Overview
The Commonwealth began to issue birth certificates in 1906. Before then, Pennsylvania births were recorded sporadically by the counties and some cities. Information generally found on a birth record includes birth name, date and place of birth, parents’ names, and parents’ birthplaces.
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Available birth records
Birth record availability varies by date range and location.
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record and Indexes of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, 1852–1854 | Includes returns from 49 of 64 counties that existed at the time, as kept by the local Register of Wills. | Records of the Department of State (RG-26) | |
| County Birth Registers, 1893–1905 | Most registers are held at the county level, typically with the county Register of Wills/Clerk of the Orphans Court. Some cities maintained separate birth records that pre-date 1893. | Records of County Governments (RG-47) | FamilySearch.org (not all counties or cities accessible) |
| Birth Certificates, 1906–present | Certificates that are 105 years old and older are publicly available and held at the State Archives. Certificates that are less than 105 years old are restricted and held by the Division of Vital Records. | Records of the Department of Health (RG-11) | Ancestry Pennsylvania or Ancestry.com (1906–1917 only) |
Birth certificate indices (post-1906)
Original birth certificates for 1906–1920 are available at the State Archives. You can request an uncertified copy of a birth certificate using the vital records request form. The 1906–1917 birth certificates are accessible online through Ancestry Pennsylvania or Ancestry.com.
Use the following indices to locate the certificate number for a birth certificate.
1906
1906 – A surnames
1906 – B surnames
1906 – C surnames
1906 – D surnames
1906 – E surnames
1906 – F surnames
1906 – G surnames
1906 – H surnames
1906 – I surnames
1906 – J surnames
1906 – K surnames
1906 – L surnames
1906 – M surnames
1906 – N surnames
1906 – O surnames
1906 – P surnames
1906 – Q surnames
1906 – R surnames
1906 – S surnames
1906 – T surnames
1906 – U surnames
1906 – V surnames
1906 – W surnames
1906 – X surnames
1906 – Y surnames
1906 – Z surnames
1907
1907 – A surnames
1907 – B surnames
1907 – C surnames
1907 – D surnames
1907 – E surnames
1907 – F surnames
1907 – G surnames
1907 – H surnames
1907 – I surnames
1907 – J surnames
1907 – K surnames
1907 – L surnames
1907 – M surnames
1907 – N surnames
1907 – O surnames
1907 – P surnames
1907 – Q surnames
1907 – R surnames
1907 – S surnames
1907 – T surnames
1907 – U surnames
1907 – V surnames
1907 – W surnames
1907 – X surnames
1907 – Y surnames
1907 – Z surnames
1908
You must include the county of birth if you request a copy of a birth certificate from this year.
1908 – A surnames
1908 – B surnames
1908 – C surnames
1908 – D surnames
1908 – E surnames
1908 – F surnames
1908 – G surnames
1908 – H surnames
1908 – I surnames
1908 – J surnames
1908 – K surnames
1908 – L surnames
1908 – M surnames
1908 – N surnames
1908 – O surnames
1908 – P surnames
1908 – Q surnames
1908 – R surnames
1908 – S surnames
1908 – T surnames
1908 – U surnames
1908 – V surnames
1908 – W surnames
1908 – X surnames
1908 – Y surnames
1908 – Z surnames
1909
You must include the county of birth if you request a copy of a birth certificate from this year.
1909 – A surnames
1909 – B surnames
1909 – C surnames
1909 – D surnames
1909 – E surnames
1909 – F surnames
1909 – G surnames
1909 – H surnames
1909 – I surnames
1909 – J surnames
1909 – K surnames
1909 – L surnames
1909 – M surnames
1909 – N surnames
1909 – O surnames
1909 – P surnames
1909 – Q surnames
1909 – R surnames
1909 – S surnames
1909 – T surnames
1909 – U surnames
1909 – V surnames
1909 – W surnames
1909 – X surnames
1909 – Y surnames
1909 – Z surnames
1910
1910 – A surnames
1910 – B surnames
1910 – C surnames
1910 – D surnames
1910 – E surnames
1910 – F surnames
1910 – G surnames
1910 – H surnames
1910 – I surnames
1910 – J surnames
1910 – K surnames
1910 – L surnames
1910 – M surnames
1910 – N surnames
1910 – O surnames
1910 – P surnames
1910 – Q surnames
1910 – R surnames
1910 – S surnames
1910 – T surnames
1910 – U surnames
1910 – V surnames
1910 – W surnames
1910 – X surnames
1910 – Y surnames
1910 – Z surnames
1911
You must include the county of birth if you request a copy of a birth certificate from this year.
