Houston, Texas (TX) Birth Certificate Online

Houston, Texas (TX) Birth Certificate Replacement

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

To get a certified copy of a birth certificate in Houston, Texas, applicants will be asked to enter the following information:

• 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
• The reason why you need the birth certificate
• Mother’s name or parent’s name prior to first marriage
• Father’s name or parent’s name prior to first marriage

After completing the online Houston birth certificate application, you simply need to print and sign it.

Then, place it in an envelope with:

• A copy of both sides of a valid photo ID
• Notarized proof of identification form (which must be signed and notarized)
• Payment for each copy of the vital record you need to obtain

Please note you also need to include a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope of your preference to receive your Houston, Texas birth certificate at the address you require.

Then, you have the choice to mail your Houston birth certificate application or to present it in person at the appropriate vital records office.

The easiest would be to post it to the Texas DSHS address below:

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

If you would rather have your order processed at the county level, you may post your package to the Harris County Clerk’s Office:

Harris County Birth Certificates
Civil Courthouse
201 Caroline, Suite 330
Houston, TX 77002

For births recorded outside Houston, or the rest of Harris County, the Harris County Clerk's office can only provide a short-form birth certificate. If you need a long-form copy, you will need to post your request to the Texas DSHS address above, instead.

The Harris County Clerk's Office keeps birth certificates outside the city limits of:

• Houston
• Baytown
• La Porte
• South Houston
• Jacinto City
• Justice of the Peace Precincts 3 & 4

Who can apply for a Houston (TX) birth certificate?

In Houston, as in the rest of Harris County, Texas, birth and death certificates may only be issued to eligible individuals. Birth certificates filed within the past 75 years can be obtained by immediate family members such as the following:

• Mother
• Father
• Brother
• Sister
• Parent
• Grandparent
• Child

Additionally, a certified copy of a birth certificate from Houston, Texas (TX) may also be requested by the following representatives, provided they have a direct tangible need for the document:

• Legal guardian
• Legal representative of the family
• Organizations or governmental agencies

Houston, 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 Houston, Texas.

Houston birth certificates can be issued in 2 forms:

• Full copy of a birth certificate, otherwise known as certified copy of a birth certificate or long-form birth certificate —this is the document needed to have other forms of government identification documents issued since they bear legal validity
• Abstract copy of a birth certificate, otherwise known as short-form birth certificate

Citizens born in Houston who order a copy of their own birth records will be issued a certified copy of their birth certificate.

Out-of-County birth certificates ordered from the Houston City Clerk’s office can only be issued as short-form birth certificates. Citizens in this situation who need to obtain a long-form birth certificate should post their order to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Please note that abstract birth certificates may not be acceptable to have a passport issued.

How to Order a Houston Birth Certificate

Citizens born in Houston —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 certificate bearer’s basic personal information
2. Print, sign, and mail the completed birth certificate application package with the required documents to the vital statistics office (see full address above and Houston birth certificate requirements below)
3. Receive a certified copy of the Houston, 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

Please note that incorrect or incomplete information on your birth certificate application form may cause delays, so take the time to carefully revise the data entered in your form. In order to avoid unnecessary hassles and extended turnaround, simply complete the online Houston birth certificate application form and follow our personalized instructions.

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.

Houston (TX) Birth Certificate Requirements

When ordering a Houston, 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 Houston 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.

Houston Birth Certificate Apostille

Houstonians who need to provide their birth certificate outside the US territory will need an Apostille to provide the vital record with legal validity abroad.

Citizens born in Houston —or other parts of Texas— can obtain an Apostille on their birth certificate by following these simple steps:

1. Order a certified copy of the Texas Birth Certificate
2. State Apostille" as the reason for your birth certificate request in the application form
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

Houston (TX) Birth Certificate Cost

Getting a Houston, Texas birth certificate carries a fee that may vary depending on whether you post your application package at the State of Texas, County of Harris, or Houston City level.

Houston birth certificate applications filled by the Texas DSHS carry a cost of per certified copy. Copies issued by the Harris County Office cost $25, whereas those filled in Houston entail payment of $23. Please make sure you provide the exact amount according to the office where you choose to submit your application.

The Houston birth certificate cost must be covered at the moment the citizen submits the application form. The same fee applies for long-form and short-form birth certificates.

It is good practice to order extra certified copies of a Houston, TX birth certificate. It is useful to keep additional copies of the vital record on file, ready for future use whenever the need arises.

Extra Houston birth certificate copies requested within the same birth certificate application form cost the same cost per copy as the initial certificate, as explained above.

Birth certificates for election identification fees have been waived by the state of Texas.

Military personnel with a current deployment order are granted exemption from fees when they require copies of their Houston birth certificate.

Houston (TX) Birth Certificate Processing Times

Houston birth certificate applications are processed once the citizen’s request is received by post. In order for a Houston birth certificate application to be filled without delay, it must be correctly filled out and submitted with all the necessary requirements, as detailed above.

The majority of Houston birth certificate orders are filled within 2 to 3 weeks, although a small number of cases may take slightly longer to process.

As soon as the certified copy of a Houston birth certificate is issued, it will be mailed to your current home address as printed on your postage-paid, self-addressed envelope.