An authorized and an informational certified copy of a vital record contain the same facts and carry the same official seal, but only the authorized version can be used to prove who you are. The informational copy has a legend printed across its face stating that it is not valid to establish identity. If a passport office, DMV, employer, or Social Security office will use the document to verify you, order the authorized copy. If you just need the information for family records or genealogy, the informational copy will do.
The One Difference That Actually Matters
Both versions come from the same government office. Both contain the recorded facts of the birth, death, marriage, or divorce. Both bear an official seal. The authorized copy is silent about how it can be used. The informational copy carries a line of text stating that it is not a valid document to establish identity, and that single line decides where you can and cannot use it.
Not every state issues two versions. Many states produce a single certified copy that works for every purpose. In those states, the question doesn’t come up. In states that do split the two, the price is the same for both. What differs is who is allowed to receive the authorized one.
Who Can Order an Authorized Copy
Eligibility for the authorized version is limited to people with a defined connection to the record. That generally means:
- The person named on the record
- A parent, child, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, or legal guardian
- An executor or administrator of the person’s estate
- An agent with a power of attorney that specifically authorizes obtaining records
- An attorney acting for the person or the estate
- Law enforcement or a government agency acting in an official capacity
Anyone outside those categories who needs an authorized copy typically has to get a court order. Informational copies work the opposite way. Anyone can request one, no relationship required, as long as they pay the fee and provide enough detail to locate the record. That open access is exactly why the disclaimer exists on informational copies: it keeps a document that anyone can order from being used to impersonate the person named on it.
When You Need the Authorized Version
Every use below turns on identity verification. In each one, a document stamped “not valid to establish identity” fails on its face.
Passport Applications
The U.S. Department of State requires certified documentation of citizenship for a passport application. For a child, that means a certified copy of the birth certificate, and any parent who cannot appear in person must submit a notarized consent form.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services An informational copy will not satisfy that requirement.
REAL ID
Federal regulations require a REAL ID applicant to present a certified copy of a birth certificate filed with a state vital statistics office.2eCFR. 6 CFR 37.11 – Application and Documents the Applicant Must Provide The rule doesn’t use the word “authorized,” but a document labeled “not valid to establish identity” cannot logically satisfy a rule about establishing identity. Order the authorized version before your DMV appointment.
Form I-9 Employment Verification
A birth certificate is a List C document on Form I-9. The USCIS employer handbook says the certificate must be an original or certified copy bearing an official seal.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274 – 13.3 List C Documents That Establish Employment Authorization An informational copy does bear a seal, but the disclaimer creates enough ambiguity that HR departments often reject it. The authorized copy avoids the argument.
Social Security Number and Card Applications
The Social Security Administration requires original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.4Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card An informational copy is likely to be turned away at the window.
Insurance, Pension, and Estate Claims
Insurance companies and pension administrators routinely require authorized certified copies of a death certificate when they process life insurance payouts, death benefits, or survivor claims. If you are settling an estate, plan on needing multiple authorized copies, since each financial institution, the probate court, and any real property transfer will want its own.
When Informational Is Enough
Informational copies exist for the many legitimate uses that have nothing to do with proving identity. Genealogy is the most common one. A family historian confirming a birth date or a marriage doesn’t need a document that satisfies the passport office. Personal recordkeeping, family scrapbooks, and historical research all fit here.
The open eligibility rule also matters for public access. Because anyone can request an informational copy, journalists, researchers, and members of the public can confirm vital statistics without having to prove a family relationship.
How to Order Either Type
The underlying application is the same for both versions. You’ll need the full legal name of the person on the record, the date of the event, and the city and county where it took place. Most forms also ask for both parents’ names, including the mother’s maiden name, so the office can distinguish among people with similar names and dates.
For an authorized copy, you complete an extra sworn statement declaring your relationship to the person on the record and your right to receive it. You sign it under penalty of perjury, and falsifying it is a criminal offense that can carry jail time and fines depending on the state. Some states require a notary to witness the signature. Notary fees for a standard acknowledgment run from about $2 to $25, with most states capping the fee between $5 and $15.
You can mail the application to the state vital records office or the county recorder, pay by check or money order (most offices do not accept cash by mail), and wait. Processing by mail runs anywhere from a few business days to several weeks depending on the office’s backlog. Many states also accept online orders through third-party vendors such as VitalChek, which usually charge a service fee of roughly $10 to $15 on top of the government fee and offer expedited shipping for an added charge.
The government fee for a single certified copy generally falls between $10 and $35, depending on the state and the ordering method. Ordering through a third-party vendor typically adds another $15 to $30 once service and shipping charges are included. The authorized copy and the informational copy cost the same at the government level. You are paying for eligibility screening, not for a different document.
If the office cannot find a matching record, many states issue a certification of no record. It confirms that the office searched and found nothing, which does not necessarily mean the event was never recorded. The record may be filed under a different spelling, in a different county, or through a delayed registration. The search fee is generally nonrefundable even when the office finds nothing.
A Practical Rule
Before you order, ask what the receiving agency or institution will do with the document. If they will use it to confirm your identity or your relationship to someone else, the answer is the authorized copy. If they only need the facts recorded on the document, the informational copy is enough and easier to obtain. When in doubt, the authorized copy works everywhere the informational one does, and there is no price difference to weigh against that flexibility.