Birth Certificates
For 100 years following a birth, only the registrant, immediate family members, the registrant's Oregon registered domestic partner, legal representatives (includes legal guardians or persons with power of attorney), and persons licensed in Oregon under ORS 703.430 may order birth records. Government agencies may order if the records are needed in the course of their work or to prevent fraud.
When ordering a birth certificate, you must state your relationship to the person on the record; if you are an attorney, you must state whom you represent. If an attorney does not legally represent the registrant, they must include how their client is related to the person named on the record. If you are a legal guardian or have power of attorney, you must enclose a copy of the legal document. If you do not share the surname of the person whose record you are ordering, you may be asked to show a copy of your own birth certificate or marriage record or other document to prove you are an immediate family member and have the right to order the record. If you have legally changed your name but have not amended your birth record, you must send a copy of the court judgment of name change. If you are not eligible to order the record, you must include a permission note with the notarized signature of an eligible person. ORS 432.121
Death, Marriage, Divorce, Domestic Partnership, & Dissolution of Domestic Partnership Certificates
Access to death, marriage, divorce and Oregon registered domestic partnership records filed in the State Vital Records office is restricted for 50 years after the date of the event. During the first 50 years the following persons may order: family members and their legal representatives, persons or organizations with a personal or property right, government agencies, and persons licensed in Oregon under ORS 703.430.
When ordering a death, marriage, divorce, or domestic partnership record, you must state your relationship to the registrant, or your reason for needing the record. If you are a legal representative of a family member, state the name of the person you represent and how they are related to the person named on the record. If you have a personal or property right, explain why you need the record. If you are a third party vendor ordering on behalf of an attorney, financial organization, or government agency, you must include a statement from that entity to prove they have delegated their authority to order the record to you or your agency. If you are not eligible to order the record, please include a permission note with the notarized signature of an eligible person. ORS 432.121
Other Available Records
- Commemerative Certificates of Stillbirth are available for stillbirths occurring after January 1, 1999 to the biological parents of the stillborn child. A fetal death certificate must be on file before a certificate of stillbirth can be issued.
- Certified No Record of Marriage Documents may be requested by the registrant or a family member to meet the requirements of foreign countries to prove eligibility to marry abroad. To request one, complete the application for a marriage record with your name and date of birth. Where the date of marriage is requested include the time period you want to have searched. Our office will search a five year period for the basic record fee. If you need more than five years searched, there is a charge of $1.00 for every additional year requested. Please add a note to your order that you need a certified No Record of Marriage. The country where you use this document may also require that this document be authenticated. Please see the Oregon Secretary of State web page on obtaining Apostille/Authentication documents for additional information about authentication documents.
- Preadoption Birth Records may be ordered by an adoptee age 21 and over. If you are not the adoptee, you need a notarized permission note from the adoptee who is over age 21. All other persons need a court order from an Oregon court to obtain the preadoption birth record. For more information and order forms see Preadoption Records. ORS 432.240 and 432.420
- Adoption Reports or Decrees filed in the vital record sealed file may be released by order of an Oregon court. The order should specify who may receive the documents. Applicants will need legal assistance to petition an Oregon court. Send an original certified copy of the court order to open the sealed file. The court order will be retained in our files. Document costs are $20 for a certified copy and $2 per page for an uncertified copy. For reference see ORS 432.230(7) and 432.420
- Correction Affidavits for birth and death records have not always been retained. However, if there is a footnote on the record that includes an affidavit number and the correction was made within the last 20-30 years it may be possible to obtain an uncertified or certified copy. Persons eligible to order the birth or death record may order copies of the affidavits footnoted on the records. Corrections forwarded from county marriage and county courts to amend marriage and divorce records are not available from our office. Document costs are $20 for a certified copy and $2 per page for an uncertified copy.
- Court Orders/Judgments of name change, gender change, or court judgments that establish paternity should be requested directly from the court that approved them.
- Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity Affidavits are placed in sealed files like adoption records. Parents or the person named on the record must petition an Oregon Court and obtain a court order opening the sealed file before they can request and receive a copy Acknowledgment of Paternity Affidavit. Oregon law allows one exception: Voluntary Acknowledgments filed after October 1, 1995 may be requested by child support enforcement programs created under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. Document costs are $20 for a certified copy and $2 per page for an uncertified copy. For reference see ORS 432.230(7) and 432.287(3)
Links To Information About Ordering Vital Records