Mississippi - How to obtain a Birth Certificate

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Procedure

In Person

Visit in person to Jackson Office at
571 Stadium Drive,
Jackson,
Mississippi
With as much as information between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and pay by cash, check or money order. In some cases you will receive your record at the time of payment. Some require special processing and will be processed in 7 to 10 business days

By Mail

• Print and complete all the information sections of the form.
• Remember to sign the application.
• Send a personal check, bank or postal money order, or a bank cashier's check in the correct amount made payable to Mississippi Vital Records.
• We accept no responsibility for cash sent through the mail.
• Send completed application, appropriate fee and required photo identification to:

Mississippi Vital Records
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215-1700

Failure to Receive

Complaints of failure to receive certified records will be honored within 6 months of the original request. If the copy was to be returned to you by U. S. Postal Service, please allow 3 weeks after mailing the request before inquiring. Inquiry about copies ordered with payment for special courier delivery should be made within 7 days of the request. Mail returned because of insufficient address or address changes will be re-mailed if this office is notified of the correct address within 6 months of request.

Apply Online (VitalChek)

• Mississippi Vital Records does not process credit cards. VitalChek, a private company, provides the following for Mississippi Vital Records:
  • Secure ordering on-line or by phone
  • Major credit card acceptance (American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa)
  • Express shipping option
• VitalChek offers convenient ordering and delivery, but adds a fee ($7.50) to the charge for a certified copy from MSDH ($15).
• It's the easiest and most efficient method for ordering official birth certificates and other vital records because there is less room for error when you enter the information yourself. Our simple forms have built-in editing features to help ensure the accuracy of your order.
• VitalChek is an official service, authorized by Mississippi Vital Records, to securely order certified Mississippi vital records, like birth certificates. Other online services may not be authorized by Mississippi Vital Records, and may charge additional fees without providing approved services or guaranteeing confidentiality of your data.
• As a government-approved organization for 25 years, VitalChek safely delivers millions of vital records every year and is Americas #1 resource for ordering certified vital records across the nation. VitalChek makes purchasing your familys most important documents, such as Mississippi birth certificates, simple, fast and secure:
• Simple step-by-step ordering with easy to use editing features to help ensure the accuracy of your order.
• Fast online ordering, processing & delivery options to help get your certificate as quickly as possible.
• Secure ordering processes that are designed to help protect your identity online.
• VitalChek offers the convenience of ordering Mississippi birth certificates for yourself or your family from the privacy of your home or office, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, with no hidden fees or unexplained charges. No traffic, no standing in line, no parking, no hassles.

By Phone

• Phone orders are placed through a private records service for a small additional fee; payment is by credit card. To order by phone, call our Vital Records office at (601) 576-7981.
  

Note that VitalChek's online internet ordering system seems to default to delivery by UPS Air, which is an extra-cost option. If you do not need this service, please make sure you change this selection during the ordering process.

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Required Documents

If applicant is self, spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, child, grandchild, guardian, or legal representative, then the applicant must provide a completed application and a copy of a valid photo identification of the applicant. Acceptable forms of identification any one of the following

• Photo Drivers License
• Photo State Issued ID
• Employment ID
• School, College or University ID
• US Military ID
• Tribal ID
• Alien Registration/Permanent Resident Card
• Temporary Resident Card
• US Passport

Or any two of the following documents

• Social Security Card
• Utility Bill (showing address)
• Medicaid Card
• Snap/EBT card (showing address)
• Work Identification
• Veteran Universal Access ID Card

Guardian or legal representative must submit proof of guardianship/legal representation with this application. Legal representatives must provide attorney bar number, name of person represented, and their relationship to the registrant. If you are an agent of local, state or federal agency requesting a record, indicate in the space provided for relationship the name of the agency. If you do not have one of the above referenced documents, please contact Vital Records at 601-576-7981.

Office Locations & Contacts

In Person

571 Stadium Drive,
Jackson,
Mississippi
Phone: (601) 576-7981
Fax: (601) 576-7505

By Mail

Mississippi Vital Records
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215-1700

Office Hours

8:00 am and 5:00 pm

Certificates may also be obtained from your local county. Use the contact information below to inquire.

