Santa Rosa County Birth Records
Santa Rosa County birth records are available from the Florida Department of Health office in Milton. Located in the western panhandle of Florida just east of Pensacola, Santa Rosa County has seen steady growth over the past two decades. The health department can issue certified birth certificates for births that took place anywhere in Florida from 1930 to the present. Records from before 1930 must be requested through the state Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville. You can visit the Milton office in person, send a request by mail, or use the online vendor VitalChek to order your Santa Rosa County birth certificate.
Santa Rosa County Quick Facts
Santa Rosa County Birth Certificate Office
The DOH-Santa Rosa office in Milton is where you go for birth certificates. Milton is the county seat and sits along the Blackwater River in the northern part of the county. The office is open Monday through Friday during regular hours. You need to bring a valid photo ID. A Florida driver's license works best, but a passport, state ID, or military ID are also fine.
Walk-in service is the standard way to get a birth certificate in Santa Rosa County. You show up, fill out a DH-726 application form, present your ID, and pay $15. The staff processes your request and gives you the certified copy. Santa Rosa County is not as heavily populated as the big metro counties, so wait times are usually reasonable. Most people are in and out in less than an hour during a normal weekday. The Santa Rosa County Health Department birth certificates page has the current hours and address.
Call ahead if you are driving from the south end of the county near Navarre or Gulf Breeze. It can be a bit of a drive to Milton, so confirming the office is open before you head out saves wasted time and gas.
| Office | DOH-Santa Rosa, Milton, FL |
|---|---|
| Hours | Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. |
| Fee | $15 first copy |
| Form | DH-726 |
How to Get Santa Rosa County Birth Certificates
Three options exist for getting a birth certificate from Santa Rosa County. In person at the Milton office is the fastest. Mail works if you can't make it in. And VitalChek handles online orders for people who prefer to do everything from their computer or phone.
For mail requests, print the DH-726 form from the Florida DOH birth certificates page. Fill it out completely. Photocopy your valid photo ID. Write a check or money order for $15 made payable to DOH-Santa Rosa. Put it all in an envelope and send it to the Milton office address. Processing takes about two to four weeks. Your certified copy of the Santa Rosa County birth record will arrive by regular mail. There is no tracking, so you just have to wait for it to show up in your mailbox.
The state DOH site has forms and instructions that apply to all counties in Florida, Santa Rosa included.
VitalChek is the only online vendor the state allows. The $15 state fee applies, plus VitalChek charges its own processing fee of around $12. Standard shipping takes five to seven business days after the order is processed. Rush delivery options cost more but get the document to you quicker. The total for one Santa Rosa County birth certificate through VitalChek is about $26 with standard shipping. You pay by credit or debit card. This is the only way to pay with a card since the walk-in office does not accept them.
Eligibility for Santa Rosa County Birth Records
Certified birth certificates are confidential documents in Florida. Under Florida Statute 382.025, birth records are restricted for 125 years. The DOH-Santa Rosa office verifies that every requester has a legal right to the document before releasing a certified copy.
Eligible requesters for Santa Rosa County birth records include the person named on the certificate (if 18 or older), a parent listed on the record, a legal guardian with court papers, a spouse, an adult child, or an attorney representing someone who qualifies. If you are outside this group, you can still get an informational copy. It has the same data but is marked as not for legal use. Informational copies are fine for personal reference but won't work for things like passport applications.
Correcting Santa Rosa County Birth Records
If there is a mistake on your Santa Rosa County birth certificate, the amendment process can fix it. Small errors like a typo in a name or a wrong letter qualify as simple corrections. You submit the amendment form along with supporting documents that prove the correct information. Hospital records, school records, and other official documents can serve as proof. The Florida DOH amendments and corrections page has the forms and full instructions.
Major changes require a court order. Under Florida Statute 382.016, changing parentage, altering a date of birth, or making a significant name change means going through the courts first. Santa Rosa County is part of the First Judicial Circuit. You file a petition, get the judge's order, and then send it to the Bureau of Vital Statistics at 1217 N Pearl Street in Jacksonville. They update the statewide record and issue a new certificate. Processing times vary based on how complex the change is and how busy the court calendar looks.
It is a criminal offense to falsify birth certificate information under Florida Statute 382.026.
Birth Registration in Santa Rosa County
Every birth in Florida must be registered per Florida Statute 382.013. Hospitals handle the registration automatically. For births at home or at a birthing center, the midwife or attending physician files the registration within the time frame set by law. Many Santa Rosa County residents give birth at hospitals in nearby Escambia County, particularly in Pensacola. The birth still gets registered in the statewide system regardless of which county the hospital is in.
Once the birth is in the system, you can request a certified copy from any county health department in Florida. So if you live in Santa Rosa County but are closer to an Escambia County office, that works fine. The fee is the same. The process is the same. This flexibility is handy for panhandle residents who might cross county lines regularly.
Delayed registrations for births that were never properly filed are handled by the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville. These cases require extra paperwork including affidavits and medical evidence.
Santa Rosa County Birth Certificate Fees
The first certified copy is $15. Additional copies at the same time cost $6 each. These fees come from Florida Statute 382.0255. The DOH-Santa Rosa office takes cash, checks, and money orders at the counter. No credit cards at the window.
VitalChek adds about $12 in processing fees. Shipping is included with the standard option. If you want faster delivery, overnight and two-day options are available for an additional charge. One Santa Rosa County birth certificate via VitalChek costs roughly $26 total with standard shipping.
Cities in Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County includes Milton, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Jay, and Pace. None of the cities meet the population threshold for individual city pages. All residents use the DOH-Santa Rosa office in Milton for birth certificate requests.
Nearby Counties
Santa Rosa County sits in the western panhandle between Escambia County to the west and Okaloosa County to the east. Any county health department in Florida can issue a birth certificate, so you can use whichever office is most convenient.