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Oregon Health Authority

Vital Records Fees

Oregon State Vital Records is offering appointments for in-person visits to ORDER vital records. Click HERE to schedule your appointment.


In-person customer assistance to CHANGE vital records is not available.

Click HERE for more information on how to make changes to a record or contact the Amendment Unit at CHS.Amendments@oha.oregon.gov.

Oregon Center for Health Statistics has received an increased number of calls about third-party vendors selling birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates. These companies charge customers high fees to “process” or “help apply” for certificates issued from the Oregon Center for Health Statistics.

For the fastest service, without high fees, we encourage customers to order certified copies only from the Oregon Center for Health Statistics, your local Oregon county health department, or through our contracted vendor VitalChek.

If you have ordered through one of these third-party companies and would like to file a consumer complaint, contact the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Protection or call 1-877-877-9392.
    A fee increase of $4.25 for ordering vital records online and by phone                       through VitalChek goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

    Since 2012, the Center for Health Statistics has contracted with VitalChek to take and review orders for certified copies of vital records placed on the internet (online) and by phone using a credit card. VitalChek also provides identity authentication services to confirm the identity of customers. VitalChek charges customers set fees for providing these services for the Center for Health Statistics.

     

    The current fees and new fees are listed below: 



     

    What do customers get for the fee?

    VitalChek provides the following services to our customers:

    • Call center services 24/7 to take phone orders for certificates.

    • Website for online orders for certificates. www.VitalChek.com

    • Credit card processing and automatic refunds if needed.

    • Initial review of orders to make sure orders are complete.

    • Initial eligibility review to make sure customers are eligible to receive a vital record under Oregon law.

    • Identity authentication quiz (Instant authenticate) to confirm identity of customer as required under Oregon law.

    • Follow up with customers if additional information is missing.

    • Review of all documents before sending orders to the Center for Health Statistics for final review and processing.


    Why is the fee increasing?

    VitalChek has not increased these fees since 2013. The fee adjustment will help cover increasing business costs that all businesses have seen nationwide. VitalChek has also experienced a 20 percent increase in phone orders. The increased fees will provide the resources needed to service that higher volume and continue to provide good customer service.

     

     

    Who gets the fee?

    The online and phone ordering services fees charged by VitalChek go to VitalChek. None of these fees, or the $4.25 fee increase, go to the Center for Health Statistics.

     

    The vital records fees that are charged for certificates and for expedite processing of orders are not changing.

     

     

    What are other options for customers?

    There are other options to order vital records from the Center for Health Statistics that don't require paying the extra online or phone ordering fees. They include ordering by mail, drop box, or in person. See the Vital Records Fees chart below for more information.​ 




 Downloadable copy - Vital Records Fees


Fee Information by Order Type

Online 

​

Cost:​​​​

$25.00 Initial record search fee and first certificate

$  7.00 Expedite fee

$11.25 VitalChek vendor fee and security fee for applicant ​I​​D ​​verification and review.

​$43.25 Total nonrefundable fee for the first certificate 

​

​Additional Fees:

$20.00  UPS Next Day Air (USA excluding AK, HI, and PR).​ Other locations have additional fees.

    • Default selection when ordering. 

    • ​Must be available​ to sign for the certificate(s) if you choose this option.​​

​​$25.00 for each additional certificate ordered.

​

If the date of event is unknown for death, marriage or divorce records, $25.00 covers a five-year search. Those five years include the year of the given date, two years before the given date, and two years following the given date. Add $1.00 per year if more than 5 years needs to be searched, unless the record is more than 50 years old.​

​

Once a search for a record has been started, orders cannot be cancelled, and fees cannot be refunded.

​

Payment:

​All major credit or debit cards. Most prepaid debit cards accepted. Government issued benefit cards are not accepted.​

Phone
(VitalChek at 1-888-896-4988 24 hours a day , 7 days a week.)

Cost:

$25.00 Initial record search fee and first certificate

​$  7.00 Expedite fee

$12.95 VitalChek vendor fee and security fee for applicant ID verification and review.

$44.95 Total nonrefundable fee for the first certificate

​​

​​Additional Fees:

2​0.00   UPS Next Day Air (USA excluding AK, HI, and PR). Other locations have additional fees.

    • ​Default selection when ordering

    • Must be available to sign for the certificates(s) if you choose this option.

​$25.00 ​​for each additional certificate ordered.

​​​

If the date of event is unknown for death, marriage or divorce records, $25.00 covers a five-year search. Those five years include the year of the given date, two years before the given date, and two years following the given date. Add $1.00 per year if more than 5 years needs to be searched, unless the record is more than 50 years old.​


Once a search for a record has been started, orders cannot be cancelled, and fees cannot be refunded.


Payment:

All major credit or debit cards. Most prepaid debit cards accepted. Government issued benefit cards are not accepted.

​Mail In 

Cost:​​​

$25.00​ Initial nonrefundable record search fee and first certificate 


Additional Fees:

$25.00 for each additional certificate ordered.


If the date of event is unknown for death, marriage or divorce records, $25.00 covers a five-year search. Those five years include the year of the given date, two years before the given date, and two years following the given date. Add $1.00 per year if more than 5 years needs to be searched, unless the record is more than 50 years old.​


Once a search for a record has been started, orders cannot be cancelled, and fees cannot be refunded.​​

​​

Payment:​

No cash. Make payment by money order or check.

​

Make payment out to:​

​

​​​OHA/Vital Records​

​

Please do not staple any documents or payments to the order form​.


