How to Get a Massachusetts Birth Certificate

The short answer

A certified copy of a Massachusetts birth certificate comes from one of two places:

• The city or town clerk where the birth was recorded. This is usually the city or town of birth; the record is often also held by the community where the parents lived at the time.
• The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS), the state office in Dorchester that keeps records of births throughout Massachusetts.

Either copy is an official, certified record. Local clerks are often the least expensive option, while the state Registry is convenient when you are unsure where the birth was recorded. Records of births before 1936 are generally held by the Massachusetts Archives and the local clerk.

Ways to order and what it costs

Fees are as published by the Commonwealth and the City of Boston in November 2026 and can change. Confirm with the office before you order, and be cautious of unofficial websites that add their own service charges.

Who can order a copy

Most Massachusetts birth records are public, so anyone who can identify the record may order a certified copy. Some records are restricted, most commonly when the parents were not married at the time of the birth. A restricted record can be released only to the person named on it, a parent, a legal guardian or a legal representative with supporting documents, and the requester must show identification.

If you are ordering for a relative or a client, confirm in advance whether the record may be restricted. It is the most common reason an order is delayed.

What you need to order

• The full name at birth, the date of birth and the city or town of birth.
• Both parents’ names, including any maiden name.
• A current photo ID. The state Registry accepts a driver’s license, even an expired one, or another government-issued photo ID.
• Proof of your relationship to the person named, if the record is restricted.
• Payment in a form the office accepts. The state Registry takes check or money order in person and by mail.

If the Registry cannot find the record, it issues a negative statement instead of a certificate, and the fee is not refunded. Double-check the spelling of names and the place of birth before ordering.

Using a Massachusetts birth certificate abroad

For use in another country, you usually need a certified copy with an original official signature, followed by an apostille from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. A photocopy, or a copy certified by a notary, will not be accepted. Before ordering, check three details with the receiving office:

• How recent the copy must be. Many countries accept only a certificate issued within the last three to six months.
• Which version they need. Some consulates ask for the full record with parents’ details.
• Whether a translation is required. Many countries require a certified translation.

See How to Apostille a Massachusetts Birth Certificate for the full process, or our birth certificate apostille service.

How we can help

When time is short or you live outside Massachusetts, our vital records retrieval service requests and collects the certified copy from the state Registry or the city or town clerk on your behalf. If the certificate is going abroad, we add the apostille, translation and any embassy legalization in the same order and ship it to you or directly overseas with tracking.