How to Find North Carolina Birth Records
Statewide registration of births began in 1913 in North Carolina with general compliance by 1920.
Next Step: When did the birth occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Births before 1913[edit | edit source]
Before 1913, no births were recorded by the county or state (exceptions being the cities of Raleigh (births begin 1890) and Wilmington (births begin 1904)). Delayed birth records are kept by each county's Register of Deeds. For most individuals, you must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
| Records that give birth information: | ||
Births after 1913[edit | edit source]
In 1913, the State of North Carolina began recording births. If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in other records.
For births that exist during the time period, try the following databases:
| Includes Index Only | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000 | FamilySearch - Free version of Ancestry.com database | |||
| Try 2nd: | ||||
| North Carolina Births, 1866-1964 | FamilySearch - Free; index only; incomplete | |||
| Try 3rd: | ||||
| At FamilySearch Centers/Libraries: | ||||
| North Carolina Birth Indexes, 1800-2000 | Ancestry Library edition - free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center | |||
| Use Your Ancestry subscription: | ||||
| North Carolina Birth Indexes, 1800-2000 | Ancestry subscription version - $, to sign up for a subscription; Obtain a subscription to Ancestry | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the online index? | Tips for searching online indexes | |||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | |||
Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]
With full names, dates and places of an event, you can order a copy of the birth certificate for a fee from North Carolina Public Health, VitalChek, or the local county register of deeds.
Restrictions for ordering North Carolina birth certificates:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate, you must be:
- The person on the certificate
- The direct descendant of the person on the certificate
- The spouse of the person on the certificate
- The direct ancestor of the person on the certificate
- The sibling of the person on the certificate
- The legal guardian of the person on the certificate
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the birth certificate cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above.
If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search.
