Search Delaware Birth Records

Delaware birth records are held by the Office of Vital Statistics in Dover, with branch offices in New Castle and Sussex counties. You can search Delaware birth records by ordering a certified copy from the state, or by looking up older entries through the Delaware Public Archives. The state holds birth records from 1942 to the present day. Older Delaware birth records move to the Archives once they pass the 72 year mark. Use the search tool below to begin your request, or read on to learn how Delaware birth records are stored and released.

Delaware Office of Vital Statistics

The Office of Vital Statistics sits within the Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services. It is the only state body that holds Delaware birth records and issues certified copies. The central office is in Dover, with branch offices serving each of the three counties. You can visit any of the three to pick up a birth certificate in person. The state holds birth records from 1942 to the present day at this office.

The Delaware Office of Vital Statistics site at dhss.delaware.gov lists the office locations, forms, and fees for all Delaware birth records requests.

The page has print-ready application forms, office hours, and a full list of valid ID types for each applicant class.

Here are the three Office of Vital Statistics locations in Delaware:

• Kent County (Central): 417 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Phone 302-744-4549.
• New Castle County: 258 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19702. Phone 302-283-7130.
• Sussex County: 546 S. Bedford St., Georgetown, DE 19947. Phone 302-515-3190.

All three are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except on state holidays. The Dover central office also oversees the work of the two branch offices under 16 Del.C. § 3104. That rule sets up the only vital records system in Delaware. Every live birth in the state gets filed through this one office, from any hospital, birthing center, or home birth. The State Registrar is the keeper of all Delaware birth records.

How to Order Delaware Birth Certificates

You have three ways to order a Delaware birth certificate. You can walk in to any of the three Office of Vital Statistics offices. You can mail a completed form to the Dover office. Or you can use one of two online vendors approved by the state. Each method ends with a certified copy mailed to you or handed over at the counter.

The CDC Where to Write page for Delaware lists the mailing address and the required ID for every Delaware birth records request.

The CDC page notes that a photo ID is required for all birth record transactions, with a copy sent in by mail if you cannot visit an office.

Mail requests go to the Office of Vital Statistics, 417 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901. You need to include the application form, a copy of valid ID, and a check or money order for $25 made out to the Office of Vital Statistics. The office pulls the Delaware birth records, verifies your right to the record, and mails the certified copy back. Processing times vary by season and workload.

Walk-in service lets you leave with a certified Delaware birth certificate the same day in many cases. Bring your ID and the right fee. The New Castle County office piloted a program that uses driver's licenses to verify identity and lets you pay by debit card. Check, money order, and card are all fine at most counters. Cash is not always accepted, so call first.

Online Ordering of Delaware Birth Records

Delaware lets you order birth certificates through two approved online vendors. GoCertificates and VitalChek both pass your request to the Office of Vital Statistics for processing. The state does not run its own online store for Delaware birth records. Both vendors charge a service fee on top of the $25 state fee, but they save you a trip to Dover or a mail delay.

The GoCertificates portal for Delaware handles birth and death certificate orders online.

GoCertificates also runs a service called Baby's Background, a tool that lets parents pre-order a Delaware birth certificate while they are still in the hospital.

VitalChek is the other approved online vendor. Go to vitalchek.com or call 1-877-888-0248. You upload a copy of your ID, pay by credit card, and pick a shipping speed. Most Delaware birth records ordered through VitalChek arrive within a week or two. You can track the order on their site. Both vendors issue the same certified Delaware birth certificate that you would get from the Dover office.

The Delaware.gov certificates guide walks you through both online channels and confirms which office holds which records.

That guide splits Delaware birth records into two groups: records from 1954 to the present are at the Office of Vital Statistics, while records from 1953 and prior are at the Delaware Public Archives.

There is one more backend system worth knowing. The Delaware Vital Events Registration System, called DelVERS, is the software hospitals and funeral homes use to file with the state. It is not a public search tool. You can not look up a Delaware birth record through it. But the name comes up in state paperwork often enough that it helps to know what it does.

Birth Record Laws and Statutes in Delaware

Delaware birth records law sits in Title 16, Chapter 31 of the Delaware Code. The full chapter is called Vital Statistics. It covers how births are filed, how long records are held, who can get copies, and what the state can charge. The state legislature last overhauled the chapter in phases, and some later rules now sit in Subchapter II.

You can read the full text of Title 16 Chapter 31 Subchapter I on the official Delaware Code site.

Subchapter I sets up the Office of Vital Statistics, lays out the duties of the State Registrar, and spells out who can ask for a certified copy.

Under 16 Del.C. § 3110, the records of the Office of Vital Statistics are confidential. They are not open for general inspection. The state can issue a certified copy of a Delaware birth record only to the registrant, a spouse, a child, a parent, a guardian, or an authorized representative. A court order is the other way in. Under the same section, a record becomes a public record once 72 years have passed from the date of birth. After that point the record moves to the Delaware Public Archives and opens to any researcher.

Section 3111 lists the penalties. Willfully making a false statement on a birth certificate, or changing or faking a Delaware birth record, can lead to a fine of up to $10,000 or up to five years in prison, or both. Lesser offenses like refusing to give required information bring fines up to $1,000 or up to a year in jail. These rules also back up state laws against fraud and ID theft.

The Delaware Vital Statistics Regulations fill in the details that the code leaves open.

The regulations cover items like delayed registration, out-of-institution births, and the paperwork each branch office must keep.