Adams County : MS 39120
Natchez City Hall: 601-445-7500 / Circuit Clerk: 601-446-6326

Alcorn County : PO Box 112; Corinth, MS 38834-0112
Phone: 601.286.7702

Amite County : 243 W Main St; Liberty, MS 39645-0000
Phone: 601.657.8022

Attala County : 230 W Washington Street Kosciusko, MS 39090-0000
Phone: 662.289.2921

Benton County : Main St; PO Box 218; Ashland, MS 38603-0000
Phone: 662.224.6300

Bolivar County : 401 S Court Street Cleveland, MS 38732-2696
Phone: 662.843.2071

Calhoun County : PO Box 8 Pittsboro, MS 38951
Phone: 662.983.3122

Carroll County : Lexington Street Carrollton, MS 38917
Phone: 662.237.9274

Chickasaw County : 101 N Jefferson Houston, MS 38851-0000
Phone: 662.456.2531

Choctaw County : 112 Quinn Street PO Box 736; Ackerman, MS 39735-0000
Phone: 662.285.6329

Claiborne County : PO Box 449; Port Gibson, MS 39150
Phone: 601.437.4992

Clarke County : PO Box 689; Quitman, MS 39355
Phone: 662.776.2126

Clay County : PO Box 815 West point, MS 39773
Phone: 662.494.3124

Coahoma County : 115 1st Street P O Box 98 Clarksdale, MS 38614
Phone: 662-624-3000

Copiah County : PO Box 507 Hazlehurst, MS 39083
Phone: 601.894.3021

Covington County : PO Box 1679 Collins, MS 39428
Phone: 601.765.6132

DeSoto County : 2535 Hwy 51 S; Courthouse Square Hernando, MS 38632
Phone: 662.429.1317

Forrest County : 641 Main St; PO Box 951; Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Phone: 601.545.6014

Franklin County : PO Box 297; Meadville, MS 39653
Phone: 601.384.2330

George County : 255 Cox St Lucedale, MS 39452
Phone: 601.947.4801

Greene County : PO Box 610 Leakesville, MS 39451
Phone: 601.394.2377

Grenada County : PO Box 1208 Grenada, MS 38902
Phone: 662.226.1821

Hancock County : 150 Main St; Bay S

Eligibility

You may order copies of Mississippi birth certificates for yourself or an immediate family member. If you are not a member of the certificate holder's immediate family, you must submit documentation showing a direct and tangible interest.

Fees

• Certified copy: $15.00
• Additional copy: $5.00 each

Online (VitalChek)

• Certified copy: $15.00
• Additional copy: $5.00 each

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Please attach documents which can be used by people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Processing Time

In person

Same day service is available
(some require special processing and will be mailed within 7 - 10 days after receipt)

By Mail

4-6 weeks

Instructions

• The Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Records (Mississippi Vital Records) issues certified copies of Mississippi birth certificates for events that occurred within the State of Mississippi.
• Birth Certificates are available for events that occurred in the State of Mississippi from November 1, 1912 to present.
• Certified copies of birth records may be ordered in person, by mail, or, if paying by credit card, online or by telephone.
• Processing time is generally 7 10 working days after receipt of request.
• The $15.00 fee entitles the applicant to one Certified copy of the birth record on file of if the record is not found a Not on File statement will be issued. Surrounding counties and five years centerd on year of birth are searched if record is not located within county or year specified.
• Vital record fees are non-refundable, with the exception of fees paid for additional copies when no record is found.
• Check or Money Order payable to "Mississippi Vital Records". Mississippi law allows an additional Service charge for dishonored checks.

Required Information

• Full name at birth
• The date of birth
• The place of birth
• Gender
• The mother's maiden name
• The father's name
• Name and address of the applicant
• Phone number, including area code
• Reason for requesting the certificate
• Relationship to the person named on the Certificate

Need for the Document

You may need a birth certificate when enrolling in school, applying for a social security card or for certain legal proceedings. This can prove frustrating when you do not have a copy immediately on hand. If you want to obtain your birth certificate or if you would like to have an additional copy of your birth certificate you can obtain one with following the procedure given below.