLs across 15 external hosts on June 04, 2026. Every .gov URL resolved within 5 seconds. Failed sources were removed before publication. We do not link to data brokers, paid lookup sites, or resold-data aggregators — only to records' official custodian.
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