District of Columbia ranks 17th out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#9of 51
Speed#23of 51
Ease of ordering#26of 51
Birth certificates #34 of 51
Cost
$23 first copy, $23 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3–5 business days; mail: 20–25 business days; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 5–6 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
DC Health Vital Records Division
Order online
Yes, through D.C.’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
Records from August 1874
Marriage records #19 of 51
Cost
$10 first copy, $10 each extra copy
Processing time
Not published
Time until the copy is in hand
Not published
Where to order
D.C. Superior Court Marriage Bureau
Order online
Yes, through the D.C. Courts order form
Divorce records #12 of 51
Cost
$5 per certified copy, plus $0.50 per page
Processing time
Not published
Time until the copy is in hand
Not published
Where to order
D.C. Superior Court Family Court
Order online
No; request by email or phone
Records available
Records from September 16, 1956
Death certificates #27 of 51
Cost
$18 first copy, $18 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3–5 business days; mail: 20–25 business days; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 5–6 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
DC Health Vital Records Division
Order online
Yes, through D.C.’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
Records from August 1874
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order District of Columbia birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a District of Columbia birth certificate?
A certified DC birth certificate costs $23 per copy from the DC Health Vital Records Division. Order online or by phone through VitalChek (about 3–5 business days to process online), by mail, or in person at the self-service kiosks at 2201 Shannon Place SE, where you can often get it the same day.
District of Columbia birth records: ordering details
Who can order
DC birth records are closed for 125 years. You can order your own if you’re at least 18. You can also order as a parent named on the certificate; an adult child or sibling (with your own birth certificate showing the relationship); a grandparent (with your child’s birth record); a legal guardian (sealed court order); a legal representative (retainer agreement, bar card and a letter on firm letterhead); a social worker; someone with a certified power of attorney; or law enforcement with a DC Superior Court subpoena. By law, spouses, domestic partners, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors can’t order a birth certificate.
Fee
$23 per certified copy. VitalChek adds an application processing fee: $15.95 online, $15.95 by phone or $6.00 by mail, plus shipping. A certificate of search when no record is found (3 years searched) is $23.
How to order
Online or by phone: through VitalChek or 1-877-572-6332 (option 2). DC Health doesn’t take remote orders directly; VitalChek sends approved orders to the Vital Records Division, which ships them from Washington. By mail: the DC Health birth mail-in application, a photocopy of your ID and your proof of entitlement, to Vital Record Mail Services, ATTN: DC Vital Records, P.O. Box 222130, El Paso, TX 79913. Pay by credit or debit card, or by check or money order payable to “DC Treasurer”. No cash. In person: self-service kiosks at the DC Health Vital Records Division, 2201 Shannon Place SE, Washington, DC 20020 (walk-up hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; Wednesday 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.). Appointments are available for faster service.
ID needed
DC has a 100% identity verification policy for every ordering method. In person, you complete an identity questionnaire at a kiosk and show one original, valid primary photo ID, such as a state driver’s license or ID card, passport or passport card, permanent resident card, employment authorization card or military ID. Without one, bring two alternate documents, such as a Social Security card, a utility bill from the last 60 days, a recent pay stub, or a license or passport that expired within the last 5 years. If the kiosk can’t verify you, you need three documents, at least one from the primary list. By mail, send a photocopy of your ID. If your name doesn’t match the certificate, bring proof of the legal name change. For DC births, you don’t need to send the relative’s actual certificate to prove a relationship; DC Health can check its own records.
Processing time
DC Health’s average processing times are 3 to 5 business days for online orders and 20 to 25 business days for phone and mail orders; shipping time depends on the option you choose. In person, you can often get the certificate the same day. Estimate: about 5 to 6 weeks by mail, including mail time.
Older and local records
DC Health has birth certificates back to August 1874. Birth records become public after 125 years. For an unofficial copy of an open birth record from 1874–1898, contact the District of Columbia Archives.
Tip: Married? Your spouse can’t order your DC birth certificate for you, even with your permission, unless they have a power of attorney. Order it yourself or ask an eligible relative.
How do I get a District of Columbia death certificate?
A certified DC death certificate costs $18 per copy from the DC Health Vital Records Division. Order online or by phone through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at the self-service kiosks at 2201 Shannon Place SE, where you can often get it the same day.
District of Columbia death records: ordering details
Who can order
DC death records are closed for 75 years. Eligible people include a spouse, domestic partner or parent named on the certificate; an adult child, adult grandchild or sibling (with certified birth records proving the relationship); a grandparent; a legal guardian (sealed court order); a legal representative (retainer agreement, bar card and firm letter); law enforcement with a DC Superior Court subpoena; and an interested party with proof of a tangible interest, such as court, insurance or estate documents. Cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors aren’t eligible.
Fee
$18 per certified copy. VitalChek adds an application processing fee: $15.95 online, $15.95 by phone or $6.00 by mail, plus shipping. A certificate of search when no record is found (3 years searched) is $18.
