How to get a birth certificate or death certificate in Pennsylvania

Need a copy of your birth certificate or death certificate? Here's how to get one.

• A birth certificate is needed for getting a driver’s license, a passport, and verifying your U.S. citizenship throughout your life.
• A death certificate is needed for family members to take care of a deceased loved one’s estate, claim life insurance benefits, and more.
• The process for requesting these certificates are the exact same.

They are the first and last ID documents under your name: a birth certificate and death certificate.

A birth certificate is needed for getting a driver’s license, a passport, and verifying your U.S. citizenship throughout your life. In the U.S., birth certificates are usually issued by the hospital, birthing facility, or midwife/doula that helped deliver the pregnancy.

A death certificate is needed for family members to take care of a deceased loved one’s estate, claim life insurance benefits, and apply for permits for burial or cremation. In the U.S., death certificates are issued by the funeral home, cremation service, or the person who takes care of the deceased’s remains.

But what if you can’t find these certificates and have no clue how to request one? Don’t worry, Pennsylvania has a pretty straight forward systems for requesting a birth or death certificate — it’s not too hard if you have the right documents.

Key takeaways

• The process for requesting these certificates are the exact same.
• You'll need government-issued ID or documents that show your full name and current address.
• You may need to prove your relation to the person you're requesting a certificate for.
• It costs $20 per certificate.
• If you apply online or by mail, the process takes 2-3 weeks. If you apply in person, you can get it the same day.