GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Nevada Births

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Nevada Guided Research page.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1975-2012:  Nevada Birth Index  at Ancestry ($)

How to Obtain the Record
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1911. General compliance year is unknown. To learn more about record limitations and restrictions, see the article How to Find Nevada Birth Records. To order birth records after July 1911, contact:


 * Nevada State Health Division/Office of Vital Records
 * 4150 Technology Way, Suite 104
 * Carson City, NV 89706
 * Phone: (775) 684-4242
 * Website

Additional Records with Birth Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Tips for finding births
Successfully finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search parents. Search for the parents, if known, as the child's first name may not be on the birth record.
 * Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date of birth.
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
 * Search state. Search using the state name only instead of by county.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start
 * Birth records begin in 1887 but registration was inconsistent. Statewide registration for births started in 1911.

Records Published Collection coverage tables show the places and time periods of original records published. Check the coverage table for the collections you searched which did not include your ancestor. Gaps in the online collection may require searches in other records or original birth records at an archive.

Records Destroyed The following counties had record loss. Click on the county for more information.