How to order
Online or by phone: through VitalChek or 1-877-572-6332 (option 2). DC Health doesn’t take remote orders directly; VitalChek sends approved orders to the Vital Records Division, which ships them from Washington. By mail: the DC Health death mail-in application, a photocopy of your ID and your proof of entitlement, to Vital Record Mail Services, ATTN: DC Vital Records, P.O. Box 222130, El Paso, TX 79913. Pay by credit or debit card, or by check or money order payable to “DC Treasurer”. No cash. In person: self-service kiosks at the DC Health Vital Records Division, 2201 Shannon Place SE, Washington, DC 20020 (walk-up hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; Wednesday 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.). Appointments are available for faster service.
ID needed
DC has a 100% identity verification policy for every ordering method. In person, you complete an identity questionnaire at a kiosk and show one original, valid primary photo ID, such as a state driver’s license or ID card, passport or passport card, permanent resident card, employment authorization card or military ID. Without one, bring two alternate documents, such as a Social Security card, a utility bill from the last 60 days, a recent pay stub, or a license or passport that expired within the last 5 years. If the kiosk can’t verify you, you need three documents, at least one from the primary list. By mail, send a photocopy of your ID. If your name doesn’t match the certificate, bring proof of the legal name change.
Processing time
DC Health’s average processing times are 3 to 5 business days for online orders and 20 to 25 business days for phone and mail orders; shipping time depends on the option you choose. In person, you can often get the certificate the same day. Estimate: about 5 to 6 weeks by mail, including mail time.
Older and local records
DC Health has death certificates back to August 1874. Death records become public after 75 years. For an unofficial copy of an open death record from 1874–1945, contact the District of Columbia Archives.
Tip: Settling an estate or an insurance claim but not a close relative? Bring court, insurance or estate papers; DC treats those as proof of a tangible interest.
How do I get a District of Columbia marriage certificate?
Certified copies of DC marriage records come from the D.C. Superior Court Marriage Bureau, not DC Health. A regular certified copy costs $10. Order with the court’s online marriage record form or at the Marriage Bureau in the Moultrie Courthouse.
District of Columbia marriage records: ordering details
Where records are kept
DC marriage licenses are issued and recorded by the Marriage Bureau of the D.C. Superior Court’s Family Court. DC is a single jurisdiction, so there are no county offices.
Who can order
The court’s order form doesn’t list eligibility rules. Contact the Marriage Bureau if you aren’t one of the spouses.
Fee
Regular certified copy (for motor vehicles, Social Security or divorce): $10 each. Copy for immigration and naturalization: $10 each. Triple seal: $20 each. A no-record-found search letter is $20 (extra copies of the letter are $10). No personal checks.
How to order
Online: fill out the court’s Order Certified Copy Marriage Record form with the date of marriage, both spouses’ names and the certificate number if you know it. Questions: MarriageBureau [at] dcsc.gov. In person: Marriage Bureau, Moultrie Courthouse, Room JM-690, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.). The court doesn’t mail internationally, except to military bases.
ID needed
Not listed on the order form. Ask the Marriage Bureau.
Processing time
The court doesn’t publish a processing time. Contact the Marriage Bureau.
Older records
Older DC marriage records are also kept by the D.C. Superior Court Marriage Bureau.
Tip: Using the certificate abroad? Ask for the triple seal ($20), which the court lists as a separate service.
How do I get a District of Columbia divorce record?
A certified copy of a DC divorce decree comes from the D.C. Superior Court Family Court. A certified copy costs $5, plus $0.50 per page for clerk photocopies. DC Health doesn’t issue divorce records.
District of Columbia divorce records: ordering details
Where records are kept
Divorces granted since September 16, 1956 are kept by the D.C. Superior Court Family Court. Earlier divorces are kept by the Clerk of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (per the CDC).
Who can order
Set by the court. Contact the Family Court clerk’s office.
Fee
Certified copy or true seal copy: $5 each. Photocopies made by the clerk: $0.50 per page. Record search: $10 for each name searched. The total depends on the number of pages.
How to order
Contact the Family Court Clerk’s Office, Moultrie Courthouse, Room JM-300, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; (202) 879-1212). For certified copies other than marriage records, email FamilyCourtCertifiedCopies [at] dcsc.gov.
ID needed
Ask the Family Court clerk’s office.
Processing time
The court doesn’t publish a processing time.
Older records
For divorces before September 16, 1956, contact the Clerk of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Tip: If you don’t have the case number, expect the $10-per-name record search fee on top of the copy fee.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other District of Columbia records people search for
Official District of Columbia sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Official District of Columbia sites for other records
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About District of Columbia public records
Certificate Information
The District of Columbia Department of Health maintains the vital records for the area. All certificates require a valid
government issued photo identification and some other piece of ID. Without a valid piece of official then three (3) other pieces
of ID are required. Parents and guards must have require written permission to receive certificates of children over the age of
21.
Birth certificates become public records 100 years after their issuance. Death certificates are available 50 years after the death.
Vital Records Division
899 North Capitol Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 671-5000
Marriage and divorce certificates are handled by the Superior Court of District of Columbia. Certificates cost $20 dollars for the
first copy and $10 dollars each additional copy.
Adoption records are held at the Family Court department of the Superior Court of D.C. You can find some of the most common forms for
adoption record retrieval and modification at the District of Columbia Courts.
Property Records
Parcel records can be found in various departments of the local government including the District of Columbia Geographic Information System,
Office of Tax and Revenue and DC Office of Zoning
