copies of documents proving your relationship to the person named on the record, if you are ordering a certified copy
Your application will be returned if you do not send in all required documentation.
You must identify the record by providing the following required information, if you provide the optional information it may assist us in locating the record.
Required Information:
Full name on the record
City or county where the event occurred
Year the event occurred
Optional Information:
Exact Date of Event
Mother’s maiden Name
Father’s Name
Social security Number (deaths only)
You must provide acceptable ID in order to get a copy of any vital record. Copies of vital records must be mailed to the address listed on your identification. The following are acceptable forms of ID:
A current, valid photo driver's license or photo non-driver's license OR
A current, valid driver’s license without photo and one alternate form of ID OR
Two alternate forms of ID, one of which must have current address.
Alternate forms of ID are:
Vehicle registration
Vehicle insurance card
Voter registration
US/Foreign Passport
Immigrant Visa
Permanent Resident Card (Green card)
Federal/State ID
County ID
School ID
Bank Statement (within previous 90 days)
Utility bill(within the previous 90 days)
W-2 or tax return for current/previous tax year
Please do not send in original ID documents. Only copies are required.
Fees for copies of vital records issued vary by municipality. Please contact the Local Vital Records office where the event occurred for information about their fees.
The Office of Vital Statistics and Registry charges
$25 for the first copy of a vital record; and
$2 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time.
For genealogical applications only, additional years can be searched at a fee of $1 for each additional year.
Applications mailed to the State may be paid by check or money order made payable to: Treasurer, State of New Jersey. Applications made to the municipal office should be made payable to the municipality. We cannot accept credit card payment by mail. Credit card requests must be placed with VitalChek as an Expedited Request.
Please do not send cash through the mail.
Proof of relationship is not required if you are asking for a certification, which is an uncertified informational copy of the vital record which is not valid for establishing identity or legal purposes.
To get a certified copy you must provide proof of your relationship to the person listed on the vital record and the proof must establish you are one of the following:
The subject of the record
The subject’s parent, legal guardian or legal representative
The subject’s spouse/civil union or domestic partner; child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age
A state or federal agency for official purposes
Pursuant to court order
See the How to Prove Relationship tips at the bottom of this page for information on how to prove your relationship. This is a key requirement to getting a certified copy of a vital record.
Failure to provide proof of relationship is the number one reason certified copy applications are rejected.
Regardless of the where you place your order you will have to send with your application:
all required copies of ID establishing your identity
the correct fee, and
copies of documents proving your relationship to the person named on the record, if you are ordering a certified copy
Your application will be returned if you do not send in all required information.
Submit your request and supporting documentation via one of the following order methods:
Processed through our authorized vendor VitalChek.
You will need a credit card, check or money order to place your expedited order. Orders are processed within 15-22 days.
Processed through the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry or Local Vital Records Office. Processing time and fees vary at the Local Vital Records Office.
Genealogical records by mail from the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry are typically processed within 12-14 weeks.
If you are requesting a certification (an informational copy of a vital record not valid for legal purposes), you do not need to provide proof of relationship.
If you are requesting a certified copy of
your parent’s or sibling’s vital record
you must provide a copy of your birth certificate to show you are the child or sibling of the person whose record you are requesting.
your grandparent’s vital record
you must establish that you are the person’s grandchild by providing proof that links the name on your ID to the name of the grandparent.
For example, if you changed your last name after marriage/civil union and want a grandparent’s vital record, you must:
Provide your marriage/civil union certificate to show your name at birth,
Provide your birth certificate to identify your parent, and
Provide the parent’s birth certificate to identify the grandparent.
If you are not a person qualified to get a certified copy of a record
but you are helping a person eligible to receive a vital record obtain a copy of a record they are eligible to receive
you must show your valid ID and a notarized, written release authorizing you to get the record on that person’s behalf OR, you can supply a written release from the person you are helping along with a copy of that person’s valid photo ID.
Maintained by Office of Vital Statistics and Registry for information on registering, amending or obtaining copies of vital records please contact us toll-free nationwide at 1-866-649-8726 or for individuals within the 609 area code at (609) 292-4087.
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