Q. How can I obtain a copy of my birth certificate?

My husband used Vitalchek.com. They took his money and his application and never communicated with us after that. We emailed them to complain and the money was returned but no communication whatsoever. We never did get the birth certificate.

Hello Mrs. Burke-Thank you for your feedback regarding Vitalchek.com. I'm sorry to hear that your experience with them was unsatisfactory. The information we provide through Ask a Librarian Delaware services are simply to do just that: provide information. We do not endorse organizations. We do appreciate hearing from patrons regarding their experiences with outside organizations.
Thank you, again!

How do I go about securing a long form birth certificate? I have now requested one twice but have only been sent the short form. It is for myself and I was born in 1987 - Is Long form birth certificates something Delaware agencies will not provide?

Hello Jamie-thank you for reaching out and inquiring about a long form birth certificate. After inquiring with my colleagues, to their knowledge Delaware does not offer a long form birth certificate like some other states. They do offer Heirloom Birth Certificates, though, according to the website. You may wish to call the Office of Vital Statistics directly for more details. Contact numbers are as follows: Kent County, 302-744-4549, New Castle County 302-283-7130, Sussex County 302-856-5495.

Hello, I'm trying to help my mother as best as i can, and it's seeming that it is completely impossible to become a functional member of society if you don't have the right documents.. she is entirely disabled and has been for well over a decade. No income or license or job, and all she has is an expired ID and after contacting the DMV, social security office, office of vital statistics, and the ADRC, they all essentially say that you will need at the very least one of these (valid ID, SS card, Birth certificate) to get any further, but have no idea what the procedure would be to entirely recover these documents.. What on earth would someone do if (God forbid) there was some sort of disaster and they lost every one of their identifying documents? There has GOT to be some sort of procedure for these situations. I have tried to contact the office of the secretary of state, and I am waiting on a response but I figure it couldn't hurt to see if anyone would have an answer here... thanks in advance.

Hi Eric - thank you for reaching out. I'm sorry to hear about your challenges with helping your mother. I'm sure this is very frustrating for you! May I suggest either an appointment with one of the Social Workers (https://lib.de.us/socialworkers/) or filling out the Assistance Request for Unite Delaware located on the Ask a Librarian Delaware home page (https://answers.delawarelibraries.org/)?

How do I get a copy of my birth certificate without any ID. I lost everything in a flood. Thank you

Hello Dee-I'm so very sorry to hear you lost everything in a flood! If you need social services assistance, please reach out to one of the social workers at the libraries (https://lib.de.us/socialworkers/) or fill out the Assistance Request for Unite Delaware located on the Ask a Librarian Delaware page (https://answers.delawarelibraries.org/) to connect you with local organizations. As for your birth certificate, since we only relay information here about how to obtain birth certificates and such, I would recommend calling one of the Vital Statistics offices and speaking with someone who would be better able to assist you with this question - https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/ofclocations.html#vitalstatisticsofficelocations

My girlfriend requested a copy of her birth certificate. She needs it because her DL in MD has expired. She keeps getting the run around that she needs a valid ID to get a birth certificate, in order to get a valid ID. This is a no win situation. How can she get something she needs(ID) without being able to obtain what she needs(BC)

Hi Sean-sorry to hear your girlfriend keeps getting the "run around" while trying to obtain a copy of her birth certificate. That is very frustrating! I noticed on the birth certificate request form that a work ID can be used as a valid ID; does your girlfriend have a work ID? https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/ss/files/birth.pdf

Hi, I am looking into this for my daughter. She was adopted to a different family when she was young, yet we got a birth certificate sent to us and the mother's name is listed as the adopted Mom, not the biological Mom! How can we get an original certificate, or is that impossible?

Hi Vodalia-Please check with the hospital where your daughter was born, if you have that information as I found this information on this site - https://bit.ly/birthcertadoptee: Delaware allows adoptees to request birth certificates unless the birth parent specifically requested that the information not be released. Hospital records: Hospitals often retain birth registers and occasionally have medical information on children born there. Medical records regarding the person you are searching for may sometimes be obtained. Hope this helps!

I recently received my sons birth certificate but his fathers name was missing after I had put his name on the paper. How do I receive another one with the correct information? And Do I have to pay extra how does this work?

Hi Kim - Please contact the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics - https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/ss/vitalstats.html They will be able to assist you with your question. This page is provided for information purposes only. Thank you!

I work at a homeless shelter. Many of our guests do not have ID or money. How can I get a copy of their birth certificates at no or low cost? Thanks,

Hi Dave G - Please contact the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics - https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/ss/vitalstats.html. They will be able to better assist you with your question. This page is provided for information purposes only. Thank you!