by The confidentiality nature of birth records poses a challenge when someone is looking to access them. This makes it a problem if you don’t know how to go about it. This article will shed a light on how to find birth records in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is a state in the United States located in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern and Appalachian parts of the United States. Its population is around 13 million. The state of Pennsylvania began birth registration in 1906 on a statewide level.
Even though between 1852 and 1855, counties in Pennsylvania were instructed to record births that fell under their jurisdiction, a few of them conformed. Very few births were recorded during this time. In 1893, the counties were again ordered to record births which this time they did until statewide registration was achieved in 1906.
These birth records are available to be viewed by the public from the different court houses of the counties where they were recorded or the Pennsylvania State Archives. There are also film version of these records which can be found in Salt Lake City, Utah from the Family History Library.
The records are not complete and many of them do not have the name of the child. In such a case, the names of the parents can be used to find such records.
If you are looking for birth records that might have been recorded in Pennsylvania before 1852, then you can try searching from Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Births and Baptisms (1520 – 1999).
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Restriction on Pennsylvania Birth Records
Birth records that are less than 105 years have restrictions on them. Not everyone can access them. The following individuals are permitted by Pennsylvania law to have access to such birth records:
- The individual listed on the record (must be more than 18 years old)
- The spouse of the individual listed on the record
- The parent or stepparent of the individual listed on the record. Such individuals must submit a marriage certificate as proof of relationship to the individual listed on the record
- A brother, sister, half-brother, or half-sister of the individual listed on the record
- A son or daughter of the individual listed on the record
- Stepson or stepdaughter of the individual listed on the record. Such persons must submit the parent’s marriage certificate as proof of relationship.
- A grandparent or great-grandparent of the individual listed on the record
- Grandchild or great-grandchild of the individual listed on the record
- An individual who has obtained the power of attorney
- An attorney or legal representative of the individual listed on the record
- If the individual listed on the record is deceased, a family member not listed above, who can provide a copy of the death certificate
Only these individuals are permitted to obtain certified copies of birth records in Pennsylvania.
Details of a Pennsylvania Birth Record
A typical Pennsylvania birth record contain the following information on them:
- Date of birth
- Time of birth
- Place of birth
- Child’s full name
- Mother’s name
- Father’s name
- Child’s gender
- Type of birth
- Mother’s marital status
- Birth registration number
How to Apply for Birth Records in Pennsylvania
Birth records in Pennsylvania are not public records thus not everyone can find them. There is an authorized third party vendor that the state has partnered with to let eligible individuals access these birth records. Obtaining birth records online is the fastest method in Pennsylvania especially with this third party vendor who offers services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are other third party sites that offer the birth records which are over 105 years and have become public records. These sites are also highly recommended for searches as they offer quicker and unlimited search options.
Searching from them will require that you provide full name of the person you want to lookup plus their current location (city, county, state). This will help filter your result to the mostly likely outcome.
Birth Records Searches Requirements in Pennsylvania
Eligible individuals who are looking for copies of birth records in Pennsylvania will need to provide the following forms of legal photo identification:
- Pennsylvania Driver’s License
- Pennsylvania ID Card
- Driver’s license issued by another U.S. State
- Photo Identification Card issued by another U.S. State, jurisdiction, or territory
- Passport
Pennsylvania does not accept expired identification documents. Applicants who are unable to provide the above listed documents can provide any two of the following documents which are to have their name and current address on them:
- Lease/Rental Agreement
- Utility Bill
- Vehicle Registration or insurance policy
- Tax Return/W-2 form
- Social Security Statement
- Bank or Credit Card Statement
Applicants can also obtain a copy of a birth certificate by mail and in person in Pennsylvania once payment of the required fee has been made. To obtain these records applicant must first fill in the Vital Records Appointment Request and Application for a Birth Certificate Form for walk ins and only the Application for Birth Certificate Form for mail requests.
These forms are to be accompanied with a valid identification document as mentioned above.
These are some of the ideas on how to find birth records in Pennsylvania that you can try out. They offer the possibility of finding any birth record that was recorded in the state of Pennsylvania.
