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Department
of Vital Statistics
Birth/Death
Certificates
210
W. McIntyre
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Excluding Observed Holidays)
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Qualified
Applicant
The
person named on the certificate; a member of his or her immediate
family either by blood or marriage, etc., his or her guardian; his
or her legal representative or agent. [25TAC 181.1]
Note:
Aunts, uncles and cousins are not considered immediate family members.
If the father's name is not on the birth certificate, he must bring
a notarized letter from the mother giving him authorization to pick
up the certificate or a legal guardianship designation.
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Certificate
Prices
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Birth
Certificates
(Full-Size Page) |
$26.00
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Birth
Certificates
(Wallet-Size Card) |
$26.00
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Birth
Certificates
(Non-Edinburg Births-Half-Size Page) |
$26.00
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Birth
Certificates
(Non-Edinburg Births-Wallet-Size Page) |
$26.00
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| Death
Certificate |
$21.00
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Additional
Death Certificates
For
each certified copy
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$4.00
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| Search
Fee |
$22.00
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Online payments accepted.
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Application
for Birth or Death Certificate
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Print
out the form, fill it out and mail to the Vital Statistics
Department.
You
must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to View a PDF file.
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Applying
in Person
When applying in person you can obtain your birth/death
certificate if on file. The City of Edinburg Vitals Statistics Department
has access to all births files with the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics
via remote. You must be a qualified applicant to obtain a birth/death
certificate. Applicants must provide a valid government issued picture
identification or a valid driver's license. Other information can
be requested.
Note:
Aunts, uncles and cousins are not considered immediate family
members. If the father's name is not on the birth certificate,
he must bring a notarized letter from the mother giving him authorization
to pick up the certificate or a legal guardianship designation.
Mail
Requests for a Certificate
Correspondence requests will be processed the same day or
the following day. When writing, please give the full name on the
certificate, the name of the father, the maiden name of the mother,
the place and date of birth or death. Remember to include a return
address and enclose a copy of the requestor's driver's license or
ID. Money orders should be made payable to the City of Edinburg.
The City of Edinburg is not responsible for problems in mail-handling.
Certificates
on File
All
births and deaths that have occurred within the City of Edinburg
since 1934 are on file.
Certificates
that were filed after one year of birth/death, are "delayed records"
and can only be obtained at the County Clerk's Office or with the
Bureau of Vital Statistics, Texas Department of Health, P.O. Box
12040, Austin, Texas 78711-2040.
Certification
of Birth Facts are available for people born in Texas from 1926
to the present. The certificate includes: state file number, name
of person, county of birth, parents names, and date issued.
Birth/Death
Verifications
A
written verification for a birth or death record can be issued upon
request free of charge. A designated attorney who makes an application
for a record by letter or written application, a funeral director;
a person designated by an affidavit, contract, or court order to
act on behalf and for the benefit of the immediate family can qualify
to obtain a verification of birth or death. A person or organization
in Local, State, and Federal Agencies or Law Enforcement, who presents
written documentation that demonstrates a direct or tangible interest
in the record needs to present valid identification in order to
protect the confidentiality of the record.
Texas
Law / TX Public Information Act
Texas law requires that a birth certificate be filed within
five days of the birth and that a death certificate or fetal death
certificate filed within ten days. Generally, it takes at least
one week after a birth before the certificate is filed. Most death
certificates are available within three to four weeks after the
death.
| Texas
Public Information Act Government Code Chapter 552. Public Information
Subchapter C. Information Excepted from Required Disclosure,
§ 552.115 Exception: Birth and Death Records. |
| (A)
A birth or death record maintained by the Bureau of Vital Statistics
of the Texas Department of Health or a local registration official
is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021, except
that: |
(1)
a birth record is public information and available to the
public on and after the 75th anniversary of the date of
birth as shown on the record filed with the bureau of vital
statistics or local registration official;
(2) a death record is public information and available to
the pubic on and after the 25th anniversary of the date
of death as shown on the record filed with the bureau of
vital statistics or local registration official.
(Website Source: Office of the Attorney General-www.aog.state.tx.us)
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Genealogists
Death
records older than 25 years and birth records older than 75 years
are, with some exceptions, are available to genealogists. The
certificate must be paid for and sufficient information must be
provided on the application for the search.
Errors
on Certificates
Once a certificate has been filed in this office it is a
legal document. The record cannot be altered or corrected by our
office. Amendments
to the certificate may be filed to correct errors. This is done
by completing an Application to Amend Certificate of Birth/Death
and mailing it to Bureau of Vital Statistics, Texas Department of
Health, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, Texas 78711-2040 along with the
amendment fee of $15.00.
Amendment
forms and fees are available at the City Secretary Dept.-Vital Statistics.
Birth
Certificates Lacking the Father's Information
Until September 1989, Texas law required that unless the
parents were married at the time of birth or conception, the father's
information was to be left blank. The father's information can now
be added to the certificate even if the couple is not married. The
biological father must sign the Acknowledge of Paternity document
before his name can be added to the child's record. A Denial of
Paternity will be required if the mother was married or if, during
the child's first two years of life, a man continuously lived with
the child and represented the child as his own.
To
add the father's name to the certificate complete an Acknowledgment
of Paternity and an Application for a new Birth Certificate Based
on Parentage. Both forms have to be completed by both parents and
mailed to Bureau of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, Texas
78711-2040. The Bureau of Vital Statistics charges a filing fee
$25.00(money order or checks only) that needs to be sent with the
forms.
WARNING:
This is a government document. Texas Penal Code Section 37.10 specifies
penalties for making false entries or providing false information
in the document.
Emergency
Processing of Birth Certificates
It is possible for a birth certificate to be processed in
a shorter time if there is a clear and justifiable emergency such
as leaving the country. The hospital and the Registrar Staff will
coordinate this effort with the assistance of the applicant.
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