Frequently Asked Questions
Note: DeKalb Public Health provides general information as a public service, not to advise on any specific legal problem. The information is not, and should not be construed to be, legal advice.
DeKalb Public Health’s Office of Vital Records Services
Birth certificates from 1919 to the present are available. For a newborn, please wait at least two weeks after the birth before ordering a birth certificate.
A death certificate is available for 75 years after the death.
There are two locations:
Richardson Health Center, Suite 191
445 Winn Way
Decatur, GA 30030
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Phone: (404) 294-3857
North DeKalb Health Center
3807 Clairmont Road, NE
Chamblee, GA 30341
Hours: Tuesday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Phone: (678) 475-4308
Please arrive more than 15 minutes before closing time. Both locations are closed on state holidays.
If you have proof of identification (and other documentation, if required) and the certificate is in Georgia’s electronic Vital Records system, you will receive the certificate within 15 minutes. We strive to provide excellent customer service and are committed to filling your order without delay.
If you obtain the certificate in person or by mail, a non-refundable search fee of $25 includes your first certificate. If the exact birth or death date is unknown, there is an additional $25 fee for a search covering 3 years. Each additional certificate ordered at the same time for the same person is $5. There is a processing fee of $5 for each order submitted through our website.
Please contact the Vital Records office at (404) 294-3857 to determine if a search is feasible.
No. We do not conduct record searches based on orders by phone.
Yes. The DeKalb County Vital Records Office has access to certificates of births and deaths in all Georgia counties.
Birth certificates
Parents may designate a last name (surname) that is not the legal surname of the mother or father, if the surname is chosen in accordance with a bonafide cultural naming convention practiced in the nation of origin of one or both of them. Be sure to discuss this with the person who will be filing the birth record.
Death certificates
Corrections or changes to a birth or death record
Contact the Special Services unit of the Georgia Office of Vital Records at (404) 679-4702.
Certificates for births and deaths outside Georgia
Certificates to provide to other countries
There are two types of international certification. The type you need depends on the country where you plan to submit the document.
Check the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority’s list to see if the country is listed as a participant of the Apostille Convention: https://www.gsccca.org/notary-and-apostilles/apostilles/hague-apostille-country-list.
If the country is listed, you need an apostille copy of the document. Visit the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority’s information page at https://www.gsccca.org/notary-and-apostilles/apostilles/general-apostille-information or call (404) 327-6023 for instructions.
If the country is not listed, you need a Great Seal copy of the document. Visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s website at: https://sos.ga.gov/page/receive-great-seal-certification or call (470) 312-2743 for instructions.
Adoption
Visit the Georgia Department of Family Services’ website at: http://dfcs.dhs.georgia.gov/birth-family-search.
As soon as the baby is born, place your name on the Putative Father Registry. Call the Georgia Vital Records Office at (404) 679-4702 or visit http://dph.georgia.gov/putative-father-registry. You will be notified of any adoption petitions and other legal proceedings.
Paternity Acknowledgement
To add your name to your child’s birth certificate as the father, call the Georgia Vital Records Office at (404) 679-4702 or visit https://dph.georgia.gov/ways- request-vital-record/paternity-acknowledgements.
Marriage licenses and divorce decrees
Call the DeKalb County Probate Court at (404) 371-3035 or visit https://mlccw.dekalbcountyga.gov/web/search/DOCSEARCH185S2.
Call the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court at (404) 371-2836 and then press 1 for civil cases. Or, visit https://ody.dekalbcountyga.gov/portal and click on the Smart Search button. In the box, enter the spouse’s name under which the divorce was filed.
Genealogy research
To obtain a birth or death record for genealogy research, please designate the intended use on your request. The search fee(s) applies. If a record is found, you will receive it printed on plain white paper and watermarked “For genealogy purposes only.” This record cannot be used for legal purposes.
SERVICE