Some of the most important events in our lives, such as being born or dying, must be certified by the local government so they can have a legal effect. For example, almost all vital records in Arizona are kept by the Bureau of Vital Records, with a few exceptions that we will explain to you later.
These are documents that we use for very specific situations, but they are extremely necessary for citizens of any country, not only in the United States of America.
Depending on the type of document that you need, the procedures for obtaining them are different. So, in this article, we will explain a little more about how to get your vital records specifically in Arizona.
What are Vital Records?
They are documents that the local government uses to certify the most important and relevant events of our lives. For example, if you have a baby and you did not register his birth, it does not mean that it has not happened, but for legal purposes, it is necessary to obtain the birth certificate.
Mainly, the vital records of a person are composed of:
- Birth certificate.
- Marriage license and certificate.
- Separations agreements and divorce certificate (if any).
- Adoption certificate (if any).
- And death certificate.
The local governments, acting through the health departments, are in charge of keeping the records related to the documents that certify the birth, marriage, divorce, and death of the citizens who carry out these events within their state jurisdictions.
In the case of the state of Arizona, vital records related to birth, death, and adoption are kept by the Department of Health Services, through the Bureau of Vital Records; and marriage and divorce certificates are managed by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the marriage or divorce occurred.
Arizona Vital Records and How to get them
Birth Certificates
Currently, the Arizona Department of Vital Records is not scheduling personal appointments. However, you can request this document via mail or by using the VitalCheck Network, Inc. page.
The local government has only authorized this company to specifically provide the service of obtaining Arizona vital records.
If you wish to request it by mail, you must send to this address: PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005 the application form, a copy of your identification card on both sides, and the payment method of the fee ($20): money orders, cashier’s checks or Visa and MasterCard. You must not send cash.
On the other hand, if you are looking specifically for a birth certificate, we recommend you to read this article that we made: How to request an Arizona Birth Certificate?
Death Certificates
Just as birth certificates, you can currently request them via mail or online through the VitaclCheck Network, Inc. page since the offices of the Department of Health Services in Arizona are closed to attend to personal requests for vital records.
To request this document by mail, you must do the same process and send it to the same address as the birth certificates (the fee is also $20); the only different thing is the form, which you can download here.
Since Arizona is a “closed-state” only a few persons are authorized to request vital records; we recommend you to check in advance if you can request death certificates.
Adoptions
When an adoption is decreed it has the same legal effects as biological relatives; this means that the adoptive parents will have the same rights and obligations as biological parents and the birth certificate will show the name of the adoptive parents.
In these cases, adoptive parents may request an amendment of a birth certificate after adoption and then apply for a new copy of a birth certificate with their names included on it as the new parents of their child.
The Bureau of Vital Records (BVR) is the government office responsible for amending birth certificates after adoptions. They receive the adoption decrees from courts and then rectify the birth certificates with the new parent’s names.
This process is usually made within the first 10 days of the next month when the adoption was decreed; however, if your adoption decree is not sent to the BVR, you, as an adoptive parent, may send a copy of the decree and a completed adoption worksheet to amend the birth certificate.
Now, if you want to request a copy of a birth certificate after the adoption, currently, you may do it only by mail. You must send a copy of your government-issued identification photo (both sides), the completed adoption worksheet, the certified final decree of adoption, and your fee payment ($30). Just as the other requests, you may do it by money orders, cashier’s checks, Visa o MasterCard.
You may send the requirements in an envelope to the Bureau of Vital Records, Attn: Adoptions, P.O. Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005.
Marriage and Divorce certificates
In contrast to the previous procedures performed with The Department of Health Services, vital records related to marriage and divorces in Arizona may be requested to the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the event occurred.
Enter this link, you may check the official page of counties courts and find the information you need to request the document you need.
In any event, if you need more information related to Arizona vital records, you may send an email to ovr.info@azdhs.gov and they will respond to your inquiry.