Access Tallahassee Birth Records

Birth records for Tallahassee residents are handled by the Leon County Health Department. As the state capital, Tallahassee is also home to the Florida Department of Health headquarters, though local birth certificate requests still go through the county office. The Leon County Health Department offers in-person service, mail requests, and online ordering through VitalChek. Whether you need a birth certificate for a passport, driver's license, or school enrollment, the county office can process your request and issue a certified copy.

Leon County Health Department

The Leon County Health Department is the office that issues birth certificates in Tallahassee. This is the same for every city in Leon County. The health department handles vital records including births, deaths, and marriages. Walk-in service is available during regular business hours on weekdays.

Tallahassee sits in a unique spot as the state capital. The Florida Department of Health has its main offices here, but that does not change how local residents get birth certificates. You still go through the Leon County Health Department for your request. The state office in Jacksonville handles the central records database, not the capital city office. This is a common point of confusion for Tallahassee residents.

Bring your photo ID when you visit. Under Florida Statute 382.025, birth records are confidential. The staff will check your identity and your relationship to the person on the record before they issue a certified copy. You fill out a form and pay the fee at the time of your visit.

How to Get a Tallahassee Birth Certificate

You have three choices for getting a birth certificate in Tallahassee. Walk in to the Leon County Health Department. Send a request by mail. Or order online. Each method gives you the same certified copy, but the time and total cost are different.

In-person requests are the fastest. Go to the office during business hours. Bring your ID. Fill out the form and pay. Most walk-in requests are done the same day. This is the way to go if you need your certificate in a hurry. The staff will look up the record and print a certified copy while you are there. Under Florida Statute 382.013, births must be registered within five days, so recent births should be on file soon after they occur.

Mail orders take more time. You send a filled-out form, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order to the Leon County Health Department. Allow two to four weeks for the request to be processed. The certificate comes back to you by mail. Make sure you include the right fee amount and a clear return address.

Online orders go through VitalChek. It is the only online vendor that the Florida Department of Health uses. VitalChek charges a service fee on top of the state fee. You pay with a credit or debit card. The certificate ships to your address once the order is processed.

Tallahassee Birth Certificate Fees

A birth certificate in Tallahassee costs $15 for the first copy. Extra copies at the same time cost less. The fee schedule comes from Florida Statute 382.0255. The office takes cash, checks, and money orders for in-person visits and mail requests.

VitalChek orders are more because they add their own fee on top of the standard amount. If you want to save money, going in person is the cheapest option. It helps to order all the copies you need at once since extra copies cost less than the first. Some people in Tallahassee get a few copies at a time for things like school, travel documents, and insurance.

Who Can Order Birth Records in Tallahassee

Not just anyone can get a certified birth certificate. Florida law says who qualifies. The person on the record can order a copy if they are 18 or older. Parents, legal guardians, spouses, children, siblings, and grandparents are all eligible too. An attorney acting for one of these people can also make the request.

If you do not fall into one of those groups, you can still get an informational copy. It has a stamp that says it is not certified. It cannot be used for legal purposes, but it works for personal use and family research. The eligibility rules are the same at every vital records office in Florida, including the one that serves Tallahassee. Legal guardians should bring their court documents to prove their status.

Tallahassee Birth Certificate Amendments

If a birth certificate has errors, you can get them fixed. The Florida Department of Health manages the amendment process. Common corrections include wrong name spellings, incorrect dates, and missing parent information. The type of fix you need determines how the process works.

Under Florida Statute 382.016, most changes go through the state office in Jacksonville. Small typos may be handled at the Leon County level. Adding a father's name or changing a name after an adoption usually requires a court order first. Once the court issues its order, the state updates the record. Then you can get a new copy in Tallahassee. Amendment fees are separate from the cost of a regular copy.

State Resources for Tallahassee Residents

Tallahassee residents can use the statewide birth records system run by the Florida Department of Health. Even though the DOH has a presence in Tallahassee as the state capital, the central vital records office is in Jacksonville at 1217 N Pearl St. That is where the Bureau of Vital Statistics keeps records from all 67 counties.

Florida's system is centralized. This means the Leon County office can pull up a birth record from any other county in the state. If you were born somewhere else in Florida but live in Tallahassee now, you can use the local office. You do not need to contact the county where you were born. The county health department finder on the state site helps you find offices across the state if you need to visit one outside of Leon County.

The DOH website has all the current forms and fee information that apply to birth certificates in Tallahassee and across Florida.

This state page covers the full process for getting a birth certificate in Florida, including details relevant to Tallahassee residents.

Nearby Florida Cities

These cities are within reach of Tallahassee and also have birth records pages on this site. If you live near one of them, their county health department may be a closer option.

Leon County Birth Records

Tallahassee is in Leon County and serves as both the county seat and the state capital. All birth certificate requests for Tallahassee go through the Leon County Health Department. For more details about county-level services, see the full Leon County page.

View Leon County Birth Records