How to Find District of Columbia Birth Records

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How to Find United States Births District of Columbia Births

In 1801, District of Columbia was created from the states of Virginia and Maryland. Statewide registration of births began in 1874.

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Next Step: When did the birth occur?

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 * Choose a time period to search for your ancestor's birth record:


 * Births before 1874
 * Births between 1874 and 1897
 * Births after 1897
 * I don't know when the birth is


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Births before 1874

 * Before 1874, no births were recorded by the District. You must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
 * The District of Columbia did not exist until 1801 with portions coming from the state of Virginia and the state of Maryland. Before 1801, be sure to search substitute records for Virginia and Maryland.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births between 1874 and 1897
If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in other records.

For births that exist during the time period, try the following database.

For a fee, the District of Columbia Department of Health office will do a 3 year search.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.  Return to top: Choose another birth year

Obtain the Certificate
PART A: You know the exact date of birth

With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the District of Columbia Department of Health.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.  

PART B: You don't know the exact date of birth

If you do not know the exact date or place of birth: For a fee, the District of Columbia Department of Health office will do a 3 year search of their indexes.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.  Return to top: Choose another birth year

Restrictions for Obtaining Birth Records
Restrictions for persons born within the last 100 years: To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 100 years from the government agency, you must be:


 * The person on the certificate
 * The parents of person on the certificate
 * The wife or husband of the person on the certificate
 * The children of the person on the certificate
 * Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
 * NOTE: A copy of the birth record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 100 years have passed from the date of the birth.

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information. Return to top: Choose another birth year

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