How to Find Birth Records in Idaho

Birth records help us prove who we are and as such are to be kept safe least somebody tries to misuse them. That is why birth records are considered confidential information in the US. There are ways and conditions to access birth records. This article will look the ways on how to find birth records in Idaho.

Known as the mountainous landscape in the northwestern region of the United States, Idaho has a population of about 1.8 million people where you can search for birth records and people who were born there since 1911. This is when the Bureau of Vital Records decided to take over the responsibility of keeping vital records all over Idaho.

Birth records that were recorded in the 1870s by midwifes were sent to county clerks. There are a few of these. The Idaho State History Society (PARL) with the Family History Library keeps microfilm copies of all vital record from all the counties in the state. Birth records in Idaho are confidential records until they are 100 years where by they become public records.

Details found on an Idaho birth record include:

• Name of child.
• Certificate year and number.
• Location (City and county of birth).
• Date and time of birth.
• Gender of child.
• Race of child.
• Father’s name, age, and birthplace.
• Mother’s name, age, and birthplace.

Idaho started recording birth records in 1911. The state only began complying with birth registration in the 1920s. There are birth records that were registered before 1911 by some of the state counties and can accessed. Databases like the Idaho, County Birth and Death Records, 1863-1967 can help you with that.

Anyone can access birth records that are more than a hundred years in Idaho. This is because they are now regarded as public information.

Who can Access Birth Records in Idaho?

Since birth records that are less than a hundred years are confidential information, only authorized people can access them. Authorized individuals that can access birth records in Idaho are:

• The person named on the certificate.
• The parent or grandparent of the person named on the certificate.
• The spouse of the person named on the certificate.
• The child of the person named on the certificate.
• The sibling of the person named on the certificate.
• The legal guardian of the person named on the certificate.
• Anyone with legal authority to access the birth certificate.

Birth records that are less than a hundred years can only be accessed by those listed above in Idaho.

What do You Need to Access Birth Records in Idaho?

Requestors are expected to provide all necessary information and documents to be able to obtain these records. If you are looking to obtain birth records that are less than a hundred years in Idaho, you will need to provide the following information:

• Name of the individual on the birth record.
• Date of the birth.
• Location of the birth.
• Father’s name.
• Mother’s maiden name.
• Your relationship to the person on the record.
• Valid reason for requesting the record.

How can You Get Idaho Birth Records?

Birth records in Idaho are produced, maintained and distributed by the Bureau of Vital Records and Statistics using the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. There are three ways one can request these birth records in Idaho. You can request them online, through the main or walk ins, in person.

As you do your request, you will be expected to also submit the Idaho Vital Statistics Certificate Request form completed with a check or money for charges. You will also be required to produce a copy of your photo identification document to ascertain eligibility to the birth records.

There are also third party sites that do aggregate and offer birth records even in Idaho. Most of these sites offer searches on a national scale. Since they are not government sponsored sites, their data might be a bit different from the one on official sources. Searches on these websites need that you provide the individuals full name plus location (city, county, state). Location information helps in filtering unnecessary results as these sites search on a national scale.

Requestors can also mail their birth records requests to:

Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036

Where Else can I Find Birth Records in Idaho?

There are other sources you can use for birth records in Idaho. You can try death records for example. If the person is deceased, their death records will have details such as birth date, place of birth and names of parents.

Another source to consider would be census records. Census records keeps information like age, state, country and members of a household. Other sources would be cemetery records and church records.

These are some of the choices you have on how to find birth records in Idaho. With them you can search for records as far as before 1911 when the state of Idaho started recording births.