Pennsylvania ranks 29th out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#34 (tie)of 51
Speed#22of 51
Ease of ordering#36of 51
Birth certificates #14 (tie) of 51
Cost
$20 first copy, $20 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: about 2 weeks; mail: about 2 weeks; in person: same day at Vital Records public offices if received before 2:30 p.m.
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2.5–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra $10 fee
Records available
State records from 1906
Marriage records #36 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the Marriage License Clerk at the courthouse in the county where the license was issued
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Records available
County records from September 30, 1885
Divorce records #27 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the Prothonotary at the courthouse in the county where the divorce was granted
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Records available
County Prothonotary records from 1804
Death certificates #32 of 51
Cost
$20 first copy, $20 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: about 3 weeks; mail: about 3 weeks; in person: at Vital Records public offices; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
About 3.5–4 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra $10 fee
Records available
State records from 1906
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order Pennsylvania birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a Pennsylvania birth certificate?
A certified Pennsylvania birth certificate costs $20 per copy from the Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, plus a $10 service fee if you order online. Online and mail orders take about 2 weeks to process. For the fastest service, go in person to one of six Vital Records public offices; requests received before 2:30 p.m. may be ready the same day.
Pennsylvania birth records: ordering details
Who can order
The person named, a spouse, parent or stepparent, brother or sister (including half-siblings), son or daughter, stepchild, grandparent or great-grandparent, grandchild or great-grandchild, someone with power of attorney, or the person’s attorney or legal representative. You must be 16 or older for in-person and mail orders, and 18 or older online. If the person named has died, other family members can apply with a copy of the death certificate.
Fee
$20 for each certified copy, no matter how many you order. Online orders add a non-refundable $10 service fee. Fees are non-refundable. Fee waivers are available for eligible members and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses (up to 10 copies a year).
How to order
Online:mycertificates.health.pa.gov, run by VitalChek, Pennsylvania’s only authorized online vendor. Delivery by first-class mail or pickup at a Vital Records office. By mail:Application for Birth Certificate with an ID copy and a check or money order payable to “VITAL RECORDS” to Division of Vital Records, Birth Certificate Processing Unit, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. In person: a Vital Records public office in Erie, Harrisburg, New Castle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Scranton (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; Philadelphia by appointment only). Pay by credit card.
ID needed
An unexpired government-issued photo ID. If the certificate will be mailed to you, the ID must also show your current address (for example, a driver’s license or state ID card; a passport alone isn’t enough for mail delivery). With no photo ID, send two documents showing your name and current address, such as a recent bank statement, utility bill or pay stub. By mail, send a photocopy, never the original. See acceptable ID.
Processing time
Online: about 2 weeks. Mail: about 2 weeks. Both are counted from receipt and don’t include delivery. In person: same day if your request is received before 2:30 p.m. Estimate: about 2.5–3 weeks to have it in hand by mail.
Older and local records
The Division of Vital Records has births from 1906. For births before 1906, contact the county courthouse (see the list of Orphans’ Court clerks). Birth records become public after 105 years; the Pennsylvania State Archives has indexes of public births from 1906 to 1913 and can supply uncertified copies. Certified copies always come from the Division of Vital Records.
Tip: Need it fast? Walk in to a Vital Records public office before 2:30 p.m. with your photo ID and you may leave with the certificate the same day. The Philadelphia office needs an appointment.
A certified Pennsylvania death certificate costs $20 per copy from the Division of Vital Records, plus a $10 service fee online. Online and mail orders take about 3 weeks to process. You can also apply in person at one of six Vital Records public offices.
Pennsylvania death records: ordering details
Who can order
You must be 18 or older and be the spouse, parent or stepparent, sibling or half-sibling, child or stepchild, grandparent or great-grandparent, or grandchild or great-grandchild; the attorney, legal representative, executor or administrator of the estate (with documents); or someone with a direct financial interest (with documents). Stepparents and stepchildren must provide the marriage certificate. Other relatives, including ex-spouses, must document a direct interest.
