Virginia ranks 4th 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#11 (tie)of 51
Speed#7of 51
Ease of ordering#3 (tie)of 51
Birth certificates #4 of 51
Cost
$15 per copy ($17 at DMV)
Processing time
Online: 2 weeks; mail: 2 weeks; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2.5–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office in Richmond or any DMV customer service center
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from 1912; limited records for 1853–1896
Marriage records #7 of 51
Cost
$15 per copy ($17 at DMV)
Processing time
Online: 2 weeks; mail: 2 weeks; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2.5–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office in Richmond or any DMV customer service center
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from 1936; also from the circuit court clerk
Divorce records #5 of 51
Cost
$15 per copy ($17 at DMV)
Processing time
Online: 2 weeks; mail: 2 weeks; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2.5–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office in Richmond or any DMV customer service center
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from 1918; full decrees from the circuit court
Death certificates #4 of 51
Cost
$15 per copy ($17 at DMV)
Processing time
Online: 2 weeks; mail: 2 weeks; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2.5–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office in Richmond or any DMV customer service center
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from 1912
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 Virginia birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a Virginia birth certificate?
A certified Virginia birth certificate costs $15 per copy from the state Office of Vital Records. You can get one the same day at the Richmond lobby or any DMV customer service center ($17 at DMV), or order online or by mail (normal processing about 2 weeks).
Virginia birth records: ordering details
Who can order
Immediate family only: the mother, father, spouse, child, brother, sister or grandparents, with valid ID. Aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and others cannot get the record. Records become public 100 years after the event. Legal guardians can get a birth record with proof of custody.
Fee
$15 per certified copy, including additional copies (effective July 1, 2026). The fee is also charged for a search when no record is found, with no refund. At DMV customer service centers the records search fee is $17. VitalChek express orders (through VDH): $20.80 per record plus a $12.70 VitalChek fee, with UPS Air $19.50, UPS 2nd Day Air $18 or regular mail at no extra cost.
How to order
Online: VDH’s online application system, with email and text updates. For faster, trackable delivery, use VitalChek express delivery (877-572-6333). In person: the VDH lobby at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227, Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–4 p.m., no appointment. You can also go to any DMV customer service center (form DL 81), or a local health department (call ahead to confirm services and hours). By mail: send the Application for Certification of a Birth Record (VS6B), a legible photocopy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to “State Health Department” to VDH, Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000.
ID needed
A photocopy of one primary ID, such as a state driver’s license or ID card (unexpired or expired up to one year), a U.S. passport, a military ID or a permanent resident card. Or two secondary documents, such as a utility bill from the last 6 months, a voter card, a health insurance card or a DD-214. See the full ID requirements. For a newborn or a child, the parent’s ID is used.
Processing time
Walk-in (Richmond lobby or DMV): same day. VDH’s main page lists a normal processing time of 2 weeks. Its other pages give different figures: 8 business days by mail and 5 business days online on the application page, and four weeks by mail and two weeks online on the forms page. Standard orders ship by First-Class Mail without tracking. VitalChek express: 2–5 days. Estimate: about 2.5–3 weeks to have a standard mail order in hand.
Older and local records
Statewide birth records start in 1912, with limited records for 1853–1896. Birth records become public after 100 years.
Tip: Need it today? Any Virginia DMV customer service center can print a birth certificate while you wait. If DMV can’t print it, they forward your application to VDH, which mails it.
A certified Virginia death certificate costs $15 per copy. Get one the same day at the VDH lobby in Richmond or any DMV customer service center ($17 at DMV), or order online or by mail from the Office of Vital Records.
Virginia death records: ordering details
Who can order
Immediate family only: the mother, father, spouse, child, brother, sister or grandparents, with valid ID. Aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and others cannot get the record. Records become public 25 years after the event.
Fee
$15 per certified copy, including additional copies (effective July 1, 2026). The fee is also charged for a search when no record is found, with no refund. At DMV customer service centers the records search fee is $17. VitalChek express orders (through VDH): $20.80 per record plus a $12.70 VitalChek fee, with UPS Air $19.50, UPS 2nd Day Air $18 or regular mail at no extra cost.
How to order
Online: VDH’s online application system, with email and text updates. For faster, trackable delivery, use VitalChek express delivery (877-572-6333). In person: the VDH lobby at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227, Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–4 p.m., no appointment. You can also go to any DMV customer service center (form DL 82), or a local health department (call ahead to confirm services and hours). By mail: send the Application for Certification of a Death Record (VS6D), a legible photocopy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to “State Health Department” to VDH, Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000.
ID needed
A photocopy of one primary ID, such as a state driver’s license or ID card (unexpired or expired up to one year), a U.S. passport, a military ID or a permanent resident card. Or two secondary documents, such as a utility bill from the last 6 months, a voter card, a health insurance card or a DD-214. See the full ID requirements. For a newborn or a child, the parent’s ID is used.
Processing time
Walk-in (Richmond lobby or DMV): same day. VDH’s main page lists a normal processing time of 2 weeks. Its other pages give different figures: 8 business days by mail and 5 business days online on the application page, and four weeks by mail and two weeks online on the forms page. Standard orders ship by First-Class Mail without tracking. VitalChek express: 2–5 days. Estimate: about 2.5–3 weeks to have a standard mail order in hand.
Older and local records
Statewide death records start in 1912. Death records become public 25 years after the death.
Tip: Order every copy you need in one request. Each copy and each search costs $15, and there’s no refund if no record is found.
A certified Virginia marriage certificate costs $15 per copy from the state Office of Vital Records, which has marriages from 1936 on. Get it the same day at the Richmond lobby or a DMV customer service center ($17 at DMV), or order online or by mail.
