Austin, Texas (TX) Birth Certificate Online

Austin, Texas (TX) Birth Certificate Replacement

Filling out the birth certificate application form online will save you the hassle of waiting in line for hours at the Austin vital records office since your document will be delivered to your doorstep.

To order a certified Austin, Texas birth certificate from your phone, tablet, or personal computer, you can fill out the quick application form available by clicking the button on this page, with the following information:

• The name on the Austin birth certificate you are requesting —certificate bearer’s full name
• Date of birth
• Parents' full names before marriage
• Name of the county and city where the birth occurred
• Applicant's name, address, and daytime telephone number
• Applicant's relationship with the certificate bearer
• Reason or purpose the Austin birth certificate is needed
• Applicant's signature
• Applicant's current government-issued identification document of the requestor (see the full list of acceptable documents below.
• After completing the online Texas birth certificate form, you simply need to print and sign it. Then, place it in an envelope with a copy of a valid photo ID, a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope, and the payment for each copy of the vital record you need to obtain and mail it to the Austin vital records office at:

Texas Vital Records
Department of State Health Services
P.O. Box 12040
Austin, TX 78711-2040

Alternatively, Texans who prefer to post their request at the Austin office may do so at the following address:

Office of Vital Records
PO Box 1088
Austin, TX 78767-1088

For rush orders, use this Austin Vital Records Office mailing address instead:

Office of Vital Records
7201 Levander Loop, Bldg. C
Austin, TX 78702

Please note that fees may differ depending on whether you submit your birth certificate application at the Texas State office or the Austin office. Make sure to go over the fees information below and submit the correct amount at your chosen office.

Texans in need of a certified copy of their birth certificate issued in Austin are asked to enclose a clear photocopy of both sides of an acceptable form of photo ID as explained below with their completed application form:

Applicants who chose to may also print out their birth certificate application package and present it in person at the vital records office where the birth was recorded.

Read more: Fastest way to get a birth certificate in Texas.

Austin, Texas Birth Certificate Types

It is important to understand the difference between an authorized copy and an informational copy when ordering a replacement Birth Certificate in Austin, Texas.

Authorized copy of an Austin birth certificate

An authorized copy of a Texas birth certificate is a copy of the original document and it includes any corrections made to the birth record. It is also known as a long-form birth certificate.

If you need your birth certificate in order to sign up at university, get a driver’s license, apply for a US passport, get married, or for other legal purposes, then you need to get an authorized copy of your birth certificate. An informational copy will not be accepted to prove your identity.

A long-form Austin birth certificate will carry the registrar’s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, as well as the registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office. You may order a certified copy on behalf of another person, as long as you are eligible.

Informational copy of an Austin birth certificate

An informational copy of a birth certificate is an abstract of the birth record. It only shows the individual's name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, and name of parent(s). Short-form Austin birth certificates or informational copies bear the following words imprinted across the face of the copy:

“Informational, not a valid document to establish identity”

Heirloom copy of an Austin birth certificate

An Austin, Texas Heirloom birth certificate is also an abstract or short-form birth certificate with no legal validity. It is mainly used as a keepsake for framing and display. This decorative type of Austin birth certificate may also be used when creating a family tree.

Austin Birth Certificate for Election Identification

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) waives the fees to get a certified copy of a birth record that will be specifically used to request an Election Identification Certificate (EIC) issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Birth certificates for election identification in Austin can only be issued once during a citizen's lifetime and bear the message:

"For Election Identification Purposes Only."

The fee waiver is exclusively available for issuance of an EIC certified birth record. To qualify for the fee waiver, the citizen must visit the Vital Statistics Unit (VSU), a local registrar, or a county clerk in Texas.

This type of birth certificate cannot be requested on behalf of another citizen.

Birth Verification Letter

If you need to search for records to verify a birth that occurred in Austin from 1903, you may apply for a verification letter. This document will state whether a record of birth for the citizen is on file with the State of Texas.

The information provided includes the citizen’s name, date of birth, and county where the birth took place. However, these letters are not considered legal substitutes for certified copies of birth certificates.

How to Order an Austin Birth Certificate

Citizens born in Austin —or the rest of Texas— can order a government-issued copy of a TX birth certificate by following these easy steps.

1. Fill out the birth certificate application form with the individual’s basic personal information
2. Print, sign and post the completed birth certificate application package with the required documents and fees to the vital statistics office (see full address above)
3. Receive a certified copy of your Texas birth certificate endorsed with the registrar’s signature, and raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal. The document will also carry the date the certificate was filed with the Texas registrar’s office

Citizens born in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, Arlington, Corpus Christi, or El Plano, or anywhere in the state of Texas, can order a birth certificate online and send their application to the Texas DSHS or the Office of Vital Records in Austin.

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 aircraft. Requirements to obtain a REAL ID may include proof of identity, such as a certified copy of the birth certificate.

Who can apply for an Austin (TX) birth certificate?

In order to request an authorized copy or long-form birth certificate, the applicant must meet one of the following criteria:

• The certificate holder, a parent or legal guardian of the certificate holder.
• A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the certificate holder.
• A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business.
• A party entitled to receive the record as a result of a court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record.
• An attorney representing the certificate holder or the certificate holder’s estate, or any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the certificate holder or the certificate holder's estate.

Austin (TX) Birth Certificate Requirements

When ordering a Austin, Texas birth certificate, you will be required to include clear photocopies of both sides of any of the following unexpired photo identification documents along with your birth certificate application package:

Provide one of the following acceptable documents, alongside your Austin birth certificate application form:

• US passport
• US citizen ID card
• US Driver's license
• Federal or state ID card

Nationals applying to get a driver's license, Social Security Card, or US passport will need an official copy of their Texas 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.

Austin Birth Certificate Apostille

Citizens born in the city of Austin —or other cities in Texas— who need to provide their birth certificate in a foreign country will need an apostille to provide the document with legal validity abroad.

This can be done by following these simple steps:

1. Order a certified copy of the Texas Birth Certificate
2. When applying, mention "Apostille" as the reason for your birth certificate request
3. Upon receiving the certified copy, send it to the Texas Secretary of State's office with the required apostille fee

Texas Authentications Unit street address:

Secretary of State
Authentications Unit
1019 Brazos
Austin, TX 78701
Walk-In Service: Room 106

Texas Authentications unit PO BOX:

Secretary of State
Authentications Unit
PO Box 13550
Austin, TX 78711-3550

Austin (TX) Birth Certificate Cost

It is good practice to order multiple certified copies of an Austin, TX birth certificate, to keep on file for future use or for your records.

The search fee applicable to each Austin birth certificate issued depends on the office at which the application is submitted.

Austin birth certificate orders processed at the Texas DSHS carry a fee of $22 whilst those issued by the Austin Vital Records Office require a $23 payment. Please make sure to submit the correct payment at your chosen bureau.

The same fee applies for long-form and short-form birth certificates, as well as additional copies.

Birth certificates for election identification (see details above) fees have been waived by the state of Texas.

In Austin, military personnel with a current deployment order are granted exemption from fees for birth certificate copies.

Austin (TX) Birth Certificate Processing Times

Once you have posted the complete Austin birth certificate application package, with photocopies of your chosen government-issued ID and the appropriate fees, the vital records bureau will process your request.

In most cases, your Austin birth certificate order will be filled within 25-30 days

As soon as the birth certificate is issued, it will be posted to your home or office address, as stated in your postage-paid, self-addressed envelope.

Citizens who need express delivery may post their birth certificate application to the rush order address detailed above.