Current Processing Times for Vital Records Certificates

Due to request volume, processing time for standard orders for birth certificates from 1971 to present may take up to three weeks. Standard orders for other types of certificates may take up to five weeks. Requests that are accompanied by an expedite fee are usually processed within three business days from the time N.C. Vital Records receives the request.

Requests to change a record, such as adoptions, amendments, legitimations and name changes, may take up to six weeks after the processing fee is received. There is no fee to process paternities and the response time may take longer depending upon the volume of requests received. Requests to change a record that are accompanied by an expedite fee will be processed as quickly as possible, but may take up to two weeks.

Same Day Service

We offer same-day expedited service at our walk-in window at our Raleigh location.
Office Hours for Walk-In Service are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM.
Main Switchboard Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. (see Contact Us)

NOTE: ID OF THE PERSON REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE IS REQUIRED.

For a list of acceptable IDs see What forms of ID may I use to obtain a certificate? on our FAQs page. Requests that do not include proper identification will be returned.

Other Options

Birth, death and marriage certificates also may be obtained at the Register of Deeds (ROD) office in the county where the event took place. In Mecklenburg County, birth and death certificates may be obtained at the local health department . (Please be aware that N.C. Vital Records is the only place to get a birth certificate for an adopted child.) Divorce certificates may be obtained from the clerk of court in the county where the divorce is filed.

What You Can Get Here

• Birth Certificates: 1913-Present
• Death Certificates: 1930-Present
• Marriage Certificates: 1962-Present
• Divorce Certificates: 1958-Present
• Fetal Death Reports: 2001-Present

Order a certificate. Need older records? Here is some information that could help.

Quick Links

• Change a record (paternities entered on birth certificates, court-ordered name changes, etc.)
• Delayed birth certificates