Find Birth Records in Boston

Boston birth records go back to 1630 and are kept by the Boston Registry Division, which is the city office that handles birth, death, and marriage documents. If you were born in Boston or one of its annexed neighborhoods, this is where you get a certified copy of your birth certificate. The Registry Division has records for Dorchester, South Boston, Charlestown, Brighton, Roxbury, West Roxbury, and Hyde Park in addition to the main city areas. You can order Boston birth records in person, by mail, or online depending on what you need and how fast you need it.

Boston Registry Division Office

The Boston Registry Division is the primary office for birth records in Boston. It sits inside City Hall at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201-2006. You can reach them by phone at 617-635-4175 or by email at registry@boston.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office is closed on city holidays, so call ahead if you plan to visit near a holiday.

The main website for the Registry Division is boston.gov/departments/registry-birth-death-and-marriage. That page links to the online ordering portal and the mail request instructions. If you want to order online right away, go directly to registry.boston.gov/birth. The how-to guide with step-by-step instructions for each method is at boston.gov.

Boston City Hall is served by several MBTA lines. The Government Center station on the Green and Blue Lines is the closest stop. If you drive, there are paid garages in the area. Bring a valid photo ID when you come in person.

Note: The Registry Division also handles corrections and depositions. Call 617-635-4175 and select option 4 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to reach that team.

Boston Birth Records Available

The Registry Division keeps birth records for Boston from 1630 to the present. That makes it one of the oldest city-level vital records collections in the country. Records cover births that happened in Boston proper and all the neighborhoods that were annexed over time, including Dorchester, South Boston, Charlestown, Brighton, Roxbury, West Roxbury, and Hyde Park.

If you or your child was born at a Boston hospital recently, the certificate usually shows up in the registry system about two weeks after the hospital submits the paperwork. You can order a copy as soon as it is in the system. For older records going back before 1870, there is an extra $10 research fee on top of the standard copy fee. Those older records may take more time to locate since they are stored in a different format. If you only need to know the time of birth and not a full certificate, the Registry Division offers a time of birth letter for $10.

The Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics also holds copies of birth records from across the state. But for Boston births, starting with the city office is usually the faster path since they have direct access to the local records.

Note: Birth records for very old Boston families may also appear in the state archives collection at sec.state.ma.us, which covers vital records through 1919.

How to Order Boston Birth Certificates

The Boston Registry Division offers three ways to get a birth certificate: in person at City Hall, by mail, or online through the city portal. Each method costs a different amount. Online and in-person requests are processed faster than mail requests.

Online ordering is the easiest option for most people. Go to registry.boston.gov/birth and fill out the form. You pay by credit or debit card. The portal is available any time, and processing usually begins the next business day. For in-person requests, come to Room 213 at City Hall during regular hours. You pay $12 per copy and can use cash, credit card, pinless debit, checks, or money orders. Certified copies are ready while you wait in most cases.

Mail requests cost $14 per copy. To request by mail, you need to send all four of these items together:

• Completed request form with your original ink signature
• Check or money order for $14 per copy, payable to City of Boston
• Photocopy of a government-issued photo ID (driver's license, state ID, or passport)
• Self-addressed stamped envelope

The request form asks for the number of copies you need, the full name on the birth record, date of birth, hospital or location of birth, and full names and maiden names for both parents. You also fill in your name, your relationship to the person on the record, and your return address, phone number, and email. Send the completed packet to the Registry Division at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201-2006. Mail requests take longer to process, so plan ahead if you need the certificate by a certain date.

The Registry Division offers multilingual services for residents who need help in languages other than English. Call the main number at 617-635-4175 to ask about language support before your visit.

Boston Online Birth Records Portal

The city runs a dedicated online portal for ordering Boston birth records. The portal at registry.boston.gov/birth lets you submit your request and pay by credit or debit card without visiting the office in person.

The portal is straightforward. You enter the details of the person on the certificate, your own contact info, and the number of copies you need. Payment is handled through the city's secure checkout. If you run into issues, the how-to page at boston.gov walks through each step of the online process.

Boston Registry Division Website

The Registry Division homepage at boston.gov/departments/registry-birth-death-and-marriage is the main hub for all birth, death, and marriage records in Boston.

The page links to online ordering, the mail request form, fee schedules, and information on corrections and apostilles. It is a good starting point if you are not sure which method to use or want to check current hours before visiting.

Boston Birth Certificate Fees

Fees for Boston birth records depend on how you order and what you need. Standard certified copies cost $12 in person or $14 by mail. Online orders follow the city portal pricing, which is listed when you start the request. Pre-1870 records carry an extra $10 research fee because they require manual searching through older files.

A time of birth letter, which shows only the recorded hour and minute of birth rather than a full certificate, costs $10. This is sometimes needed for legal or immigration purposes. The full fee schedule for Massachusetts vital records is posted at mass.gov/info-details/vital-records-service-fees. Boston fees are set locally and may differ slightly from state fees, so confirm the current rates at 617-635-4175 before you send a mail request.

Apostille preparation requires a raised seal copy first. Order the raised seal version from the Registry Division, then submit that copy to the appropriate state office for the apostille. There is no extra apostille fee from the Registry Division itself.

Note: Fees are subject to change, and online orders may include a service fee from the city payment processor on top of the per-copy cost.

Massachusetts State Birth Record Resources

Beyond the city office, several state-level resources can help with Boston birth records. The Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at mass.gov oversees vital records statewide and can issue certified copies for many Massachusetts births. Under MGL c.46 §2A, hospitals and other facilities that attend births are required to file a birth record within ten days. This is the law that creates the official record in the first place.

The state's ordering guide at mass.gov/how-to/order-a-birth-marriage-or-death-certificate covers both the RVRS and local city clerk methods. VitalChek at vitalchek.com is the state's authorized third-party ordering service and can process orders for Massachusetts births including those from Boston. It adds a convenience fee but allows credit card ordering around the clock.

For historical research, the state archives at sec.state.ma.us holds vital records through 1919. These are useful if you are looking for very old Boston birth records that predate modern filing systems. Access laws for Massachusetts birth records are also governed by MGL c.46 §2B, which sets rules on who may access records and under what conditions.

Suffolk County Birth Records

Boston is the county seat of Suffolk County. All Boston birth records are part of the broader Suffolk County vital records system. The Suffolk County page covers the other cities and towns in the county, including Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, along with additional resources available at the county level.

View Suffolk County Birth Records

Nearby Massachusetts Cities

These cities near Boston each have their own city clerk for birth records requests.