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Oregon Health Authority

County Vital Records Offices

icons8-news-96.pngKey Resources

County Liaison Contact Information
For county vital records questions, call the County Liaison at 971-673-1166 or email CHS Partner Services.

Matters of Record Newsletter 
A monthly newsletters with up-to-date informative articles for our partners.

CHS Partner FAQ
This page contains a comprehensive list of all the Center for Health Statistics Frequently Asked Questions for our Partners. Type in keywords in the "Search" box to narrow your results. If you do not find the question or answer you are looking for, please email Partner Services.

 

Training Opportunities

Would you like to schedule an individual or group training? Email the Vital Records Trainer. Training includes how to use various OVERS modules, updates in state law and opportunities to get your questions answered. Recordings of past trainings are also available to view below under County Trainings.


OVERS Help Desk - Technical Support 971-673-0279

The OVERS Help Desk is available to answer questions Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. If you reach the voicemail, leave a detailed message including your name, phone number, case ID, and issue that you are experiencing with OVERS, and a staff member will call you back as soon as we can.

Forgot your password?
Click the “Forgot your password?" link at the bottom of the OVERS login screen.
  • Username is case sensitive and must be correct.

  • See the Quick Reference Guide for step-by-step instructions to reset your OVERS password.




Issuing Certificates 

Amending Records


Forms and Resources

Registering Records

OVERS Resources 

icons8-people-96 (1).png County Vital Records Information

​The partnership between the county vital records' offices and the Center for Health Statistics is essential to a statewide vital records system. Provided here are a number of resources to assist you.​


​New County and Deputy Registrar Training

Our office offers a live Vital Records Overview training for new county and deputy registrars. These trainings are conducted as three separate 1-hour sessions and can be taken from your own computer. To schedule a training with our Vital Records Trainer, email CHS.PartnerServices@oha.oregon.gov.

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Past Webinars​​​


Date: August 2024​
Topic: County Stats Training

​

Date: November 2023
Topic: County Training Amendments and Replacements​​​​

Date: September 2022
Topic: Disposition Permits and the 24-Hour Notice Queue

Date: March 2022
Topic: Triennial Review Highlights

Date: September 2021
Topic: Amending Death Records

Date: February 2021
Topic: Importance of using OVERS and other issuance topics

Date: September 2020
Topic: County Issuance

Date: August 2018
Topic: Vital Statistics and Confidentiality

Date: December 2017
Topic: Amendment Tool

​Once every three years, the Center for Health Statistics conducts an on-site ​​​review of each county vital records office. The below resources inform counties what ​criteria will be used for their review and provide requirements for county vital records offices not addressed in law or statute.
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Information and Guidance


Triennial Review Tool 

The Vital Records County Triennial Review is a tool used to support and ensure County compliance with Oregon law. The majority of vital record laws are found in Chapter 432 – Vital Statistics, and administrative rule Chapter 333, Division 11.


Criteria for compliance includes:

  1. County requirements;​​​

  2. Issuance of vital records requirements; and

  3. Security, access, and confidentiality requirements

​​​Instructional Memorandum 2024-03​ - updated 3/2024

While most vital records requirements are found in statute and administrative rule, procedures are also needed that are supported by rule and law. These procedures are shared through Instructional Memos.

Instructional Memo 2024-03 provides specific written instructions on procedures necessary for a vital records system that maintains the confidentiality and security of records consistently throughout Oregon. It combines and replaces previous Instructional Memos with updated information in alignment with recent updates to the Triennial Review Tool.

Topics include:


  • County and Deputy County Registrar roles and responsibilities

  • Compliance guidelines which do not have a specific citation in statute or rule

  • Best practices​​​

When a County Registrar or Deputy Registrar leaves their position, please fax a letter on county letterhead to the State Registrar at 971-673-1201.

  • The letter should come from the County Registrar for departing deputies, or the supervisor of the County Registrar who is leaving. 

  • Include the employee's name and effective date. 

  • When a County Registrar departs, the letter must also include the appointment of the next County Registrar.


