Search St. Lucie County Birth Records

Birth records in St. Lucie County are handled by the DOH-St. Lucie office in Fort Pierce. The county is home to about 391,000 people, with Port St. Lucie being the largest city. Getting a certified birth certificate here follows the same process as the rest of the state. You can walk into the health department, mail in a request, or go through VitalChek online. The Fort Pierce office serves all communities in the county and can access birth records for any birth that took place in Florida.

St. Lucie County Health Department

The DOH-St. Lucie office is the local branch of the Florida Department of Health that handles vital records for the county. This office can issue certified birth certificates for any birth registered in the state of Florida. You don't need to have been born in St. Lucie County to use this office. The statewide database has records going back to 1917. Any record on file can be pulled up and printed right at the counter.

Florida law requires that all births be registered within five days. That rule comes from Florida Statute 382.013. Hospitals file the birth registration automatically. For home births, the attending midwife or doctor must submit the paperwork. Once a birth is registered, the record stays in the state system permanently.

The St. Lucie County Health Department birth certificates page has local details on how to apply.

How to Get a Birth Certificate in St. Lucie County

You have three options for ordering a birth certificate in St. Lucie County. The method you pick depends on how fast you need it and whether you can visit the office in person.

In-person requests are the quickest. Bring valid photo ID to the DOH-St. Lucie office. A driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID all work. Fill out form DH726 at the counter. The form is available in both English and Spanish. Pay the fee and you can usually get your certificate the same day. No appointment is required. Just walk in during regular business hours.

For mail orders, send a completed DH726 form along with a photocopy of your valid photo ID and a check or money order to the DOH-St. Lucie office. Make the check out to DOH-St. Lucie. Processing takes two to three weeks by mail. The certificate comes back by regular postal mail. There is no tracking on standard mail orders from the St. Lucie County Health Department.

Online orders go through VitalChek, which is the only vendor approved by the Florida Department of Health for online ordering. VitalChek is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They charge a service fee on top of the state fee. You pay by credit or debit card. Standard delivery takes five to seven business days. Rush processing is available for an extra $10 and gets your St. Lucie County birth certificate to you faster.

Fees for St. Lucie County Birth Certificates

Birth certificate fees in St. Lucie County follow the state schedule. The first copy costs $9. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $4. These amounts come from Florida Statute 382.0255. The search fee is non-refundable. If the state does not find a matching record, you still pay.

Cash, checks, and money orders are accepted at the office. VitalChek takes credit and debit cards but adds its own fee on top. If you want rush processing through VitalChek, that is an extra $10. The total cost for an online order will be more than what you pay at the counter, but the convenience of ordering from home is worth it for some people.

Eligibility Requirements

Not just anyone can get a certified birth certificate. Birth records are confidential in Florida. Florida Statute 382.025 keeps them sealed for 125 years. Only certain people can request a certified copy from St. Lucie County or any other county in the state.

The list of eligible people is short. The person named on the certificate must be 18 or older to request their own copy. Parents listed on the record can also apply. Legal guardians need court papers showing their authority. Attorneys can request copies on behalf of their clients. A court order also works. Everyone else gets turned down for a certified copy.

Informational copies are available to people who do not meet the eligibility requirements. These copies show the same data but have a stamp marking them as not valid for legal purposes. They work for genealogy research or personal records. The St. Lucie County Health Department staff can explain the difference when you visit or call.

Amendments and Corrections

If your birth certificate has an error, you can fix it. Typos in names and wrong dates are the most common issues. The process goes through the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville, not through the St. Lucie County office. You start by visiting the Florida DOH amendments page for instructions and forms.

Simple corrections like spelling fixes need supporting documents and a fee. Major changes require a court order under Florida Statute 382.016. Adding a father's name, changing a last name, or altering the place of birth all fall under major amendments. The process takes several weeks once you submit everything. A new certificate gets issued after the amendment is approved.

Fraudulent requests carry serious penalties. Under Florida Statute 382.026, using false information to get a birth certificate is a felony. The St. Lucie County Health Department verifies all IDs carefully before releasing any records.

The Florida Department of Health birth certificates page shows how to order a certified copy from St. Lucie County.

This page covers all the steps St. Lucie County residents need to follow when requesting a birth certificate.

Cities in St. Lucie County

St. Lucie County has several communities, with Port St. Lucie being the largest city. All residents use the same county health department for birth certificate requests regardless of which city they live in.

Communities in St. Lucie County include Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Tradition. Residents of these areas use the same health department for birth records.

Nearby Counties

These counties sit next to St. Lucie County. Any county health department in Florida can process a birth certificate request since they all connect to the same statewide system.