Vital Records (birth, marriage, death certificates) & Apostilles

U.S. Vital Records

Birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates are issued by states, not the federal government.  You must contact the state that issued the record to request a copy.

In order to obtain any state government-issued document concerning birth, death, marriage or divorce, you may order one from the National Center for Health Statistics or through vitalchek, depending on the state that issued your document.

Apostilles

The Embassy does not have the authority to affix the Apostille to a birth, marriage, divorce or death certificate.  An apostille officially authenticates the signature and seal of the public document.  The Secretary of State in the state that issued the documents is authorized to affix the postille.

Contact information for the 50 State Secretary Offices can be found at the bottom of the page here.

More information on Authentications and Apostilles.