Florida Birth Certificate Information

According to the Florida Department of Health, birth certificates issued in Florida are vital records embossed with the seal of Florida. Florida’s birth certificates meet the standards required for vital records established by groups such as the Department of Homeland Security.

History

• The Florida Department of Health reports the first recording of vital events, such as births, was by the City of Key West, Florida, in 1865. Other cities in Florida followed by creating their own city ordinances for the recording of birth certificates and other vital records. Florida birth certificates and other vital records now are issued and administered by the Florida Department of Health through Florida Vital Records. Along with birth certificates Vital Records issues certificates and records events such as death, fetal death, marriage and dissolution of marriage.

Certificates

• Birth certificates issued in the state of Florida are now recorded and printed from computer records, a system the Florida Department of Health reports was introduced in the mid 1980s. The birth certificates issued from computer records are printed on safety paper containing an embossed version of the Florida seal. Florida birth certificates are used as proof of identity and residency for the U.S. Passport Office, courts, schools and the Social Security Administration.

Types

• The Florida Department of Health explains there are two main types of birth certificates issued in Florida, those issued before 1917 and those issued in 1917 and after. In 2010, a copy of a birth certificate issued in 1917 or later can be printed as a computer-generated birth certificate on safety paper with an embossed seal. Births recorded before 1917 are not available for printing from computer-generated records and can only be issued as a photocopy of the original record. The cost of obtaining a copy of either type of birth certificate in 2010 is $9.

Commemorative

• According to the Hillsborough County Health Department, the State of Florida can issue commemorative birth certificates containing the signature of the Governor of Florida and the State Registrar. Commemorative birth certificates are written using calligraphy techniques and contain a gold embossed state seal. The cost of a commemorative birth certificate is $34 in 2010.

Law

• The issuing of birth certificates is completed to ensure the proper administration of U.S. and Florida law, according to the Florida Department of Health. Birth certificates are also issued to ensure the rights of the individual in obtaining entrance to a Florida school system, obtaining a U.S. passport and in claiming welfare benefits.