Order your Cleveland (OH) Birth Certificate Online

How to Order a Cleveland (OH) Birth Certificate

Completing the Ohio birth certificate application online saves Cleveland citizens the effort of waiting in long lines at the Cleveland vital records office.

Online birth certificate replacement is particularly useful since citizens will receive their Cleveland birth certificate by mail at their home address.

The first step to obtaining a certified copy of a Cleveland, Ohio birth certificate is completing the online birth certificate application with the following details:

• Last name (as it would appear on the certificate)
• First name
• Sex
• Date of birth
• Name of hospital or address where the citizen was born
• Purpose the birth certificate will be used for
• Mother’s name prior to first marriage
• Father’s name prior to first marriage

Print, sign and pack the Cleveland, Ohio birth certificate application package in a large envelope with the following:

• A copy of a valid photo ID
• The required fees for each birth certificate copy

Then, mail the envelope to the Cleveland vital records office in Cuyahoga County.

Once your birth certificate request is processed, the Ohio birth certificate will be delivered to you by mail at the address you designated on the application form.

Citizens born in Ohio that require a certified copy of their birth certificate will be asked to send a clear photocopy of both sides of an acceptable form of photo ID as explained below with their completed birth certificate application form.

Cleveland citizens just need to follow these 3 steps to obtain a government-issued copy of an Ohio birth certificate:

1. Fill out the birth certificate application form with the Cleveland citizen’s information— this step takes under 5 minutes in most cases
2. Print, sign and post the Cleveland birth certificate application package along with the necessary documents and required fees to the vital statistics office in Cleveland (full address below)
3. Receive a certified copy of your Ohio birth certificate complete with the registrar’s signature, and raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal. The official copy will also include the date the vital record was filed with the Ohio registrar’s office

Citizens born in Cleveland, Parma, Lorain, Elyria or in the rest of the State of Ohio, can order a government-issued birth certificate online which will be issued by the Columbia vital records office and sent to their home address.

Please note that As of May 7, 2025, U.S. citizens and residents must have a REAL ID-compliant driving license or ID card to enter federal facilities and board commercial aircrafts. Requirements to obtain a REAL ID may include proof of identity, such as a certified copy of the birth certificate.

Who can apply for a Birth Certificate in Cleveland (OH)

Birth certificates and death certificates are considered to be public records by the State of Ohio. Hence, Ohio is considered an "open record" state since vital records such as birth and death certificates can be obtained by anyone with the certificate bearer’s basic information outlined above.

The Bureau of Vital Statistics will issue a birth certificate to anyone who adequately fills out the birth certificate form.

Cleveland birth certificate orders must be accompanied by a photocopy of both sides of one of the following unexpired photo identification documents:

All those born in the state of Ohio that need to request a certified copy of their birth certificate will need to include a clear photocopy of both sides of one of the forms of photo ID listed below along with a completed application form:

• State of Ohio Driver’s License
• State of Ohio ID Card
• Driver’s license issued by another U.S. State, jurisdiction or territory
• Photo State Identification Card issued by another
• U.S. State, jurisdiction or territory

Nationals applying to get a driver’s license, Social Security Card, or US passport will need an official copy of their Ohio State birth certificate. This certified copy will also serve citizens getting married or registering for school.

Please note that what validates this type of birth certificate copy for legal purposes is the fact that it carries the official state registrar’s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored Seal. This document will also have the registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office. START FORM

Cleveland (OH) Birth Certificate Cost

To order a certified copy of an Ohio birth certificate issued in Cleveland applicants must cover a state fee of USD $21.50. The fees must be submitted at the same time as the birth certificate application.

Ordering multiple certified copies of a Cleveland, OH birth certificate is always a good idea. Extra copies can be kept on file for future use or for your personal records.

Additional birth certificate copies ordered within a single application form carry a fee of USD $21.50 per document issued.

Cleveland (OH) Ohio Birth Certificate Processing Times

The Cleveland vital records bureau will process your order after you have posted the Cleveland birth certificate application package including photocopies of your chosen photo ID and the required fees.

Most Cleveland birth certificate orders are filled within 3-8 weeks. Nevertheless, birth certificates for newborn babies may take longer to become available.

As soon as the Cleveland birth certificate is produced, it will be mailed to the applicant’s home address entered in the Ohio birth certificate application form.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to place a Cleveland birth certificate rush order at this time. Therefore, it is good practice to order extra copies of the birth certificates ahead of time to have ready at home for future needs.