Subchapter II, published at delcode.delaware.gov, holds the newer sections on stillbirth certificates, adoption, paternity, and gender reassignment. Section 3121A sets the rule for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth, which a parent can request for free. Section 3126 covers how a new Delaware birth certificate is filed after an adoption, with the original record sealed. Section 3132 caps the fee for a certified copy at $25 and the heirloom certificate at $35.

Fees for Delaware Birth Certificates

The state fee for a certified copy of a Delaware birth record is $25. This is set by 16 Del.C. § 3132. The fee covers both the search and the copy. If the office cannot find a record in your name, they keep the $25 as a search fee. The same fee applies at all three county offices and for mail orders sent to Dover.

Heirloom birth certificates cost $35. These are printed on framed, security paper and make a nice gift. The extra $10 above the base fee goes to the Division of Public Health to offset the cost of the paper. You can order heirloom Delaware birth records for any birth registered in the state.

Online vendors charge their own service fee on top of the state fee. GoCertificates and VitalChek both post their current prices on their order pages. Plan on $40 to $55 total for a standard mail-back order through an online vendor, and more for rush shipping.

Fees at the Delaware Public Archives are a bit different. Self-service microfilm copies cost $0.10 per page. Staff-made copies run $0.50 per page. A certified vital statistics copy from the Archives is still $25, the same as the Office of Vital Statistics. Mail requests to the Archives run on a tiered scale starting at $10 for up to ten pages.

Historical Birth Records at Delaware Public Archives

The Delaware Public Archives holds Delaware birth records older than 72 years. The office is at 121 Duke of York Street in Dover. The phone number is (302) 744-5000. Once a year, the Office of Vital Statistics moves another batch of old records to the Archives. This yearly transfer keeps the Archives current with the 72 year public records rule.

The DPA Guide to Vital Statistics Records lists the dates and types of older Delaware birth records on hand.

The guide notes that Delaware law has required the recording of vital records since 1913, and that older births, marriages, and deaths were kept by each county's Recorder of Deeds.

Statewide birth registration in Delaware began in 1861 as a result of a law passed in 1860 by the General Assembly. The law set up the Recorder of Deeds in each of the three counties as the filer of births and deaths. The statute was repealed in 1863 and not re-enacted until 1881. General compliance with the 1881 law took until 1921 to reach a solid level. So if you are looking for a Delaware birth record before 1921, the match rate is uneven. The Archives has index cards to help close some of the gaps.

Visit the Archives in person during business hours, or send a research request to archives@delaware.gov. The DPA visiting and researching page sets the ground rules for requests and walk-in use.

The office asks researchers to hold each email to five specific references, with the county, name, date, volume, and page number for each record.

The Archives also holds other source material useful for birth records research. These include family Bible entries, church baptism rolls, tombstone transcripts, and census returns. Trustees of the Poor records and Orphans' Court files can fill gaps for births before statewide registration. Staff can point you to the right microfilm reel.

Adoptee and Amended Birth Records

Adoption triggers a new Delaware birth certificate. Under 16 Del.C. § 3126, once the court enters a final decree of adoption, the court clerk files a report with the State Registrar. The Registrar pulls the original birth record, seals it, and files a new certificate with the adoptive parents named as mother and father. The new Delaware birth record shows the child's new name, the adoptive parents, and the actual date and place of birth.

Delaware adoptees 21 years or older can ask for their original birth certificate. The Office of Vital Statistics runs an adoptee service that tries to contact the birth mother during a six to eight week window. If the birth mother signs a release, or if she can not be reached, the original Delaware birth record is released at the end of the window. If the birth mother asks for privacy, the original file stays sealed.

Paternity amendments follow a similar process. Under § 3127, the State Registrar can prepare an amended or new Delaware birth certificate once a court order or a signed acknowledgment of paternity comes in. The fact that paternity was declared after birth does not show on the amended certificate.

Who Can Get a Delaware Birth Certificate

Delaware limits who can get a certified copy of a birth record under 72 years old. The list, set by 16 Del.C. § 3110, includes the registrant, a spouse, a child, a parent, a guardian, and an authorized representative. A court order can also open the record to a third party.

An authorized representative is usually a lawyer acting for one of the named parties. The state asks for a legal request on letterhead, signed by the attorney, with proof of the client's link to the record. The Delaware 211 resource confirms that Delaware birth records are only released to these named people.

The Delaware 211 page for the Division of Public Health Vital Statistics lays out the public-facing rules in plain words.

That page also lists office hours, contact numbers, and links to the statewide index for divorce records from 1935 onward.

If a Delaware birth record is 72 years or older, anyone can get a copy from the Archives. The 72 year rule lifts the confidentiality shield. The Archives then treats the record as any other public record and makes it open to research.

Identification Required for Birth Records

The Office of Vital Statistics asks for one of the following forms of photo ID with every Delaware birth records request:

• State driver's license
• State photo identification card
• Government work ID, such as police, state worker, or FBI
• United States or foreign passport

If you are asking as a parent, spouse, child, or guardian, bring proof of the link. That might be your own birth certificate, a marriage license, or a short certificate from the Register of Wills. Some applicants need all three, depending on how the state traces the relationship.

Mail orders must include a clear copy of the ID. The office will return the whole packet if the copy is blurry or cut off. Online orders through GoCertificates or VitalChek use the same rule. You upload the ID image as the last step of the online order.

Browse Delaware Birth Records by County

Each Delaware county has its own Office of Vital Statistics branch and its own set of local resources. Pick a county below to find the local office address, phone number, and tips on pulling Delaware birth records for that area.

View All Delaware Counties

Birth Records in Major Delaware Cities

Residents of Delaware's main cities file birth records through the county Office of Vital Statistics or order them through the state. Pick a city below for local details.

View Major Delaware Cities