Here is the honest answer first: the large state birth certificate offices do not take orders by fax. California, Texas, Florida, New York State and New York City take orders by mail or in person, most of them also take orders online, and none of the official pages we read lists a fax number for ordering. This page explains the official routes, the fees and the ID rules, whether you live in the US or abroad.
📜 See the Official RoutesYou cannot order a birth certificate by fax from the California, Texas, Florida, New York State or New York City vital records offices, and the CDC's "Where to Write for Vital Records" pages show no fax route for them either. Order online through the state or the vendor it names, such as Texas.gov in Texas or VitalChek in Florida and New York, or mail the state's application with a check or money order. Many mail orders need a copy of your photo ID, and some need a notarized statement.
Sooner or later many people need a certified copy of their US birth certificate, for a passport, a REAL ID, a new job, a marriage abroad or a residency file. Earlier versions of this page told you to fax your application to the state or county office. When we checked the official pages of the five largest offices in November 2026, none of them offered fax ordering so we rewrote this guide. Sending your request the right way the first time is the fastest way to get your certificate.
Every state runs a vital records office, and the CDC's "Where to Write for Vital Records" directory on cdc.gov links to each one. Some CDC state pages are several years old, so use the state's own website for current fees and forms. These are the routes the largest offices list on their own official pages.
| Office | Online | Fax ordering | |
|---|---|---|---|
| California (CDPH Vital Records) | Not checked | Yes, $29 per the CDC page, check or money order | Not offered on any official page we read |
| Texas (DSHS Vital Statistics) | Yes, Texas.gov | Yes, form VS-140, $22 ($25 expedited) | No |
| Florida (DOH Vital Statistics) | Yes, VitalChek (online or phone) | Yes, P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville | No |
| New York State (outside NYC) | Yes, VitalChek, $45 plus a vendor fee | Yes, $30, P.O. Box 2602, Albany | No |
| New York City (DOHMH) | Yes, VitalChek | Yes, $15 per copy | No |
Texas calls its online route through Texas.gov the fastest and easiest, and also offers local offices and walk-in service in Austin. Florida names VitalChek as its only contracted vendor (phone 877-550-7330, or 615-372-6800 from outside the US), has a walk-in office at 1217 N Pearl St. in Jacksonville, and county health departments can help too. New York City calls VitalChek the fastest way, also takes mail and in-person orders by appointment, and says you cannot order certificates by email. If you were born in one of the five boroughs, order from New York City, and if you were born elsewhere in New York, order from New York State.
California rejects a mail request for a certified copy that does not include a notarized sworn statement, and returns it unprocessed, although informational copies do not need one. California also says that a sworn statement notarized by a foreign notary must have an apostille attached. Texas requires mail applications for birth certificates to be signed in front of a notary, and every applicant must include a copy of a valid government photo ID. Florida requires valid photo ID, and a person who is not eligible to receive the record needs a notarized Affidavit to Release a Birth Certificate. New York State asks for one photo ID, or two documents showing your name and address, and a notarized statement only if you want the certificate sent to a P.O. Box or to someone else, and applicants in a foreign country must also send a copy of their US passport. New York City mail orders need a current photo ID. If you live abroad, ask the nearest US embassy or consulate whether it offers notarial services, and check your state's rules before using a local notary.
The office mails the certified copy to the address on your order. If you live abroad, a trusted US address, such as a family member, can receive it for you, but check the state's rules first: New York State, for example, asks for a notarized statement when the certificate goes to someone other than you or to a P.O. Box. Ordering two copies in one request can save you a second order later, since some authorities keep the copy you give them.
Some foreign authorities ask for an apostille on a US birth certificate before they accept it. We did not check apostille rules for this update, so ask the authority that will receive your certificate exactly what it needs, and then follow the official instructions of the state that issued your certificate. Asking first saves weeks, because it tells you how many copies to order and which steps to plan for.
The certificate fee is set by the state or city: $29 in California according to the CDC page, $22 by mail in Texas ($25 expedited), $9 for a search in Florida or $19 for the first certificate through VitalChek (including a $10 rush fee) plus a $7 VitalChek fee, $30 by mail or $45 plus a vendor fee online in New York State, and $15 per copy in New York City. Mail orders in California, Texas, Florida and New York State are paid by check or money order, and New York State mail orders from a foreign country must be paid with a check drawn on a US bank or an international money order. Your ID copy and any notarized statement go in the same envelope as your mail application, because none of these offices lists a fax route even for supporting documents. Our fax service is for the many other US offices that do take faxes, such as the VA, your local Social Security office for forms that can go as copies, and the IRS, for $2.99 for up to 3 pages to any US number. If a reply needs to reach you by fax, GetAFax.com gives you a private US fax number for 24 hours for $5.
Birth certificate offices take orders online or by mail, but many other US offices still take faxes. Upload your PDF, enter the fax number, and pay $2.99 for up to 3 pages, with an automatic refund if delivery fails.
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