Frequently Asked Questions

(All Applicants must have valid, acceptable ID)

Registrant [the individual named on the certificate] (Must have valid, acceptable ID)    

Registrant’s Child (Must have a copy of your birth certificate with the registrant listed as your parent)

Registrant’s Parent (Must be listed on certificate as parent or have a court order signed by a judge proving your relationship to the registrant)

Registrant’s Legal Guardian (Must have a court order signed by a judge proving legal guardianship over the registrant)

Registrant’s Sibling (Must have your birth certificate; must share same parent as registrant)

Registrant’s Grandparent (Must have your child’s birth certificate [that is, the registrant’s parent] and you are listed as a parent on that certificate)

Registrant’s Spouse (Must have your marriage license to the registrant)

Registrant’s Legal or Personal Representative or Agent (Must provide legal documentation per Texas Administrative Code requirements [e.g., power of attorney, attorney-client retention contract with State Bar ID card, verified agent designation, court order]  * CPS (Must have your work badge and court order showing the agency oversees the registrant and the waiver form) * Parole Officer (Must have your work badge and proof that you oversee the registrant)

Texas Administrative Code requirements

For full details, see Title 25, Chapter 181, "Vital Statistics", Texas Administrative Code

25 Tex. Adm. Code §181.1(21):  Properly qualified applicant (qualified applicant) --The registrant, or immediate family member either by blood, marriage or adoption, his or her guardian, or his or her legal agent or representative. Local, state and federal law enforcement or governmental agencies and other persons may be designated as properly qualified applicants by demonstrating a direct and tangible interest in the record when the information in the record is necessary to implement a statutory provision or to protect a personal legal property right…. 

25 Tex. Adm. Code §181.1(22):    Registrant--The individual named on the certificate of birth, death, or fetal death; application for marriage license; or report of divorce or annulment of marriage.

25 Tex. Adm. Code §181.1(13):   Immediate family member--The registrant, his or her guardian, or the children, spouse, parents, siblings, or grandparents of the registrant.

25 Tex. Adm. Code §181.1(16):   Legal representative (personal representative or agent) --An attorney in fact, a funeral director, or any other person designated by affidavit, contract, or court order acting on behalf and for the benefit of the registrant or his or her immediate family. In order to determine the need for protection for personal property rights when the legal representative is acting on behalf and for the benefit of the registrant or the registrant's immediate family or other entity having a direct and tangible interest in the record, the State Registrar, Local Registrar, or county clerk shall require a designation document or an attested statement to that effect. 

For more information or questions, contact the Austin Vital Statistics office at 888-963-7111 or visit this website: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics

Agencies such as Financial Institutions, Insurance Companies, Law Enforcement, Government or any other requester may be designated as a properly qualified applicant by demonstrating a direct and tangible interest in the record. Information from the certificate is necessary for the determination or protection of a personal or property right for a person, a client, or an agency.

EXAMPLE: A letter typed on company letterhead addressed to you (applicants full name), the full name of the person on the record requested and the purpose for the certificate. This letter would need to be signed and dated by the agent representing the company. The letter should be presented to the vital records office along with a photocopy of the policy or other documents that may establish tangible interest.

Valid identification is required in order to obtain a certified record. Please view the Valid Forms of ID in the Quick Links section on our webpage. A Primary ID is a United States issued ID only. A Secondary ID includes foreign IDs. One of these IDs must have either a picture or a signature. A Foreign Passport accompanied by a Visa issued by the United States Department of State is also acceptable as valid ID. The Matricula Consular Cards issued from Mexico and Honduras are not recognized by the State of Texas as valid ID. (See TX Admin. Code Pg. 19, Rule 181.28 (i) (6) and Local Registrar Handbook pages 42 and 44.)

No. Any request for a certificate must be a certified copy of the original record.

Yes, if you were born in Texas, we can provide a certificate. It is an abstract, or sometimes called a short form, of the original issued from the state website. However, if you are needing a certificate to leave the country, apply for a passport or go on a cruise, please contact the county where you were born, www.texas.gov for the long form of your birth record. Certificates that include the "I" after the file number may or may not be accepted when applying for a passport.

The "long" certificate includes more information on the parents identity, time of birth, and physician's name. Passports, Indian Role Number, and some other legal situations require this form. When applying for an Native American Role Number, the certificate must come from the State of Texas here.

The "abstract" or state short form will be accepted for anything except the situations above. The abstract contains the following information: full name, file number, date of birth, county of birth, parents' full name-includes maiden name, date certificate was filed and printed through our office.

If no record is on file, you may send a completed Application for a Birth Record to the State of Texas - VSS or order online at www.texas.gov. If a record is found, your request can be fulfilled pending appropriate required documents. If no record is found, the state will mail you a packet to apply for a delayed birth record.