1911 – A surnames
1911 – B surnames
1911 – C surnames
1911 – D surnames
1911 – E surnames
1911 – F surnames
1911 – G surnames
1911 – H surnames
1911 – I surnames
1911 – J surnames
1911 – K surnames
1911 – L surnames
1911 – M surnames
1911 – N surnames
1911 – O surnames
1911 – P surnames
1911 – Q surnames
1911 – R surnames
1911 – S surnames
1911 – T surnames
1911 – U surnames
1911 – V surnames
1911 – W surnames
1911 – X surnames
1911 – Y surnames
1911 – Z surnames
1912
1912 – A surnames
1912 – B surnames
1912 – C surnames
1912 – D surnames
1912 – E surnames
1912 – F surnames
1912 – G surnames
1912 – H surnames
1912 – I surnames
1912 – J surnames
1912 – K surnames
1912 – L surnames
1912 – M surnames
1912 – N surnames
1912 – O surnames
1912 – P surnames
1912 – Q surnames
1912 – R surnames
1912 – S surnames
1912 – T surnames
1912 – U surnames
1912 – V surnames
1912 – W surnames
1912 – X surnames
1912 – Y surnames
1912 – Z surnames
1913
1913 – A surnames
1913 – B surnames
1913 – C surnames
1913 – D surnames
1913 – E surnames
1913 – F surnames
1913 – G surnames
1913 – H surnames
1913 – I surnames
1913 – J surnames
1913 – K surnames
1913 – L surnames
1913 – M surnames
1913 – N surnames
1913 – O surnames
1913 – P surnames
1913 – Q surnames
1913 – R surnames
1913 – S surnames
1913 – T surnames
1913 – U surnames
1913 – V surnames
1913 – W surnames
1913 – X surnames
1913 – Y surnames
1913 – Z surnames
1914
1914 – A surnames
1914 – B surnames
1914 – C surnames
1914 – D surnames
1914 – E surnames
1914 – F surnames
1914 – G surnames
1914 – H surnames
1914 – I surnames
1914 – J surnames
1914 – K surnames
1914 – L surnames
1914 – M surnames
1914 – N surnames
1914 – O surnames
1914 – P surnames
1914 – Q surnames
1914 – R surnames
1914 – S surnames
1914 – T surnames
1914 – U surnames
1914 – V surnames
1914 – W surnames
1914 – X surnames
1914 – Y surnames
1914 – Z surnames
1915
1915 – A surnames
1915 – B surnames
1915 – C surnames
1915 – D surnames
1915 – E surnames
1915 – F surnames
1915 – G surnames
1915 – H surnames
1915 – I surnames
1915 – J surnames
1915 – K surnames
1915 – L surnames
1915 – M surnames
1915 – N surnames
1915 – O surnames
1915 – P surnames
1915 – Q surnames
1915 – R surnames
1915 – S surnames
1915 – T surnames
1915 – U surnames
1915 – V surnames
1915 – W surnames
1915 – X surnames
1915 – Y surnames
1915 – Z surnames
1916
1916 – A surnames
1916 – B surnames
1916 – C surnames
1916 – D surnames
1916 – E surnames
1916 – F surnames
1916 – G surnames
1916 – H surnames
1916 – I surnames
1916 – J surnames
1916 – K surnames
1916 – L surnames
1916 – M surnames
1916 – N surnames
1916 – O surnames
1916 – P surnames
1916 – Q surnames
1916 – R surnames
1916 – S surnames
1916 – T surnames
1916 – U surnames
1916 – V surnames
1916 – W surnames
1916 – X surnames
1916 – Y surnames
1916 – Z surnames
1917
1917 – A surnames
1917 – B surnames
1917 – C surnames
1917 – D surnames
1917 – E surnames
1917 – F surnames
1917 – G surnames
1917 – H surnames
1917 – I surnames
1917 – J surnames
1917 – K surnames
1917 – L surnames
1917 – M surnames
1917 – N surnames
1917 – O surnames
1917 – P surnames
1917 – Q surnames
1917 – R surnames
1917 – S surnames
1917 – T surnames
1917 – U surnames
1917 – V surnames
1917 – W surnames
1917 – X surnames
1917 – Y surnames
1917 – Z surnames
1918
1918 – A surnames
1918 – B surnames
1918 – C surnames
1918 – D surnames
1918 – E surnames
1918 – F surnames
1918 – G surnames
1918 – H surnames
1918 – I surnames
1918 – J surnames
1918 – K surnames
1918 – L surnames
1918 – M surnames
1918 – N surnames
1918 – O surnames
1918 – P surnames
1918 – Q surnames
1918 – R surnames
1918 – S surnames
1918 – T surnames
1918 – U surnames
1918 – V surnames
1918 – W surnames
1918 – X surnames
1918 – Y surnames
1918 – Z surnames
1919
1919 – A surnames
1919 – B surnames
1919 – C surnames
1919 – D surnames
1919 – E surnames
1919 – F surnames
1919 – G surnames
1919 – H surnames
1919 – I surnames
1919 – J surnames
1919 – K surnames
1919 – L surnames
1919 – M surnames
1919 – N surnames
1919 – O surnames
1919 – P surnames
1919 – Q surnames
1919 – R surnames
1919 – S surnames
1919 – T surnames
1919 – U surnames
1919 – V surnames
1919 – W surnames
1919 – X surnames
1919 – Y surnames
1919 – Z surnames
1920
The names on the 1920 indices use the Russell Soundex method of indexing. You can use a Soundex converter to get the surname code number. Within each code number on the index, the names are arranged alphabetically by the first (given) name of the individual.
1920 – A surnames
1920 – B surnames
1920 – C surnames
1920 – D surnames
1920 – E surnames
1920 – F surnames
1920 – G surnames
1920 – H surnames
1920 – I surnames
1920 – J surnames
1920 – K surnames
1920 – L surnames
1920 – M surnames
1920 – N surnames
1920 – O surnames
1920 – P surnames
1920 – Q surnames
1920 – R surnames
1920 – S surnames
1920 – T surnames
1920 – U surnames
1920 – V surnames
1920 – W surnames
1920 – X surnames
1920 – Y surnames
1920 – Z surnames
In Pennsylvania, birth certificates become public 105 years after the year of birth and are transferred to the State Archives.
For records of more recent births, contact the Division of Vital Records.
You can request uncertified copies of birth certificates held by the State Archives.
For certified copies or copies of records that are not yet publicly available, contact the Division of Vital Records.
