Vital records office in North Carolina — birth, marriage, death certificates

Vital records office in North Carolina

How to obtain certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates from North Carolina for immigration filings, USCIS evidence, school enrollment, or any other purpose.

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Birth

Event: Birth Cost of first copy: $24.00 Cost of each additional copy: $15.00 Address: NC Vital Records 1903 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1903 Remarks: The State office has birth records beginning with October 1913. Business or certified check or money order should be made payable to NC Vital Records . To verify current fees and access additional information on how to obtain copies of vital records, the telephone number is (919) 733-3000 or visit the North Carolina Vital Records website . A copy of a valid photo ID and a signed application are required for all certificate requests. See NC Vital Records’ certificate application for a list of acceptable IDs. The Register of Deeds in the county where the birth occurred can provide copies of birth certificates upon request. Death

Event: Death Cost of first copy: $24.00 Cost of each additional copy: $15.00 Address: NC Vital Records 1903 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1903 Remarks: The State office has death records beginning with 1930. Business or certified check or money order should be made payable to NC Vital Records . To verify current fees and access additional information on how to obtain copies of vital records, the telephone number is (919) 733-3000 or visit the North Carolina Vital Records website . A copy of a valid photo ID and a signed application are required for all certificate requests. See NC Vital Records’ certificate application for a list of acceptable IDs. The  Register of Deeds in the county where the death occurred can provide copies of death certificates upon request. Marriage

Event: Marriage (County) Cost of first copy: $24.00 Cost of each additional copy: $15.00 Address: NC Vital Records 1903 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1903 Remarks: The State Office has marriage records beginning with 1962. Business or certified check or money order should be made payable to NC Vital Records . To verify current fees and access additional information on how to obtain copies of vital records, the telephone number is (919) 733-3000 or visit the North Carolina Vital Records website . A copy of a valid photo ID and a signed application are required for all certificate requests. See NC Vital Records’ certificate application for a list of acceptable IDs. The  Register of Deeds in the county where the marriage license was obtained can also provide copies of marriage certificates upon request, including records prior to 1962. Divorce

Event: Divorce Cost of first copy: $24.00 Cost of each additional copy: $15.00 Address: NC Vital Records 1903 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1903 Remarks: The State Office has divorce records beginning with 1958. Business or certified check or money order should be made payable to NC Vital Records . To verify current fees and access additional information on how to obtain copies of vital records, the telep

North Carolina vital records office details

• CDC W2W (Where to Write) page: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/north_carolina.htm

Why immigrants need certified vital records

USCIS, courts, schools, and many other US agencies require certified vital records (not photocopies) for:

• I-130 family petition — birth certificate proves family relationship
• I-485 adjustment of status — birth certificate of applicant and beneficiaries
• N-400 naturalization — marriage certificate if applying under spouse-of-USC 3-year rule
• Apostille — for use of US documents in foreign countries (your home country may require US apostille)
• School enrollment — proof of date of birth
• Real ID applications — proof of identity

Apostille and authentication

If you need to use a North Carolina vital record OUTSIDE the United States (e.g., for use at your home country’s consulate), you typically need an apostille from the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office. See /procedures/apostille-document/ for the process.

Related procedural information

• Consulate of your country in the US — your home country’s transcription/legalization of US records
• Translate documents for USCIS — certified-translation standard
• Apostille (document legalization) — for use abroad
• USCIS Form I-130 — family petition — uses vital records as evidence
• USCIS Form N-400 — naturalization — vital records for marriage-based 3-year rule

Last verified: 2026-05-27. General procedural information — not legal advice. Fees and processing times change; verify with the North Carolina office.