How Much Does VitalChek Birth Certificate Cost?

Published on August 25, 2025
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Ordering a certified birth certificate through VitalChek is straightforward, fast for most people, and priced in a way that mixes state agency fees, VitalChek’s own processing charge, and the delivery method you pick.

VitalChek is a secure, government-authorized ordering service used by more than 450 U.S. agencies to accept online and phone requests for vital records. You place the order with VitalChek, then the issuing authority prepares and ships the document.

The convenience is real, and so are the line items that make up the bill. Fees vary by state or county, plus any add-ons like expedited shipping or identity verification steps. This guide breaks down those components so you can budget accurately and decide whether to go through VitalChek or order directly by mail or in person.

Article Insights

• Expect a combined total of $38 (≈2.5 hours at the office earning $15/hour)–$58 (≈3.9 hours spent earning money at $15/hour) for a single copy with standard shipping in many states.
• Your bill equals agency fee + VitalChek fee + shipping, with courier adding $10 (≈40 minutes working at a $15/hour wage)–$20+ (≈1.3 hours of your life traded for $15/hour).
• Clear current examples: $53.00 (≈3.5 hours of your workday at a $15/hour wage) in Virginia with UPS, $59.00 (≈3.9 hours of labor required at $15/hour) in Washington with UPS, $37.95 (≈2.5 hours at the office earning $15/hour) in North Carolina by regular mail.
• Ordering multiple copies in one transaction can lower per-copy costs because some fees are per order.
• NYC uses its own portal at $15 (≈1 hour of uninterrupted labor at $15/hour) per copy by mail, with longer processing.
• Apostille or authentication adds about $20 (≈1.3 hours of your life traded for $15/hour) per document, separate from VitalChek.

How Much Does VitalChek Birth Certificate Cost?

VitalChek Birth Certificate cost ranges from $2 to approximately $60 (≈4 hours to sacrifice at work earning $15/hour), depending on state or agency fee, processing fee, and shipping and delivery fee.

Three pieces make up almost every VitalChek order for a birth certificate.

1. State or agency fee. This is the cost charged by the issuing authority to search and prepare the record. VitalChek’s own guidance shows a typical range of $2–$50 (≈3.3 hours of labor required at $15/hour), though most birth certificates cluster higher than the minimum. County and state pages list their exact per-copy amounts.
2. VitalChek processing fee. This covers ordering and validation services, displayed as a nonrefundable charge that generally falls between $2–$16 (≈1.1 hours to sacrifice at work earning $15/hour), and it varies by jurisdiction. Many state or county pages show their specific VitalChek fee, for example $12.95 (≈52 minutes of constant effort at a $15/hour wage) in parts of California, $13.95 (≈56 minutes working at a $15/hour wage) in North Carolina, and $7.00 at the Florida state office.
3. Shipping or delivery. Standard mail may be included or just a nominal amount. Courier options like UPS or USPS Priority add a premium, often $15 (≈1 hour of uninterrupted labor at $15/hour)–$20+ (≈1.3 hours of your life traded for $15/hour) and sometimes require a signature. The exact figure depends on your agency and selection at checkout.

For example, in King County, Washington, the base certificate fee is $25 (≈1.7 hours of labor required at $15/hour), with additional VitalChek fees of $6.00 for other agency fees and $11.50 (≈46 minutes that you'd need to work at $15/hour) for handling and standard shipping, making a typical total of about $42.50 (≈2.8 hours that you sacrifice at a $15/hour job). Expedited shipping options via UPS or USPS add extra charges up to $18.50 (≈1.2 hours spent earning money at $15/hour) or $9.90 respectively.

In Idaho, the birth certificate copy costs $16 (≈1.1 hours to sacrifice at work earning $15/hour) plus a mandatory VitalChek processing fee of $10.50 (≈42 minutes that you'd need to work at $15/hour) and a $10 (≈40 minutes working at a $15/hour wage) per event express order fee if rush service is chosen. Expedited shipping through UPS costs around $21 (≈1.4 hours spent earning money at $15/hour). Standard processing times are 3-5 weeks, faster when ordering online through VitalChek.

