Birth Certificates

Requesting a Birth Certificate

If you were born in the State of New Hampshire after 1935 (with the exception of 1949 and 1950), or in the City of Dover before 1935, you may obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate at the Dover City Clerk's office or at the State Bureau of Vital Records.

New Hampshire vital records are considered to be private, and access to them is restricted by statute to those individuals who have a "direct and tangible interest" in the record.

The cost of a birth certificate is $15 for the first copy, and $10 for each additional copy you request at the same time for of the same record.

You can get a copy in one of three ways:

• In person at City Clerk’s Office during normal business hours with payment of either cash or check. Credit cards are not accepted. 
• Mailing a completed marriage certificate request form to the City Clerk's Office, 288 Central Ave., Dover, NH 03820. Include with it a copy of a photo ID, a check made out to City of Dover for vital record fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to receive your record.
• Online via VitalChek Network, Inc. at https://www.vitalchek.com/vital-records/new-hampshire/city-of-dover. Please note that additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service. All major credit cards are accepted, including American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

Any person shall be guilty of a Class B Felony if he/she willfully and knowingly makes any false statement in a application for a certified copy of a vital record. (RSA 126:24)

Please note: Due to two fires in Dover City Hall, (one in the 1800s and one in 1933) most of our early records were destroyed. Our records start about 1870 for births and around 1875 for marriages and deaths. Unfortunately, birth records are only available for genealogical purposes from 1907 and before. Death and marriage records are only available for genealogical purposes from 1957 and before.

Click here to view or download the vital record application.