Virginia marriage records: ordering details
Certified copy vs. verification
VDH issues the certified marriage certificate. The license itself is issued by the circuit court; for the court’s copy, contact the clerk of the circuit court where the license was issued.
Who can order
Immediate family only: the mother, father, spouse, child, brother, sister or grandparents, with valid ID. Aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and others cannot get the record. Records become public 25 years after the event.
Fee
$15 per certified copy, including additional copies (effective July 1, 2026). The fee is also charged for a search when no record is found, with no refund. At DMV customer service centers the records search fee is $17. VitalChek express orders (through VDH): $20.80 per record plus a $12.70 VitalChek fee, with UPS Air $19.50, UPS 2nd Day Air $18 or regular mail at no extra cost. Circuit court copies: fees set by the court.
A photocopy of one primary ID, such as a state driver’s license or ID card (unexpired or expired up to one year), a U.S. passport, a military ID or a permanent resident card. Or two secondary documents, such as a utility bill from the last 6 months, a voter card, a health insurance card or a DD-214. See the full ID requirements. For a newborn or a child, the parent’s ID is used.
Processing time
Walk-in (Richmond lobby or DMV): same day. VDH’s main page lists a normal processing time of 2 weeks. Its other pages give different figures: 8 business days by mail and 5 business days online on the application page, and four weeks by mail and two weeks online on the forms page. Standard orders ship by First-Class Mail without tracking. VitalChek express: 2–5 days. Estimate: about 2.5–3 weeks to have a standard mail order in hand.
Older records
State marriage records start in 1936. For earlier marriages, ask the clerk of the circuit court where the license was issued whether it has the record. Marriage records become public after 25 years.
Tip: Have the name of the circuit court where the license was issued ready. The state application asks for it.
A certified Virginia divorce certificate costs $15 per copy from the state Office of Vital Records, which has divorces from 1918 on. For the full divorce decree, contact the clerk of the circuit court where the divorce was granted.
Virginia divorce records: ordering details
Certified copy vs. verification
VDH issues a certified divorce certificate. The divorce decree is a court record kept by the circuit court where the divorce was granted.
Who can order
Immediate family only: the mother, father, spouse, child, brother, sister or grandparents, with valid ID. Aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and others cannot get the record. Records become public 25 years after the event.
Fee
$15 per certified copy, including additional copies (effective July 1, 2026). The fee is also charged for a search when no record is found, with no refund. At DMV customer service centers the records search fee is $17. VitalChek express orders (through VDH): $20.80 per record plus a $12.70 VitalChek fee, with UPS Air $19.50, UPS 2nd Day Air $18 or regular mail at no extra cost. Decree copies: fees set by the circuit court clerk.
How to order
Online: VDH’s online application system, with email and text updates. For faster, trackable delivery, use VitalChek express delivery (877-572-6333). In person: the VDH lobby at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227, Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–4 p.m., no appointment. You can also go to any DMV customer service center (form DL 82), or a local health department (call ahead to confirm services and hours). By mail: send the Application for Certification of a Marriage and/or Divorce Record (VS6MD), a legible photocopy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to “State Health Department” to VDH, Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000. Decree: the clerk of the circuit court where the divorce was granted.
ID needed
A photocopy of one primary ID, such as a state driver’s license or ID card (unexpired or expired up to one year), a U.S. passport, a military ID or a permanent resident card. Or two secondary documents, such as a utility bill from the last 6 months, a voter card, a health insurance card or a DD-214. See the full ID requirements. For a newborn or a child, the parent’s ID is used.
Processing time
Walk-in (Richmond lobby or DMV): same day. VDH’s main page lists a normal processing time of 2 weeks. Its other pages give different figures: 8 business days by mail and 5 business days online on the application page, and four weeks by mail and two weeks online on the forms page. Standard orders ship by First-Class Mail without tracking. VitalChek express: 2–5 days. Estimate: about 2.5–3 weeks to have a standard mail order in hand. Court decree copies: contact the clerk.
Older records
State divorce records start in 1918. For earlier divorces, ask the clerk of the circuit court where the divorce was granted. Divorce records become public after 25 years.
Tip: The $15 state certificate shows that the divorce happened. If you need the full terms, ask the circuit court clerk for the decree instead.
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 Virginia records people search for
Official Virginia sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
DPOR License Lookup Professional and Occupational Regulation; health boards keep their own lookup.
Unclaimed property
VA Money Search Run by the Virginia Department of the Treasury.
Last verified:
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 Virginia public records
Certificate Information
There are three ways of ordering vital records from the Virginia Department of Health state office, by mail, walk in service, or
online through the VitalChek system. Each search/certificate costs $12 dollars. Birth and death records are available from
1853 to 1896 and 1912 to present. Marriage records from 1853 to present and divorce records from 1912 to present are also
available.
Birth records older than 100 years of age and death, marriage and divorce records 50 years of age are considered public records.
Division of Vital Records and Division of Health Statistics
2001 Maywill Street
P. O. Box 1000
Richmond, Virginia 23230
Adult age adoptees (18) are able to recieve non-identifying information regarding their birth family. Indentifying information is
available if the birth family has agreed to have their information shared. Adoptive parents who's adoption occured after 1994
are able to access non-identifying information on behalf of the adoptee.
Virginia Department of Social Services
Adoption Services
801 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 726-7526
Property Records
Parcel information and mapping data is maintained by local governments which include local county agencies for lower population areas.
Larger metropolitian areas are governed by the city level government.
