How to Get a Birth Certificate in San Antonio Texas
This article intends to help you find all the necessary information to get your birth certificate or your child’s if you live in the San Antonio, Texas area.
Birth certificates are important legal documents used in several procedures such as proving birth/citizenship, obtaining a state ID, getting your social security number or passport, and enrolling in school, among others. Not having this document could prevent you from being able to carry out many different kinds of tasks. If you need to obtain a birth certificate for yourself or your child, follow the instructions in this article.
Contact The City of San Antonio To Obtain Your Birth Certificate
The first step is knowing the local agency you’ll need to contact to get your birth certificate in San Antonio: the City of San Antonio City Clerk. You can visit the City Clerk’s office at 719 S. Santa Rosa, San Antonio, Texas 78204. The City Clerk’s office keeps records of the births, deaths, and fetal deaths in Bexar County. Birth records are available from 1897, death records from 1873, and fetal death records from 1952.
You can also reach them by phone at 210.207.8781. Business hours are Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm.
How Much Does a San Antonio Birth Certificate Cost?
The cost of a birth certificate is $23. For an additional $4, you can ask for an extra copy. Birth certificates that are either not found or not purchased have a $21 fee.
Please note that there are added fees for shipping and handling all birth and death certificates ordered by mail following the 2019-09-12-0694A Ordinance. Standard Certified Mail with return receipt is $13, while Overnight Certified Mail with return receipt is $24.25.
Download a San Antonio Birth Certificate Application
In this section, you will find useful links to download your Birth Certificate Application.
If you choose to complete the form at home, ensure that you follow the instructions carefully, fill out each section provided, including your demographic information, and select the type of certificate you need.
As mentioned previously, birth and death certificates are important, confidential records with restricted access. Birth records are restricted until 75 years after the filing date. If the birth certificate you wish to obtain falls under the restricted access period, it can only be issued to qualified applicants. More information about eligibility for restricted access records is available here.
How To Obtain Your Birth Certificate if You Were Born in San Antonio Texas
Now that you have all the information regarding where and when to go, you’ll need to know how to go about actually requesting a San Antonio birth certificate. You have three different options for doing so: in-person, online, or by mail.
In-Person Request
For in-person requests, visit the City Clerk Vital Records Division, located at 719 S. Santa Rosa Street. You can find free parking in both front and back parking lots of the building, and the facility is ADA accessible.
If the birth certificate you wish to request belongs to someone born in Bexar County, you can request the long-form one at the City Clerk’s Office, which is valid for all purposes including passports and immigration. If the birth certificate belongs to someone born in Texas but not in the San Antonio or Bexar area, you may request an abstract birth record (short form), which can not be used for immigration purposes and sometimes will not be accepted by the Department of State when requesting a passport.
To make your in-person visit quicker, you can register in advance through the Qless mobile app, which will notify you periodically about the estimated wait time. Instructions on how to get in line can be found here.
Please note that when requesting a birth certificate in person, you must bring original documents proving qualified applicant status. Copies of said documents will not be accepted.
Request By Mail
For mail requests, download and fill out your application:
All applicants must also submit a notarized proof of identity, and a copy of acceptable identification and payment. Once these elements are ready, mail to:
Office of the City Clerk
Vital Records Division
719 S. Santa Rosa
San Antonio, Texas 78204
Please note that there are added fees for shipping and handling all birth and death certificates ordered by mail following the 2019-09-12-0694A Ordinance. Standard Certified Mail with return receipt is $13, while Overnight Certified Mail with return receipt is $24.25. Requests are processed within ten (10) days after having been received.
Online Request
For online requests, you must process your request through Vitalchek, as the Office City Clerk does not accept online orders through their website directly. Vitalchek is an independent company that can be reached via its website or phone at 1-800-255-2414. Vitalchek will charge you an additional fee of $10 for using their service, and all major credit cards are accepted for payment.
Once you have submitted your online request, you will receive an order confirmation at the email address you provided when registering. The next step will be providing documentation to verify your identity, as the State of Texas requires. You will have to log in here with the order confirmation number and the PIN number included in the order confirmation receipt, then scan or fax the necessary documentation.
Once you have submitted your documents, your request will take between 24 and 48 hours to process. Once it has been approved, you will be contacted by email. Please ensure this last step is complete, as it is an essential step in the online ordering process. If this step is not executed within seven days after receiving your VitalChek confirmation email, your order request will be automatically canceled.
Conclusion
To get a San Antonio birth certificate you will need to visit the City of San Antonio Vital Statistics website. You’ll be able to find more in-depth information on how to obtain your San Antonio birth record on this website. Alternatively, you can reach out to them at 210.207.8781, and their representatives will answer any questions you might have about this process.
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Nick Bryant is the author of Understanding Healthcare Is Half The Battle and a Senior Counselor with 13+ years of experience working in community health and mental health. He enjoys spending time with his family, watching WWE on Friday nights, and working toward a Google Data Analytics certification. If you have additional questions about community resources or government assistance programs, simply leave a comment below and he will follow up as soon as possible.
