A birth certificate is a primary source of information about you and other members of your family. Many occasions require that a birth certificate be provided. For some of them, a copy is sufficient but for others, it must be a certified copy. When you need an official copy of a birth certificate, the first thing to do is to determine where that birth certificate is located and the second is to determine how to get a certified copy. Washington birth certificates are no different from most other states.
In order to receive a copy of a Washington birth certificate, you have several options. The Washington State Health Department is in charge of issuing official certified vital record documents which include births, marriages, deaths and divorces. At this time, no identification is required to get a copy of a birth certificate.
You can walk into the office of the Washington State Health Department in Turnwater, WA. They are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday –Friday. They do warn, however, that if you visit between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. you can expect to encounter long wait times. You may also contact the local county health department office where the birth took place to see if they can provide the record. Washington has 37 counties, so you need to know which one to contact.
If you walk-in, you will be able to walk out with the record. However, for a variety of reasons, this may not be possible. You may not live close enough to make this possible or you may have a job that makes visiting an office during typical work time impossible. You can order a Washington birth certificate online from the state health department. The expected delivery time is between 6-8 weeks unless they encounter a problem.
For many occasions when a certified birth certificate is required, time is of the essence. You want to get a passport and already have your trip planned or you are getting married and need the birth certificate as soon as possible. Waiting 6-8 weeks may not be something you can live with. Ordering from a third party is an option to consider for the easy of filling the application form and the speed of delivery when you need your Washington birth certificate quickly and with a minimum of hassle.