Send your signed order form(s), fees, copy of ID, and any other necessary​ documents ​​to:​​​​


Oregon Vital Records​​
PO Box 14050​

Portland OR 97293

Drop Box


Cost:

$25.00 Initial nonrefundable record search fee and first certificate​


Additional Fees:

$25.00 for each additional certificate ordered.​


If the date of event is unknown for death, marriage or divorce records, $25.00 covers a five-year search. Those five years include the year of the given date, two years before the given date, and two years following the given date. Add $1.00 per year if more than 5 years needs to be searched, unless the record is more than 50 years old.​


Once a search for a record has been started, orders cannot be cancelled, and fees cannot be refunded.​


Payment:

No cash. Make payment by money order or check.

​

Make payment out to:


OHA/Vital Records​


Please do not staple any documents or payments to the order form

​

In-Person Appointment


Cost:

$25.00 Initial record search fee and first certificate

$  3.00 Identity Authentication fee

$28.00 Total nonrefundable fee for the first certificate


Additional Fees:

$25.00 for each additional certificate ​ordered.


If the date of event is unknown for death, marriage or divorce records, $25.00 covers a five-year search. Those five years include the year of the given date, two years before the given date, and two years following the given date. Add $1.00 per year if more than 5 years needs to be searched, unless the record is more than 50 years old.​​


Once a search for a record has been started, orders cannot be cancelled, and fees cannot be refunded.​

​

Payment:

Payment can be made by major credit card, debit card, cash or money order. If a personal or business check is used, it must be accepted by the electronic funds transfer software (EFT).

A credit union ATM is available on the first floor in the building. ​



Additional Fee Information

​Archive Searches​

Extended search for death, marriage, or divorce records - add $1 for every additional year to be searched.​


The basic fee covers a five year search which includes the year stated on the application for the vital​ event and two years before and after that year.

​Record Correction and Amendment​ Fees​

​

Correction or amendment fee - birth and death records

  • $35.00


Delayed registration of birth fee - does not include cost of certificate

  • $35.00

Correction or amendment expedite fee (by prior arrangement). Orders must be shipped by certified mail or overnight delivery to get expedited processing

  • $30.00


Commemorative Stillbirth Certificate

  • $25.00

  • $25.00


Preadoption Birth Certificate

  • $30.00

  • $30.00

    ​

Certified No Record of Marriage (5 year search)

  • $25.00

  • $25.00


​NOTE:

Additional fees apply for records ordered by telephone and internet.​

​A penalty not to exceed $35 may be assessed for NSF (non-sufficient funds) checks per ORS 30.701(5)​​.

In the event that your check is returned unpaid for insufficient or uncollected funds, we may present your check electronically. In the ordinary course of business, your check will not be provided to you with your bank statement but a copy can be retrieved by other means.​

​Refund Policy:​

Oregon charges a search fee for records. Once an order is received and processed, the record fees are not refundable.​​​


  • If you order multiple copies and the record cannot be found, the fees for the first record search will be retained but the fees for the extra copies will be refunded.

  • ​If your order makes it clear the record is filed in another state, or that it is not available because the event occurred prior to when birth, death, marriage or divorce records were filed, the record search will not be completed and the fee will be automatically refunded.


  • If you contact us to cancel an order, fees will be refunded only if the record search has not been started.

  • If you place an order at the public counter, by telephone, or on the internet, you will be charged for additional services such as the VitalChek vendor fee, the security fee to check the applicant's identity and the order expedite fee.


  • These fees will not be refunded once a search for the record has been started.


Please make note:

If you are charged fees by any internet company other than the VitalChek Network, the Oregon Vital Records office will not be able to assist you with canceling the order, locating the vendor, or refunding the fees. You must contact the vendor directly or work directly with your credit card company to dispute any charges to your card. If you believe the vendor has failed to provide you with a record or services, you also may report the problem to the consumer protection agency in your state.​​

​

The Center for Health Statistics (CHS) does not receive general funds from the state of Oregon, (money budgeted from tax revenue). T​he operations of CHS are primarily funded with fees. 

​

​Fees for records cover approximately 60 percent of the cost of staff, systems, equipment, services, and supplies to:​


  • Register approximately 126,000 birth, death, fetal death, marriage, dissolution of marriage, Oregon registered domestic partnership, and dissolution of Oregon registered domestic partnership records that are filed each year;


  • Continue to collect and analyze data to produce quality reports for use by public and private agencies;


  • Continue to maintain more than 6.5 million vital records filed since 1903 and develop improved registration, storage, data analysis, retrieval, issuance, and archiving systems for the future;


  • Improve speed and processing of orders while screening applicants to prevent identity theft. Oregon uses the VitalChek Network to take and process orders placed on the internet, by telephone, and in person to screen the identity of applicants and provide faster processing of orders for records.


  • Complete and track all changes to vital records to add missing data, correct errors, and complete amendments according to laws related to adoption, establishing paternity, court ordered changes, and delayed and court registration of records.

  • Maintain and modernize the electronic vital records system known as OVERS (Oregon Vital Events Registration System). This mission critical​ system provides a secure web-base environment that supports strong, stable, and flexible operations for the all vital records and statistics operation in the state.

  • Engage our partners to ensure the state has a strong vital records and statistics system by providing training, publishing monthly newsletters, maintaining our web site, completing reviews, and sharing information on all new laws, policies, and procedures related to vital records.

Thirty percent of our budget is provided by agencies across Oregon state government that use vital records information to serve Oregon residents. The remaining ten percent of funds that support the Oregon Center for Health Statistics come from contracts and grants.​