Important: 
The County Registrar position must be filled at all times. When a County Registrar leaves their position, a new County Registrar must be appointed immediately.
If the County Registrar's position is not filled for any period of time, county staff cannot register, issue or amend records at the county office during that time period.
If records are issued during a period of time when no registrar is appointed, those records are legally invalid.

Please email CHS.PartnerServices@oha.oregon.gov​ if you have any questions about this process.​

Parents may request information about home births from the State Vital Records Office. 

All applications for home birth registration and documents are submitted to the State office - not the county office. Counties should never accept or register a birth record from a home birth.

Parents can find more information about home birth packets at the Home Birth Registration Web Page. 

Birth parents may request a county office to file a form as part of their home birth application.
The form to use is Vital Record Office Verification of Live Birth form. The county official fills out the form and faxes it to the State Vital Records office.


When a new County Registrar or Deputy Registrar joins your team, there​ are documents the Center for Health Statistics will need to get them up and running. Your​ new employee​ will not be able to fulfill their duties until these documents are processed. Please complete and fax to 971-673-1201.

  • A letter to the State Registrar on county letterhead that includes the new Registrar/Deputy Registrar's name and effective date. This letter should come from the County Registrar for new deputies, or the county official making the appointment for a new County Registrar (e.g. the County Public Health Director or the County Registrar's supervisor). A County Registrar may not appoint their self.

  • Vital Records Commissions for County Registrar and Deputy Registrar Form​

  • OVERS Enrollment Form​

  • Two forms of ID, including one with a photo
    (see page 1 of the OVERS Enrollment Form for a list of acceptable ID)

If you have any questions about these documents or want to track the status of an appointment email CHS.PartnerServices@oha.oregon.gov​​. 

Once the commission is approved and an OVERS account is created, new staff will be ready to attend our three-part ​vital ​​records training webinar​.
We also provide a number of training resources online, and our OVERS Help Desk is available weekdays at 971-673-0279 for technical support.​

ORS 432.380(2)(a) states that an applicant for a certified copy of a vital record shall submit a signed application, documentation of identity and evidence of eligibility. 

The law defines documentation of identity as being at minimum:​

  • ​Government issued identification that includes a photograph or

  • At least three forms of identification; or

  • Identification submitted through an electronic process adopted by the state registrar by rule.

This law has been in effect since January 2014, but in the past funeral directors had not been consistently asked to provide ID with their orders. The state outlined consistent procedures to ensure that all who work with vital records meet the law and the State Registrar approved final procedures outlined in the below memos for funeral home staff and County Vital Records Offices. 


The procedures went into effective January 1, 2023.

If you have questions regarding identification requirements or​ procedures, please contact CHS.PartnerServices@oha.oregon.gov. 

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Services
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New Fee

Fee Collected By

Birth Certificates - First Copy

$25.00

County & State

Each Additional Copy

$25.00

County & State

Death Certificates - First Copy

$25.00

County & State

Each Additional Copy

$25.00

County & State

Amendment Fee

$35.00

State Only

Certificate Replacement Fee

$5.00 per replacement

County & State

Verification Fee
(after 5 free verifications)

$10.00/first 5 free

State Only

Certified Copy of Birth Record Requested as image

$30.00 each

State Only

Amendment Expedite Fee
(by arrangement - for amendment within 3 work days)

$30.00 each

State Only

 
​Oregon Vital Record fees last updated on January 1, 2018


PDF of County Fee Schedule

​The Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division has adopted rule OAR 333-011-0338 relating to fees for vital records. This rule is for requesting vital records received on or after June 1, 2021. It is intended to relieve the burden of certain fees for copies of and searches for vital records for Oregonians who have experienced loss of property or life due to or associated with​​ a state or federal emergency declaration.

The Center for Health Statistics Vital Records office may provide up to three (3) certified copies of a birth, death, marriage, divorce, domestic partnership or dissolution of domestic partnership record with a zero fee to eligible requests in connection with a state or federal emergency declaration.

Applicants must state the reason for ordering the record(s) as “Emergency Declaration" to qualify for the zero fee.

Resources: