How to Find Maryland Birth Records

United States

U.S. Vital Records

How to Find U.S. Birth Records

Maryland Vital Records

How to Find Maryland Birth Records

• A very few births were recorded in colonial Maryland but not many survived.
• Birth registration started in 1865.
• 1875 Baltimore City began recording births.
• 1898 All counties in Maryland began recording births, although full compliance did not happen until about 1910.
• Birth records are restricted for 100 years to immediate family members.

Next Step: When did the birth occur?	Choose a time period to search for your ancestor's birth record: Birth Records Choose a time period: 1654 thru 1693 1694 thru 1864 1865 thru 1897 1875 thru 1972 - Baltimore City 1898 thru 1972 1973 thru 1978 1940 thru present Birth year unknown

Learn more about U.S. Birth Records

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Births 1654 thru 1693

Births were to be recorded by the clerk of the county court. Very few records exist.

• Charles County Court 1654-1706
• Somerset County Court 1649-1720
• Talbot County Court 1657-1691

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information  

Maryland Birth Index Only
Try: 1st
	Maryland, Births and Christenings, 1650-1995 online at FamilySearch	Free; name index,incomplete
Try 2nd:
Ancestry Database - Choose one of the following:
	1622-1911 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center
	1622-1911 - use your Ancestry subscription	$, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available for free through your local public library
Can't find your ancestor in the online index?		Tips for searching online indexes
No birth record for your ancestor?		Other records with death information

STEP TWO: Obtain the Record

Copies Birth records may be available from the Maryland State Archives.

To Order Birth Records
You know the birth date from the index		You do not know the birth date
Maryland State Archives		Maryland State Archives
Request a copy		The archives will search for one name in one index, and provide one document for their fee

Some records may also be available at your local FamilySearch Center. Use the FamilySearch Catalog to see what is available.

• Search the FamilySearch Catalog by county or city, then vital records
• Select the topic Vital Records.
• Some microfilm may be available to view at a local Family Search Center.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births 1694 thru 1864

• No government records were kept.
• In 1694 the Clerks of the Protestant Episcopal Church were required to keep record of all births, regardless of the family's membership.
• Other denominations kept their own records of births.

Copies of Church birth records may be available from the Maryland State Archives or in the FamilySearch Catalog.

Church Birth Records
Maryland State Archives		FamilySearch Catalog
The archives will search for one name in one index, and provide one document for their fee		Search for the town where the church was located

Use substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.

Records that give birth information:
Death Records Cemetery Records Newspapers	Church Records Census Military Records

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1865 thru 1897

• 1865 - Maryland law required county circuit courts to record births
• Low compliance with the law
• List of counties which kept some records during this time period
• If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in church records.

For births that exist during the time period, try the following databases.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information  

Maryland Birth Index Only
Try: 1st
	Maryland, Births and Christenings, 1650-1995 online at FamilySearch	Free; name index,incomplete
Try 2nd:
Ancestry Database - Choose one of the following:
	1622-1911 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center
	1622-1911 - use your Ancestry subscription	$, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available for free through your local public library
Can't find your ancestor in the online index?		Tips for searching online indexes
No birth record for your ancestor?		Other records with death information

STEP TWO: Obtain the Record

Copies Birth records may be available from the Maryland State Archives.

To Order Birth Records
You know the birth date from the index		You do not know the birth date
Maryland State Archives		Maryland State Archives
Request a copy		The archives will search for one name in one index, and provide one document for their fee

.

Some records may also be available at your local FamilySearch Center. Use the FamilySearch Catalog to see what is available.

• Search the FamilySearch Catalog by Maryland and the county name.
• Select the topic Vital Records.
• Some microfilm may be available to view at a local Family Search Center.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1875 thru 1972, Baltimore City

• Limited births maybe found in the following databases. Try each link.
• If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, then contact the Maryland State Archives in Step 2.
• If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in church records.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information

Maryland Birth Index Only
Try: 1st
	Maryland, Births and Christenings, 1650-1995 online at FamilySearch	Free; name index,incomplete
Try 2nd:
Ancestry Database - Choose one of the following:
	1622-1911 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center
	1622-1911 - use your Ancestry subscription	$, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available for free through your local public library
Can't find your ancestor in the online index?		Tips for searching online indexes
No birth record for your ancestor?		Other records with death information

STEP TWO: Obtain the Record

Copies Birth records may be available from the Maryland State Archives.

To Order Birth Records
You know the birth date from the index		You do not know the birth date
Maryland State Archives		Maryland State Archives
Request a copy		The archives will search for one name in one index, and provide one document for their fee

.

Some records may also be available at your local FamilySearch Center. Use the FamilySearch Catalog to see what is available.

• Search the FamilySearch Catalog by Maryland, Baltimore City.
• Select the topic Vital Records.
• Some microfilm may be available to view at a local Family Search Center.
  

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1898 thru 1972

• Limited births maybe found in the following databases. Try each link.
• If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, then see below how to order from the Maryland State Archives. :*Births less than 100 years old are restricted.
• If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in church records.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information

Maryland Birth Index Only
Try: 1st
	Maryland, Births and Christenings, 1650-1995 online at FamilySearch	Free; name index,incomplete
Try 2nd:
Ancestry Database - Choose one of the following:
	1622-1911 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center
	1622-1911 - use your Ancestry subscription	$, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available for free through your local public library
Can't find your ancestor in the online index?		Tips for searching online indexes
No birth record for your ancestor?		Other records with death information

STEP TWO: Obtain the Record

Copies Birth records may be available from the Maryland State Archives.

To Order Birth Records
You know the birth date from the index		You do not know the birth date
Maryland State Archives		Maryland State Archives
Request a copy		The archives will search for one name in one index, and provide one document for their fee

• You may also order certificates since 1940 from the birth county.  See below.
  
  Some records may also be available at your local FamilySearch Center. Use the FamilySearch Catalog to see what is available.

• Search the FamilySearch Catalog by Maryland and the county name.
• Select the topic Vital Records.
• Some microfilm may be available to view at a local Family Search Center.
  

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1940 thru present

Locating a birth record

You can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations if you are the person on the certificate, a parent, legal guardian or surviving spouse:

To Order Birth Certificates
County of Birth		From MD Dept of Health and Hygiene
Cons	Cons	Pros	Pros
May be more expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use	Offers a search of the state index	May be less expensive than ordering from the county

• After locating the county website, search for the Department of Health and Administrative or Vital Records.
• Baltimore City births are combined with county records after 1972. 
• The Maryland State Archives has indexes and birth records up to 1978, but they are restricted. 
• See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Restrictions for Obtaining Birth Records

Restrictions for persons born within the last 100 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 100 years from the government agency, you must be:

• The person on the certificate
• The parents of the person on the certificate.
  
• Surviving spouse.
• Someone with documented legal custody of the person on the certificate.

NOTE: A copy of the birth record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 100 years have passed from the date of the birth.

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

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