Virginia charges $20.80 (≈1.4 hours spent earning money at $15/hour) for a certified birth record plus a $12.70 (≈51 minutes that you'd need to work at $15/hour) non-refundable VitalChek service fee. Delivery fees vary: regular mail is free, while UPS Air costs $19.50 (≈1.3 hours of continuous work at a $15/hour job) with mandatory signature and cannot be delivered to PO boxes. Processing times are typically 2-5 days.

San Diego County reports a $32 (≈2.1 hours of your life traded for $15/hour) certificate fee and a $12.95 (≈52 minutes of constant effort at a $15/hour wage) VitalChek processing fee, with free standard shipping or $19 (≈1.3 hours spent earning money at $15/hour) for express UPS shipment. Payment is by credit/debit card online or by check/money order via mail, with options for both regular and express delivery.

New Jersey lists the initial search and one certified copy fee at $25 (≈1.7 hours of labor required at $15/hour), with additional copies at $2 each. VitalChek fees include processing fees between $6 (mail) to $12.95 (≈52 minutes of constant effort at a $15/hour wage) (phone orders), plus UPS delivery fees starting at $18 (≈1.2 hours of labor required at $15/hour). These fees combine to about $40 to $50 (≈3.3 hours of labor required at $15/hour) total depending on the ordering method and delivery selection.

Other states have similar fee structures combining official certificate costs (ranging roughly from $15 to $40 (≈2.7 hours of labor required at $15/hour)) with VitalChek service fees (commonly $6 to $13) and optional expedited shipping fees. VitalChek typically requires credit card payment for online orders and offers phone ordering as well. Delivery often takes 4-5 business days with standard shipping, faster with additional fees for express options.

What is VitalChek?

Think of VitalChek as the front door. You submit your request online or by phone, complete identity verification, and pay. VitalChek transmits the application to the state or local vital records office that actually issues the certificate. That office searches for the record, prints a certified copy if eligible, and ships it to you by the method you selected.

The process is typically faster than mailing an application yourself, particularly if you choose a rush option, and you can track orders and pay securely with major cards. Online portals from state and local agencies explicitly refer residents to VitalChek for internet and phone orders, which is why fees and timelines on those agency pages are a reliable guide. Save the receipt. Keep your order number handy.

You might also like our articles about the cost of a birth certificate, real ID, or passport.

Example Cost by State

Below are real, current examples taken from official state or county pages. They show how the same service can total quite differently once agency pricing and shipping are layered in.

Worked examples, with dates

• Washington, May 2025. Base nonrefundable phone or online total $40.50 made up of $25 certificate, $8.50 VitalChek fee, and $7 state processing, then add UPS $18.50 if you want rush delivery, for $59.00 all-in. USPS Priority is a lower-cost alternative.
• North Carolina, March 2025. State search fee $24 includes one copy, VitalChek fee $13.95, and standard mailing after the state finishes the search. Many residents pay $37.95 total for one copy without courier shipping.
• New York State (outside NYC), ongoing 2025. Processing charge $8.00 per VitalChek transaction covers all copies in that order, with optional UPS return $15.50 plus the state’s per-copy fee. Your total depends on how many copies you add and your shipping choice.

At-a-glance comparison

Refer to this quick table for representative totals based on one copy and common shipping choices:

The table uses official agency price pages and VitalChek disclosures, current through mid-2025. NYC proper runs on its own fee schedule and timelines, discussed below.

Additional Fees to Consider

There are optional and situational charges that can raise the total. Expedited processing at some agencies adds a $10–$15 rush fee. Extra copies in the same order usually cost less per unit than the first, often $4–$20 each depending on the state. Courier shipping can add $9.90–$20+ per order if you pick USPS Priority or UPS. Some states also offer an optional identity authentication quiz for a small fee that sits on top of the base VitalChek processing amount. International uses can trigger notary, authentication, or apostille steps, which carry their own fees.

