District Of Columbia Public Records

By Christopher Evans


If you are interested in obtaining public documents in Washington DC, there are specific steps you need to take in order to access the District of Columbia public records you want without difficulties. There are procedures that every individual requesting a certified copy of a public document must observe. Like in every state in the country, Washington DC deals with vital documents, such as birth certificates, death reports, marriage licenses and divorce decrees, with great care and consideration. And although these types of data are generally accessible by any member of the public, thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, policies must still be put in place to protect the well being of every citizen.

If you want to get a hold of your own birth records, or an immediate family member's death certificate, the District of Columbia's Vital Records Division maintains a wide collection of birth and death profiles that is available for public access. Overseen by the DC Department of Health, the Vital Records Division stores and disseminates birth certificates and death reports from August 1874 all the way to the present. However, in accordance to specific laws, birth reports are only made available to the general public 100 years after the subject's date of birth. And death certificates, 50 years after the listed date of death. Only immediate family members are permitted access to these documents at any time.

In order for you to access your own birth certificate or an open death report of another individual, you will need to pick up the appropriate request form at the Vital Records Division office or download a PDF file from the agency's official website. You fill up the form accordingly and you submit it in person or by mail. The District of Columbia Department of Health website contains the link that will direct you to the Vital Records Division page. You should refer to this page for more information regarding the mailing address, contact numbers and the current processing fees.

When it comes to marriage and divorce certificates, on the other hand, they will require a different source. If you want to get a hold of a certified copy of your marriage certificate or divorce decree, you need to submit your application at the DC Superior Court. The Clerk of Superior Court in the District of Columbia handles all public marital documents in Washington DC. Request forms are available at the district court office or at the official website of the District of Columbia Courts. In this website, you will find portals to pages relating to the process of accessing marriage licenses, certificates, and divorce decrees.

Of all those mentioned sources of vital documents, there is an easier and more practical source that you may want to consider, especially if you frequently conduct background searches. For those who run a public records search regularly, there are independent record retrieval services that provide its clients unlimited access to a comprehensive database of public documents, from birth certificates to divorce decrees. All the service requires is a one-time payment, and the customer is free to run vital record searches from every state in the country, including its territories.




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