Florida Birth Certificate Application PDF: Form DH 726

The Florida birth certificate application form DH 726 is a free PDF you can download from the Florida Department of Health and submit by mail to the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville, in person at a county health department, or online through VitalChek, the state’s only authorized online vendor. A standard computer-generated certified copy costs $9 by mail; same-day or expedited orders add a $10 rush fee, bringing the total to $19.¹

One thing to check before you start: the form number. Search results often surface DH 727, which is the application for a death or fetal death certificate, not a birth certificate.² The correct form is DH 726, “Application for Florida Birth Certificate.” A Spanish version, DH 726S, is also available.¹

Who Can Request the Certificate

Florida birth records are confidential. Under Florida Statutes Section 382.025, they stay sealed from the general public for 125 years after the date of birth, and only specific people can order a certified copy.³

The person named on the record, once they reach 18. Certified homeless youth and emancipated minors also qualify.
A parent listed on the certificate, a court-appointed guardian, or an attorney with documented authority.
If the registrant has died, a spouse, adult child, grandchild, or adult sibling, with a certified death certificate.
Law enforcement, state and federal agencies acting officially, and anyone with a court order.

Anyone who isn’t a parent or the registrant has to prove authority with notarized documents or a court order. Applications that don’t meet these criteria get denied, and the search fee is nonrefundable, so confirm eligibility before you file.³

Filling Out DH 726

The form asks for the registrant’s full name at birth, exact date of birth, the Florida county where the birth occurred, and both parents’ names including the mother’s maiden name. Those details let the Bureau of Vital Statistics locate the record. If you aren’t sure of the county, give your best information; the bureau will search surrounding areas, though it slows things down.

Photo ID

Include a clear photocopy of a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or military ID. If none of those exist, the state may accept a naturalization certificate or alien registration card.

If the name on your ID doesn’t match the name on the birth record, add documentation explaining the change, such as a marriage certificate or court-ordered name change. Without that bridge, the bureau can’t verify you’re the same person as the registrant.

Signature and Notary

If you’re the registrant or a parent on the certificate, your signature is enough. Everyone else, including legal representatives and authorized family members, has to sign in front of a notary public and attach the documents proving the relationship or legal authority.

Which Type of Certificate to Request

Florida issues two versions, and which one you can get depends on the birth year.

Computer-generated certification. A digital printout of the key facts from the electronic birth registration database. This is the standard version accepted by all government agencies for passports, Social Security, driver’s licenses, and other official purposes.
Photostatic certification. An image of the actual original paper document filed at the time of birth. Often used for genealogy or situations where the original handwritten or typed registration matters.

For births from 2004 onward, only the computer version exists, because Florida moved to fully electronic registration that year. For births between 1917 and 2003, either type is available. For births before 1917, only the photostatic copy exists. The computer certification handles nearly every legal purpose and is faster and cheaper.

What It Costs

All fees are nonrefundable, including the search fee that applies even if no record is found.⁴

By mail to the state Bureau of Vital Statistics:

First computer-generated certification: $9
First photostatic copy: $14
Each additional copy on the same order: $4
Shipping and handling: $1

A $10 rush fee applies to walk-in same-day service and expedited orders, so a standard computer certification ordered that way runs $19.¹

Through VitalChek, the first copy is $19 (the rush fee is built in) plus a $7 VitalChek service fee, with additional copies at $4 each. UPS shipping with signature confirmation costs extra. VitalChek accepts credit and debit cards.⁵

County health department fees vary. Some counties route the service through the tax collector’s office and add an administrative fee; one county charges $21.25 for the first copy and $8 for additional copies. Call ahead.

Mail orders to the state accept money orders and cashier’s checks. Personal checks are generally not accepted for mail orders. Credit cards work through VitalChek and at some county offices, but not for the state’s mail-in process.

Fee Waivers

Florida waives all birth certificate fees for certified homeless youth, young adults who were in the custody of the Department of Children and Families when they turned 18, inmates obtaining a state ID before release, and juvenile offenders receiving services through the Department of Juvenile Justice. You still submit the same DH 726, just without payment.⁴

How to Submit the Application

By Mail

Send the completed DH 726, a photocopy of your ID, any supporting documents, and payment to:⁶

Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 210
1217 Pearl Street
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042

Standard processing takes several weeks. Certified mail or a tracking service is worth the small extra cost, because you’re mailing your photo ID and payment together.

In Person

Some county health departments offer walk-in vital records service and can print certificates on the spot after verifying your identity and payment. The $10 rush fee applies. Not every county office does walk-in birth certificates, so confirm availability and hours before you go.¹

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek handles the process online with a credit or debit card. The Department of Health specifically warns against other online vendors, which often charge inflated fees and may not deliver a legitimate certified copy.¹

If You Need to Correct the Record Instead

DH 726 orders a copy of what’s on file. To fix an error, such as a misspelled name, wrong date, or missing information, use form DH 429, Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record, with instructions on companion form DH 660. The nonrefundable amendment fee is $20 and includes one certified copy of the corrected record. Depending on the correction and the age of the person on the certificate, you may need supporting documents like hospital, religious, or school records. Corrections to a minor child’s name require signatures from both parents listed on the original record.⁷

To add a father when the parents were unmarried at the birth, both parents complete form DH 432, Acknowledgment of Paternity, sign in front of two witnesses or a notary, and mail it to the Bureau of Vital Statistics. This option isn’t available if the mother was married to someone else at the time of birth. If the parents later marry each other, form DH 743A, Affirmation of Common Children Born in Florida, handles it through the Clerk of Court when the marriage license is returned.⁸

If You Need the Certificate for Use Abroad

For a country in the Hague Apostille Convention, you’ll need an apostille from the Florida Department of State authenticating the State Registrar’s signature. Only certificates issued by the state Bureau of Vital Statistics qualify. Certificates issued by a local county health department, signed by a Deputy State Registrar, or that are photocopies or notarized copies can’t be apostilled, so order the original certified copy from the state office when apostille is the goal.⁹

Complete the Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form and mail it with the original certified birth certificate, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Division of Corporations
ATTN: Apostille Section
P.O. Box 6800
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6800

The fee is $10 per document, by check or money order payable to “Florida Department of State” in U.S. currency drawn from a U.S. bank. Cash and credit cards aren’t accepted for apostille service.⁹

1
Florida Department of Health. Birth Certificates
2
Florida Department of Health. Application for Florida Death or Fetal Death Certificate
3
The Florida Senate. Florida Code 382.025 – Certified Copies of Vital Records; Confidentiality; Research
4
The Florida Senate. Florida Code 382.0255 – Fees
5
Florida Department of Health. Order Certificates from VitalChek
6
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Florida
7
Florida Department of Health. Amendments and Corrections
8
Florida Department of Revenue. Paternity
9
Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications)