Making the Most of Birth Records Search

Birth records search basics for employers in search of birth certificates

There are many reasons why a client may need help finding birth certificates. Perhaps, they lost their original public birth record or hospital birth records, for either themselves or their children, or they need this information to obtain a passport. Maybe your client wants to locate another person or wants to contact someone's parents, neighbors or relatives to conduct a background check. Since birth records are public information, you can easily track down this information for them.

When conducting a birth records search, include the person's full name, birth date, place of birth, doctor's name, names of parents, parents’ ages, mother's maiden name and even the birth place of each parent. In most cases, if the date of birth of the person you are looking for is not available, you can perform birth record searches that will include a range of possible dates of birth. To conduct a birth records search:

1. Carry out an initial birth record search using the Internet search engines.

2. Browse state records, because most states retain all records of births from that particular state. Many older records are archived files.

3. Get in touch with hospitals in the area of the client’s birth to access birth record files.

 

Utilize the Internet to find birth certificates

Birth record online search engines are a good way to begin the process of finding specific individuals birth records. Many search-related sites require an online membership in order to have access to their vast databases that they have researched. Some of these are "pay" sites with various forms of membership, depending upon the cost and the criteria needed.
Try: Apply for a membership to Vitalrec.com to have unlimited access to birth records. Find U.S. and international vital records using Government Records Access membership.

Research hospital birth records at the hospital where the person looking for may have been born

Search birth certificates by either visiting, emailing or calling the specific hospital to find out if the person's records being requested are available. In most cases, you can easily obtain from the medical records department.
Try: To find records in U.S. hospitals, a valuable source of information is FileMaker Data, which maintains a detailed database for this purpose. If you need to find out information on someone born in another country, contact the country's consulate through the U.S. Department of State website.

Find the appropriate agency to help in the search for birth certificates

There are other ways to conduct a birth record search. Each state has its own way of keeping this information and the requirements for getting this information. It is important that you provide the most information possible to narrow the search to find an individual's birth record.
Try: Locate individual state health departments at the National Center for Health Statistics and submit the required information and fees to obtain a notarized birth certificate. Each state has its own requirements on how this process works, and some people prefer to use a service to obtain the information to streamline the process. One such service is U S Birth Certificate.net.

 

• When performing a vital records search, obtain the most accurate information available to expedite the process and limit the error possibilities.

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