How to Find Birth Records Online for Free

Finding birth records online for free can be challenging, as a lot of websites require payment for access. But you do not worry, there are some resources that offer information at no cost. Well, this guide will inform you of the way to find birth records online for free and some information related to birth records. To know the information, make sure you read this entire text until the end.

Overview of the Birth Records

Generally, birth records include the child’s name, date and place of birth, sex, and parents’ names. Twentieth-century birth records may provide some additional information, such as the parents’ place of birth, parents’ occupation, the name of the hospital, the mother’s marital status, and the number of other children born to the mother.

You can apply for a corrected birth record if the name on the birth record is changed or added. Usually, corrections to birth records require evidence from other official records or affidavits from eyewitnesses. The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is a database whose records reveal a person’s full name and residence at the time of application, last known residence and dates of birth and death.

If you are creating a family tree or trying to reconnect with long-lost family members, you can check birth records. Birth records may seem like the first thing to find to start the research. However, since birth records are usually the hardest to find, experts suggest finding death records and marriage records first. After that, you can start finding birth records. In some states, birth records are kept secret for a period of up to 100 years or more. To gain access to more recent records, you may have to prove that you are a direct descendant of the person whose birth record is being sought.

Information Discovered in Birth Records

Here are some information you can find in the birth records:

• • Full name of the child
  • Gender of the child
  • Date of birth
  • Child’s birth order
  • Hospital name
  • Place of birth
  • Race of child
  • Religious affiliation
  • Maiden name for the mother
  • Names of both parents
  • Names of the previous generation
  • Ages of parents
  • Occupation of parents
  • Parents’ approximate years of birth
  • Parents’ birthplaces
  • Church records for the birth
  • Family’s home address
  • Newspaper birth announcement
  • Address where the family can be found (in census or city directories)
  • Which child belongs to which mother in cases of multiple marriages

Finding Birth Records Online for Free

Most available public records such as birth certificate records and other important records are kept at the local level, namely in the city, county and state where the event occurred. To get birth records for free, you can use online services. There seem to be many online services that allow you to search for digitized birth records or find other types of public records. Some of them include:

1. National Vital Records Archives

Generally vital records refer to records such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, wills and the like. These vital records are created by local authorities. And, they are not considered as Federal records. Hence they are not held by NARA. If you want to find a birth record, simply you can visit this link; archives.gov/research/vital-records.

2. State Department of Public Health

You can also find a birth record from the State Department of Public Health where the event was recorded. If you want to find the record, visit this link; cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm. When you arrive at the page, you must first specify the state or territory where the birth occurred, and then click on the state or territory.

3. Genealogy Websites

There are many genealogy websites you can use to track your family tree for free online. Some of the best free genealogy websites are FamilySearch and Ancestry.com. These two websites offer access to historical birth records. For your information, FamilySearch is the largest free genealogy site in the world where you can print or save records online for free. If you want to get access to all Ancestry.com records for free, you can try the 14-day free trial. Then, to avoid being charged, cancel before the 14-day free trial runs out.

3. State and County Government Websites

Some state and county government websites also provide access to vital records, including birth records. However, you should know that the availability and accessibility of these vital records vary by jurisdiction.

In most cases, if the records are public, then you can view the birth certificate for free. However, obtaining a hard copy may require a fee. If you really need a legally valid copy of the birth certificate, you can try applying for a certified copy of the birth certificate online.

How Long Are Birth Records Kept?

Usually, the vital record office keeps birth records for approximately 80 to 120 years. Most important records including birth certificates are available in hard copy form which will be issued a few weeks after the event is recorded and can be easily obtained online. Recent records may be restricted to immediate family members or persons of interest, this is especially the case in states that have closed birth records. Older records are usually available with fewer restrictions. And, they are usually kept in state archives. If you want to see records from the 17th and 18th centuries, you may be able to find them at local historical institutions.

When Did Each State Start Keeping Birth Records?

Around the early 1900s, most US state bureaus began recording births and deaths. However, several state bureaus have recorded earlier, namely in the early 1600s. In certain states, birth records have existed for a long time. Therefore, we can easily find public records online. Please note that most important records are maintained by the US Department of Health of the state where the event occurred.

Well, in this section, we will share a table containing the dates of birth records that began to be recorded in each state, along with death records.

Alfin Dani

AUTHOR BIO

On my daily job, I am a software engineer, programmer & computer technician. My passion is assembling PC hardware, studying Operating System and all things related to computers technology. I also love to make short films for YouTube as a producer. More at about me…