Doing genealogical research? What you should know about birth
certificates
Recently, millions of people all over the world are becoming
more involved in doing ancestral research and with the
development of the internet and vast genealogical databases',
finding your ancestors is getting easier and more convenient. If
you are someone who is just beginning doing research or someone
who has been researching ancestors for years, the information
presented in this article should be beneficial to you. In the
text that follows, I have outlined some basic things regarding
birth certificates that you should be aware of. If you can
obtain a birth certificate, then you are well on your way to
finding accurate ancestral information. A birth certificate is
the first vital document of a person's life. It is also a very
key piece in the research process. The information found on
Birth certificates varies by state or region and include such
things as: the name of the child, the date and place of birth,
the full names of the father and mother. Some localities also
include information regarding the father's occupation, the
mother's maiden name, the birth dates and places of the parents,
other children had by the parents, etc. Due to a law passed
around 1910, all vital records, including birth certificates,
were required to be kept. Starting February 1, 1914, the
Division of Vital Records collected and maintained all birth
certificates. There are several records that are available for
people born prior to 1914, but these may be harder to come by.
Also, it should be noted that birth certificates do not become
available to the public until they are at least 100 years old.
This may make it even more difficult to obtain a birth
certificate for your ancestors. If you do wish to obtain a birth
certificate for someone who was born less than 100 years ago you
will need to provide the following information: • The full
name of the person on the birth certificate • The date of
birth • The city or town and county of birth • The
father's full name • The mother's full name, to include
her maiden name • The requester's relationship to the
person named on the certificate • The requester's reason
for requesting the certificate You will also have to pay for the
birth certificate. Prices to obtain a birth record are anywhere
from $10 to $30. However, most state and local governments
charge around $15. Keep in mind that you may not actually need
to obtain an official birth certificate to verify your
genealogical research. Birth records are maintained by the board
of heath, the bureau of vital statistics, or the county clerk's
office. All birth records are required to be kept whether or not
the infant lives. This means that you should be able to at least
verify any ancestors in which some record was kept. Even if you
cannot obtain an official birth certificate, you may be able to
get a copy of the birth certificate or a copy of the register or
log book where the information regarding birth was kept. As you
can see, birth certificates can provide you with a substantial
amount of concrete information about your ancestors. While all
vital records, including birth were not required to be kept
before 1910 there are many that are available. If you need more
information about obtaining a birth certificate, a copy of a
birth certificate or just need to verify that the information
you have regarding an ancestor is accurate, contact the local
board of health, bureau of vital statistics, of the county
clerk's office of the person you are researching to find out
more. Good luck to you in your ancestral research and most
importantly, have fun with it!