The Vital Records division is charged with the registration, maintenance and issuance of birth and death records for Adams County. This office provides certified copies of birth and death records for events occurring in Adams County and is available from 1882 to present.
Certified birth certificates are needed for many reasons, including school registration, travel, insurance purposes, obtaining a passport, and for personal and property rights. Many hospitals and birthing facilities issue a souvenir certificate with foot or hand prints when a child is born. This is not a birth certificate and has no legal value.
A certified birth certificate is the legal registration of a birth and is only issued by county or state government. Persons must obtain their birth certificate from the county or state in which they were born.
A certified record of death can only be obtained from the county in which the individual expired, no matter where he/she was buried. Costs for obtaining birth/death certificates and application procedures may vary.
The vital records office issues certificates Monday – Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Proper identification must be provided to request a birth certificate, and only immediate family may apply. Proper identification must also be provided to request a death certificate. Case Managers, Attorneys, and/or Bank Representatives must provide both a professional and a personal ID when requesting a record. A person who has no form of ID should have an immediate family member apply for them. Family members must be over 18 years of age and have proof of relationship, as well as personal identification. If you wish to fill out the application prior to your visit, you can print out an Application for Birth Certificate or an Application for Death Certificate and bring it along with valid ID.
Other services provided by the vital records office are genealogy searches (no walk-in service), paternity affidavits, amendments to birth records and registering home births (all by appointment only).