Expedite Birth Certificate definition

A birth certificate is an essential legal document that US nationals need on several occasions throughout their life. These include, for example:

• Enrolling in school
• Signing up for the military
• Receiving social security benefits
• Signing a contract of employment in the US
• Applying for an American passport

Normally, parents apply for their newborn’s birth certificate through the hospital/birthing center or directly with their state’s department of health. They receive their baby’s certificate in the post a few days or weeks later.

Adults can apply for their certificate in-person or request a birth certificate online. It is not a complicated process and those applying online receive their certificate in the mail without having to leave their home.

Ideally, US citizens should keep the birth certificate safe in order to use it to prove their identity and/or citizenship when needed.

However, accidents happen and we may forget to replace our birth certificate and find ourselves in need of a rush service. In this post, you will learn how to get your birth certificate fast using expedite services.

Birth Certificate: Expedited Applications

If you need to get your birth certificate quickly, you should check whether your state’s Office of Vital Records offers an expedited birth certificate service. This is the case for many states.

Expedite application processes vary by state. Often, rush service birth certificate applications must be mailed to a different address than regular requests.

Please note that rush service fees may apply. Moreover, if you request an expedite birth certificate from home, you will have to cover the overnight birth certificate delivery costs, and expedite fees will depend on the provider of your choice.

Can You Get a Birth Certificate on the Same Day?

If your state allows for same-day application and delivery, then yes, it is possible.

Normally, your state’s Office of Vital Records and your county registrar may offer walk-in birth certificate services. However, you may have to wait in line at the office for a relatively long time before being attended.

Please note that the presence of a walk-in service does not guarantee same-day issuance of the birth certificate. This depends on the volume of requests that the office receives as well as your specific circumstances and whether your expedited birth certificate application is in order.

How To Obtain a US Birth Certificate Fast

Here are some tips to get your birth certificate fast:

1. Check that your state’s Department of Health and vital records office offer expedite birth certificate services
2. Complete the expedite application in all of its parts as accurately as possible — missing information and mistakes in the application will delay the issuance of your certificate
3. Mail your application to the correct address or go to the relevant office

If you choose a walk-in service, confirm the office’s opening hours before visiting and make sure that the office is currently open to the public. Sometimes, smaller county and vital records offices that are further from you may be quicker in processing applications due to the lower number of requests they receive.