Fee
$20 for each certified copy. Online orders add a $10 service fee. Fees are non-refundable. Armed Forces fee waivers apply. Two versions: with medical information (cause and manner of death, usually needed for life insurance and pensions), or without medical information (for deaths after 2019; generally used for bank accounts and property titles).
How to order
Online:mycertificates.health.pa.gov (VitalChek), mail delivery or office pickup. By mail:Application for Death Certificate with an ID copy, any supporting documents and a check or money order payable to “VITAL RECORDS” to Division of Vital Records, Death Certificate Processing Unit, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. In person: a Vital Records public office in Erie, Harrisburg, New Castle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Scranton (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; Philadelphia by appointment only). Pay by credit card.
ID needed
An unexpired government-issued photo ID. If the certificate will be mailed to you, the ID must also show your current address (for example, a driver’s license or state ID card; a passport alone isn’t enough for mail delivery). With no photo ID, send two documents showing your name and current address, such as a recent bank statement, utility bill or pay stub. By mail, send a photocopy, never the original. See acceptable ID.
Processing time
Online: about 3 weeks. Mail: about 3 weeks. Times are counted from receipt and don’t include delivery; they can be longer for genealogy requests or applications needing extra documents. Estimate: about 3.5–4 weeks to have it in hand by mail.
Older and local records
The Division of Vital Records has deaths from 1906. For deaths before 1906, contact the county courthouse (see the list of Orphans’ Court clerks). The Pennsylvania State Archives has indexes of public death records from 1906 to 1968 and can supply uncertified copies; certified copies always come from the Division of Vital Records.
Tip: Check which version you need before ordering. Insurers and pension plans usually want the copy with medical information; banks and title transfers usually accept the version without it.
Pennsylvania marriage records are kept only at the county courthouse, by the Marriage License Clerk in the county that issued the license. The Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records does not issue marriage certificates. Fees and processing vary by county.
Pennsylvania marriage records: ordering details
Who can order
Set by the county’s Marriage License Clerk.
Fee
Varies by county.
How to order
Contact the Marriage License Clerk at the courthouse in the county where the license was issued.
ID needed
Ask the county office.
Processing time
Varies by county.
Older records
Marriage licenses have been required in Pennsylvania since September 30, 1885, and are kept by the county that issued them. For earlier marriages, church records and newspapers are the main sources.
Tip: Know the county where the license was issued, not just where the wedding took place. That county’s courthouse holds the record.
Pennsylvania divorce records are kept only by the Prothonotary at the courthouse in the county where the divorce was granted. The Department of Health does not issue divorce certificates. Fees and processing vary by county.
Pennsylvania divorce records: ordering details
Who can order
Set by the county Prothonotary.
Fee
Varies by county.
How to order
Contact the Prothonotary’s Office in the county where the divorce was granted.
ID needed
Ask the Prothonotary’s Office.
Processing time
Varies by county.
Older records
Divorce records have been kept in the county Prothonotary’s Office since 1804. Local newspapers often published notices of divorce actions.
Tip: Have both names, the approximate year and, if possible, the docket number ready when you contact the Prothonotary.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other Pennsylvania records people search for
Official Pennsylvania sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About Pennsylvania public records
Certificate Information
The Vital Records Division of the Pennsylvania Department of Health maintains birth and death records for Pennsylvania records
from 1906 to present. Records are obtainable by online ordering, written requests by mail and in person. There are public offices
in Erie, Harrisburg, New Castle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton. Each certified copy costs $20 dollars for birth records
$9 dollars for death records and can be waived for veterans and service men and women.
Division of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103
(724) 656-3100
The Adoption Medical History Registry and Biological Parent Consent Registry are databases that allows birth families and adoptees to
share information such as identifying information, contact information and medical history.
Division of Vital Records
Attn: Adoption Registry
101 S. Mercer Street, Room 401
PO Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16101
Parcel records and property records are managed by the county assessment department in conjunction with GIS mapping. Most counties have
and online search application and in some cases a complete records package available for sale. Chester county online search forms
require a log in and a fee for search rights.
