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Vital Records Fees to Change in 2018

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What is happening

On January 1, 2018 the next phase of the 2016 fee increase will take effect. The change in fee is part of existing rule and does not require another rule update. The fees for the first copy of a vital record will remain the same. The fee for each additional copy will be $25.00. You can download a copy of our 2018 Fees Flyer below:


New Vital Records fee schedule

Effective date: January 1, 2018
Not all services shown. See rules for complete information.
Services Current Fee New Fee
Jan. 1, 2018
Changing on
Jan. 1, 2018?
Birth certificates - first copy $25.00 $25.00 No
    - Each additional copy $20.00 $25.00 Yes 
Death and fetal death certificates - first copy $25.00 $25.00 No
    - Each additional copy $20.00 $25.00 Yes 
Marriage (& ORDP) certificates - first copy $25.00 $25.00 No
    - Each additional copy $20.00 $25.00 Yes 
Divorce (& dissolution of ORDP) certificates - first copy $25.00 $25.00 No
    - Each additional copy $20.00 $25.00 Yes 
Expedite (handling charges) $7.00 $7.00 No
Amendments $35.00 $35.00 No
Certificate replacement fee $5.00 per replacement $5.00 per replacement No
Verification fee $10.00/first 5 for free $10.00/first 5 for free No
Certified copy of birth record requested as image
$30.00 $30.00 No
Pre-adoption birth record $30.00 $30.00 No
Contact preference form $25.00 $25.00 No
Amendment expedite fee $30.00 $30.00 No

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 
What are vital records?
 
Vital records are the legal registration of a vital event. A vital event is a birth, marriage, divorce, death, domestic partnership, or dissolution of domestic partnership. Every vital event that occurs in Oregon must be recorded and permanently stored with the Center for Health Statistics, also known as Oregon Vital Records. Certified copies of the record are printed on special paper and are known as certificates — birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, etc.
 

Why are certificates important?

A birth certificate is a legal document used to establish identity. It shows who you are, and when and where you were born. You need a birth certificate to enroll a child in school; to get a Social Security card, a driver’s license or government benefits; or to apply for a passport.

The death certificate is the official legal record of death. A death certificate is needed to settle the affairs of your loved one. It has information about the person who died and the cause of their death. Insurance companies, the Social Security Administration and other agencies may ask for certified copies of the death certificate as proof of death.


Why do the fees need to change?

The last vital records fee increase was in 2016. The costs to support the state’s vital records system have gone up over time, but revenue from fees has gone down. A fee increase was needed to maintain its current service level, as required by law. On January 1, 2018 the next phase of the 2016 fee increase will take effect. The change in fee is part of existing rule and does not require another rule update. The fees for the first copy of a vital record will remain the same. The fee for each additional copy will be $25.00.


How are the fees used?
Fees for vital records support services provided by state and county vital records offices.

These services are:

Registering and storing vital records:
Each vital event in Oregon is registered and stored with the state vital records office. Information comes from hospitals for births, funeral homes for deaths, county clerks for marriage and the courts for divorce. The state vital records office must make sure each vital record has complete and legal information, and is numbered and indexed so each one can be easily found. Any changes made to the records at any time must be documented and tracked. Currently, the state vital records office has more than 6 million vital records and adds about 128,000 each year. Many of the vital records are now registered and stored electronically.

Screening and processing orders for certificates:
More than 170,000 orders for certificates are completed by Oregon Vital Records each year. County vital records offices can issue death and birth certificates for the first six months after the event. Vital records are confidential and access is limited to specific people for 100 years for birth records and 50 years for the other records. All orders are screened to make sure only persons that are eligible can get them. Screening also is a way to prevent fraud and identity theft.

Analyzing data from vital records:
Some of the most important facts about the health of Oregonians come from vital records. Information about low birth weight babies and access to prenatal care is gathered from birth certificates. Death rates, life expectancy measures and information on leading causes of death come from death certificates.

 

 


Who pays for the increased fees?
Members of the general public who need vital records pay these fees.

 

 


When will the fees increase?
On January 1, 2018 the next phase of the 2016 fee increase will take effect. The fees for the first copy of a vital record will remain the same. The fee for each additional copy will be $25.00. Mail orders that are received in 2017 or have a 2017 postmark will not be charged the new fee. Internet or phone orders taken on and after January 1, 2018 will be charged the new fee. Customers coming in person will be charged the new fee starting Tuesday January 2, 2018 when state and county vital records offices open after the New Year holiday.

 

 


What is happening at the county vital records offices?
County vital records offices issue birth and death certificates for 6 months after the event. Counties charge the same fees as the state. You can find a comprehensive list of the fees here:

 


What is the death filing fee? Is it changing too?
The death record filing fee is the $20 fee funeral homes pay to file a death record. This fee is not collected by the county or state vital records office; funeral homes pay the fee to the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board for each death record filed. Of the fee, $6 funds the Oregon Indigent Disposition Fund and $14 helps support the work of the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board. This fee is not changing on January 1, 2018. Information about the law can be found in ORS 692.415.

 

 


Who is the contact person if I have questions about the new fees?

Please contact Jennifer Woodward, State Registrar, at Jennifer.A.Woodward@state.or.us or at 971-673-1185 if you have questions or need more information.


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