Can i order a birth certificate for someone else

New Zealand birth, death, marriage, civil union and name change certificates are public records. In most cases, they can be ordered by anyone.

Historical births, deaths and marriages

You can search online for:

birth records that are at least 100 years old
stillbirth records that are at least 50 years old
marriage records that are at least 80 years old
death records that are at least 50 years old, or
death records where the deceased’s date of birth was at least 80 years ago.

Search historical births, deaths and marriages

Recent births, deaths and marriages, and civil union and name change records

You can order more recent records from Births, Deaths and Marriages.

You’ll need:

the full name of the person whose record you want (or the full names of both people, if it’s a marriage or civil union), and
the year of their birth, death, or marriage.

Get a birth certificate

Get a death certificate

Get a marriage certificate

Get a record of a name change

If you do not know the year of the event

If you do not know the year of the birth, death or marriage, you can ask Births, Deaths and Marriages to search their records. There may be an extra cost for this.

Get help to find birth, death and marriage records

Non-disclosure directions

A non-disclosure direction on someone’s records means that only the person who’s the subject of the information (or anyone they authorise) can get a certificate or printout of their records.

If you ask for a certificate or printout that’s affected by a non-disclosure direction, Births, Deaths and Marriages will tell you that the information exists, but cannot be provided.

Access to your birth, marriage and name change records

Utility links and page information

Last updated 30 September 2020

Obtaining a Copy of a Birth Record

Only certain individuals are allowed to receive an authorized certified copy of a birth, death, or marriage record. An authorized certified copy of a birth record is required to obtain a driver's license, passport, social security card and other services related to an individual's identity.

Who Can Receive an Authorized Certified Copy

The registrant or a parent or legal guardian of the registrant
A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant
A party entitled to receive the record as a result of a court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record in order to comply with the requirements of Section 3140 or 7603 of the Family Code
A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business
An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant's estate, or any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant or the registrant estate

Informational Certified Copies

Those who are not authorized or do not wish to submit the notarized Certificate of Identity may receive an Informational Certified Copy.

Informational Certified Copies have the words "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY," imprinted across the face of the copy.

Authorized vs. Informational Certified Copies:

Authorized copies are used for legal purposes. Informational copies are used for mostly non-legal purposes and ancestry.

Birth Record Request Options

Online Request
In-person Request
Mail Request

The REAL ID Act

To obtain a REAL ID some individuals may need a copy of their birth and/or marriage certificate, and possibly amend a record for accuracy. We encourage customers to review the requirements to obtain a REAL ID driver's license.

Check the requirements with your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to help plan and minimize potential delays to obtain the required documentation.

Information on the requirements for California's REAL ID can be found on the DMV's REAL ID Interactive Checklist.

You need to register on the General Register Office (GRO) website to get a copy of a birth, adoption, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate in England and Wales.

You can use this service to research your family tree.

Order with the GRO index reference number.

It takes around 10 minutes and you’ll need a debit or credit card.

Start now

More information
Other ways to apply

There’s a different process for getting certificates in Scotland and getting certificates in Northern Ireland.

Certificate fees

Certificates cost £11 and are sent 4 days after you apply.

If you do not have a GRO index reference number, you’ll have to pay £3 extra for each search. Certificates are sent 15 working days after you apply.

If you need the certificate sooner, you can use the priority service for £35. It’ll be sent the next working day if you order by 4pm.

Extra copies are the same price.

Get help ordering a certificate

Contact the General Register Office for help ordering a certificate or questions about an order.

General Register Office
(for general enquiries)
Online form (for enquiries after you’ve applied for a certificate)
Telephone: 0300 123 1837
Textphone: 18001 0300 123 1837
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Find out about call charges

General Register Office
PO Box 2
Southport
PR8 2JD

Registration of births or deaths abroad

If you’ve registered a birth or death with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Overseas Registration Unit, you cannot get a copy from the GRO until the November of the following year.

If you need a copy sooner, email the name of the registered person, the registration date and reference number to:

for birth registrations
for death registrations

You’ll get a reply telling you how to get your copy and the cost - usually £50 plus courier fees.

Ordering by phone

To order certificates by phone, call the General Register Office.

General Register Office
Telephone: 0300 123 1837
Text relay: 18001 0300 123 1837
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Find out about call charges

Ordering by post

To order certificates by post, fill in the relevant GRO certificate application and send it to the address on the form.

Register offices

You can also order certificates from the local register office where the birth, death or marriage was registered.

Who can order a birth certificate UK?

Under UK law, anyone can apply for a copy certificate as they have been classified as 'Public Records'. The only restriction is that under Identity Fraud legislation you must know the full details of the person (including full date of birth and parents names) for any birth that occurred within the past 50 years.

Can I get a birth certificate for someone else in Florida?

The Old-Fashioned Way: One way to do it is by contacting the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. Please note that to obtain a birth certificate in Florida, you must be the person named on the document, be the parent or guardian of that person, or have a valid court order.

Can I get a copy of someone else's birth certificate California?

California law defines individuals who can obtain an authorized certified copy of a birth certificate as: The registrant (person listed on the certificate) or a parent or legal guardian of the registrant. A child, grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant.

Can I get a birth certificate for someone else in New York?

You can order a birth certificate for yourself or your child online. If you need a birth certificate for any other person, you must request it by mail or in person at the Office of Vital Records. Order a birth certificate for yourself or your child online through VitalChek.