Amendments and Corrections

The Bureau of Vital Statistics has the authority to correct errors or omissions on a birth record. It does not have the authority to change a registrant's name.

Depending on the type of correction and the age of the registrant, documentary evidence may be required to support the correction. If the correction is to the name of a minor child, the signatures of both parents, if listed on the original birth record, are required.

Florida law requires a non-refundable amendment processing fee of $20.00 which includes one certification of the amended record.

DH660 Instructions For Amending A Certificate of Birth (46K pdf).

DH430 Affidavit of Amendment of Certificate of Live Birth (36K  pdf)

DH429 Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record (168kb pdf)

DH429S Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record Spanish (90kb)

If you need assistance with your request for an amendment to a vital record, call (904) 359-6900, Extension 9005 or email us at VitalStats@FLHealth.gov

Demographic Amendments: Depending on the type of correction, documentary evidence to support the requested correction may be required.  Florida law requires a non-refundable amendment processing fee of $20.00 which includes one certification of the amended record.

DH670 Instructions For Correction of Certificate of Death (58K pdf)

DH524 Application For Amendment to Florida Death or Fetal Death Record (176K pdf)

DH433 Affidavit of Amendment of Certificate of Death (370K pdf)

DH433A Affidavit of Amendment to a Florida Certificate of Fetal Death (pdf)

If you need assistance with your request for an amendment to a vital record, call (904) 359-6900, Extension 9005 or email us at VitalStats@FLHealth.gov

To amend the medical certification or cause of death section on the death certificate requires the certifying physician or medical examiner to complete and file the notarized DH434A Affidavit of Amendment to Medical Certification of Death (74K pdf.)

DH524 Application For Amendment to Florida Death or Fetal Death Record (176K pdf)

There is no amendment fee associated with a medical amendment; however, if a certification of the amended death record is desired, a fee of $5.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each subsequent copy ordered at the same time is required. Questions on the medical affidavit should be directed to (904) 359-6900, extension 9013.

A father's name may be added to his child's birth record only in the case where the mother was unmarried at the time of the child's birth and no father is listed on the birth record.

DH429 Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record (168K pdf)

DH429S Application for Amend to Florida Birth Record Spanish (90K pdf)

DH432 Acknowledgment of Paternity (English 680K pdf MUST print on legal size paper)

Notarized signatures of both parents OR two witnesses for each parent (may be the same witnesses) are required. If parents have married and they wish marital status to be amended to show "married", a certified copy of the parents' marriage record is also required. A non-refundable fee of $20.00, which includes one certification of the record, is required by Florida law.

If you need additional assistance, call (904) 359-6900, Extension 9004 or email us at VitalStats@FLHealth.gov

If you have had a legal name change in a Florida court, a report of legal change of name will be forwarded to our office by the clerk of the court, usually within 30 days.  The birth record will be amended by attaching the change of name report to the original birth record.

If an address is provided, we will notify you or your attorney in writing of the amendment and the fee required.  A non-refundable fee of $20.00 is required for amending the record and includes one certification of the amended record.

If you were born in another state, the clerk of court will provide you with a copy of the name change. You should contact your state of birth regarding their procedures in this matter.

If you had your name changed in another state, a certified copy of the legal name change must be submitted with your request.

DH429 Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record (1.2M pdf)

DH429S Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record Spanish (90k pdf)

DH 427 Report of Legal Name Change (164K pdf)

For additional assistance, call (904) 359-6900, Extension 9005 or email us at VitalStats@FLHealth.gov

If an adoption has occurred, the clerk of the court will forward to our office a report of the adoption within thirty days of the order. Based on this document, a new birth record will be filed for the child.

DH429 Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record (1.2M pdf)

DH429S Application for Amendment to Florida Birth Record (90k pdf)

DH527 Certified Statement of Final Decree of Adoption (870K pdf)

A non-refundable fee of $20.00 is required for amending the record and includes one certification of the amended record.  If the required fee does not accompany the report of the adoption, the record will be amended and either the parent or attorney will be notified in writing of the amendment and the fee requirement.

If adopted in Florida but born in another state, the report of adoption received from the clerk of the court will be forwarded to the child's state of birth.  Contact the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the child's state of birth regarding their requirements in this matter. In matters of parental rights, the DH 5075 form may be needed.

DH5075 Petition for Termination of Parental Rights (77K pdf)

For additional assistance, call (904) 359-6900, Extension 9001 or email us at VitalStats@FLHealth.gov

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Complete attached Application Form DH726, A fee of $14.00 is due for photocopy Certification of the sealed birth record.
• Make check or money order made payable to: Vital Statistics.
• Enclose a photocopy of driver’s license or State Identification Card, Passport and/or Military Identification Card
• Submit applicable notarized affidavit(s):

Adoptee under the age of 18 (pdf)

Adoptee 18 years of age or older (pdf)

If you need additional assistance, call (904) 359-6900, Extension 9001 or email us at VitalStats@FLHealth.gov

To obtain non-identifying information or to register with Florida’s Adoption Reunion Registry (FARR) CALL 1-800-96-ADOPT or go to their website at: www.floridasadoptioninformationcenter.com

Vital Statistics is able to file Certificates of Foreign Birth for children born in foreign countries to non-US citizens, based on orders of adoption whose judgment occurs in the State of Florida . The court reports a foreign born adoption on the same form, Certified Statement Of Final Decree Of Adoption DH Form 527  as used to report an adoption for a child born in Florida.

The Certificate of Foreign Birth shows the adoptive name, the adoptive parents, and will show the true country of birth.  The record also bears information regarding the court order, and has a disclaimer regarding the record not being proof of citizenship.

Certificates of Foreign Birth are not filed for Canadian born children as by mutual agreement those orders are forwarded onto the Vital Statistics office in the province in which the child was born.  The fee for filing a Certificate of Foreign Birth is $20.00. A second copy of the record is $9.00, and any subsequent copies requested at the same time is $4.00 each.

An optional application is available for requesting the filing of a Certificate of Foreign Birth.

DH1178 Application For Certificate Of Foreign Birth  (983K pdf)

DH527 Certified Statement of Final Decree of Adoption (870K pdf)

If you need additional assistance, call (904) 359-6900, Extension 9001 or email us at VitalStats@FLHealth.gov

Florida law allows for the filing of a delayed birth certificate when no birth certificate was filed within one year of the child's birth. If the child is not yet one year old, the record may still be registered by contacting the vital statistics office at the county health department in the county of the child's birth for assistance in registering the birth. 

If the child is over one year, the following information applies:

A non-refundable fee of $20.00 is required by Florida law and will entitle you to one certification of the record, if filed.  Forms for filing a delayed birth record are mailed on an individual basis and only after a result of a search of the State Bureau of Vital Statistics' birth records when it is found that no birth record is on file for the individual.

Documentary evidence supporting the birth facts is required.  The number of documents as well as the age of documents varies depending on the age of the applicant.  Such evidence must be in the form of original documents or notarized or certified copies and must show the child's full name, age or date of birth, place of birth and the date the original record was established.  At least one document must also show the father's name and the mother's full maiden name.

If you have not yet had our records searched for your birth record and wish to do so, submit your request in writing along with the search fee of $9.00 to:
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Post Office Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042

DH726 Application for a Florida Birth Record (English PDF 99K)

DH726S Application for a Florida Birth Record Spanish (156k pdf)

If no record is found, you will be provided with a certified "not found" statement and instructions for filing a delayed birth certificate.

If you need additional assistance, call (904) 359-6900, Extension 9003 or email us at VitalStats@FLHealth.gov