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New Hampshire · How-To Guide

How do I get a copy of a birth certificate?

New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration - DVRA (state level - Concord) / City or Town Clerk (municipal level - where birth occurred)
Step by Step

How to do it

  1. Determine eligibility: New Hampshire is a closed record state. Birth records after 1918 are restricted. Eligible: the person named (if adult), parents, legal guardian, court-appointed representative, or others with documented direct and tangible interest.
  2. Choose your method:
  3. IN PERSON (City/Town Clerk - fastest for local and statewide records): Visit any New Hampshire city or town clerk's office; bring valid photo ID; most clerks have access to statewide records through NHVRIN (New Hampshire Vital Records Information Network) for births 1935 to present (except 1949 and 1950 in some jurisdictions), deaths 1965+, marriages 1960+, divorces 1979+; fees: $15 first copy/$10 each additional
  4. BY MAIL (DVRA - state office): Complete certificate application (available at sos.nh.gov/vital-records-0); include photocopy of valid photo ID; check or money order payable to "State of NH-DVRA"; mail to: NH Division of Vital Records Administration, 9 Ratification Way, Concord, NH 03301-2455
  5. ONLINE/PHONE: Contact DVRA at (603) 271-4651 for information; no major third-party authorized online vendor as in some states
  6. Submit with valid photo ID copy and proof of qualifying interest
  7. Pay the fee
Details

What you need to know

Required Docs
  • Completed certificate application (from sos.nh.gov or city/town clerk office)
  • Valid government-issued photo ID (photocopy for mail; original for in-person)
  • Proof of qualifying relationship if requesting on behalf of another
  • Payment: check or money order for mail; cash/check/card for in-person (varies by clerk)
Fee
$15 first certified copy; $10 each additional copy of same record ordered at same time; fee is nonrefundable (a "search fee") even if record not found
Processing Time
City/Town Clerk in-person: same day in most cases; DVRA mail: weeks; no VitalChek online ordering listed for NH
Online Option
Limited; no major authorized third-party online vendor; state online query system (NHVRIN) is for clerks and government use, not public ordering; contact DVRA
Where to Go
Any New Hampshire city or town clerk (fastest for in-person); DVRA in Concord (for mail orders); clerks have statewide NHVRIN access
New Hampshire Notes

Important state-specific details

  • CLOSED RECORD STATE: birth (after 1918), death (after 1968), marriage and divorce (after 1968) records restricted; eligible requesters only.
  • Records go back to 1640 in some cases; DVRA has a genealogical research vault open to the public.
  • Pre-1918 births and pre-1968 deaths and marriages may be accessible through DVRA genealogy vault or town clerks for older records.
  • $15 nonrefundable search fee applies even if record not found - important warning.
  • For divorce records prior to 1979: contact the Superior Court or courthouse where the divorce was granted (not the clerk or DVRA).
Official Source

State office contact

State Office
New Hampshire DVRA - sos.nh.gov/vital-records-0 | (603) 271-4651 | 9 Ratification Way, Concord, NH 03301-2455