If you need the certificate for overseas use, expect an apostille or authentication charge on top of the certificate itself. For example, the California Secretary of State lists $20 per apostille plus a small special handling fee, while the U.S. Department of State charges $20 per document for federal authentications, with timelines that are separate from VitalChek’s work.

Payment Methods and Security

Agencies that partner with VitalChek typically accept major credit and debit cards for online orders, and some list electronic check. County pages in California and New York note that VitalChek’s handling or processing fee is nonrefundable, that standard mail may be free, and that courier shipments require a signature. VitalChek emphasizes encryption and secure transmission, which is why many agencies route online and phone orders through the platform.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Birth Certificate Through VitalChek?

Turnaround is a mix of agency processing time and your shipping choice. Washington’s state page says online or phone orders are typically shipped within 3 to 7 business days after the department receives the order from VitalChek, and that rush shipping can shave days off delivery.

Wisconsin advises that online orders via VitalChek are about five business days in ordinary periods. New York City, which runs its own system, posts two weeks for processing plus extra mailing time during normal volumes, with longer windows for older records and long-form copies. Speed depends on agency workload and the record you need.

Here is a simple rule that matches most cases: the agency is the bottleneck, not VitalChek, so courier shipping improves delivery time but cannot bypass the search and printing stage.

Pros and Cons

Pros. It is convenient, accepts secure card payments, and integrates directly with hundreds of issuing offices. Many agencies treat VitalChek as their exclusive online and phone vendor, so you get a clean application flow, optional expedited shipping, and order tracking in one place.

Cons. You pay an added processing fee on top of the agency’s per-copy charge, and your overall timeline still depends on the agency’s internal processing queue. Some local offices offer mail-in options that save the processing fee, though they may take longer to arrive and can require money orders or checks instead of cards.

Alternatives to Using VitalChek

You can order directly by mail or in person from the issuing authority. This is often the cheapest route because you skip the VitalChek processing fee, but it may require more paperwork, non-card payment methods, and longer waits. NYC’s mail-in option, for instance, lists $15 per certified copy with no mailing fee, but it posts 6 to 8 weeks for processing during normal periods. Many county recorders in California publish in-person or mail fee schedules if you prefer to avoid online ordering.

Regionality matters. A county office in one state might be faster with walk-in service for recent records, while a centralized state office in another state can be the better choice for older or amended records.

Tips for Saving Money 

• Check whether your agency offers free standard mail, then skip courier unless you genuinely need speed. That can save $10–$20.
• Order multiple copies in one transaction if you know you will need them. In several states the VitalChek fee is per order, and additional copies are cheaper, often $4–$15 each.
• If you need an apostille, confirm whether the state can forward your certified copy internally to the Secretary of State, which can reduce extra trips and postage, and plan for $20 per document in states like California.

Answers to Common Questions

Is the VitalChek fee refundable?

No. Agency pages and VitalChek disclosures call the processing fee nonrefundable, even if the record is not found. A no-record letter is issued in that case.

Do prices differ for long-form versus short-form certificates?

In some jurisdictions the per-copy fee is the same, but older or specialized copies can take longer. NYC notes additional time for long-form and early twentieth-century records.

Can I waive the shipping fee?

You can pick standard mail where offered, which is free or low cost in many places. Courier delivery adds about $10–$20+ and may require a signature.

Is VitalChek available in all states?

VitalChek partners with hundreds of agencies, including full statewide programs and many counties, which covers the vast majority of U.S. orders. Some cities, like NYC, operate their own portals alongside or instead of VitalChek.

Can I order someone else’s birth certificate?

Eligibility rules vary by state and are enforced by the issuing agency. You typically need to be the registrant, a parent, or a legal representative, and you must provide identification and supporting documents. Check the agency’s eligibility page linked from your VitalChek order path.