How to Fill Out and Submit the VitalChek Identity Verification Form

The VitalChek Identity Verification Form is the paper backup you complete when the automated identity check on your vital records order fails. Fill in your personal details, attach clear copies of a valid photo ID (plus any secondary documents the issuing agency asks for), and upload the packet through VitalChek’s My Order portal. Once your documents arrive, verification takes two to four business days.¹

Where to Get the Form

VitalChek notifies you after checkout if identity verification documents are required.¹ Two paths lead to the form itself. A link appears on the final order confirmation screen right after you place the order. If you’ve already navigated away, log into the My Order portal with the order number and PIN from your confirmation email.²

Print the form before you start filling it out, and keep the order number and PIN accessible. You’ll need both again when you submit.

What to Put on the Form

The form gathers what VitalChek needs to match a real person to the order already in its system. Standard fields include your full legal name exactly as it appears on your ID, your current address, your date of birth, and your VitalChek order number.¹

Some state agencies also ask for your Social Security number, your relationship to the person named on the record, and the reason you need the document. The exact fields depend on which government office is issuing your record, because VitalChek processes orders on behalf of individual state and local vital records offices that set their own requirements.

Identification Documents

You must attach copies of valid identification. Requirements vary by issuing agency, but VitalChek’s system typically accepts a government-issued photo ID such as a current driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or military ID. Some agencies want one primary photo ID. Others require a primary ID plus one or two secondary documents like a Social Security card, utility bill, or bank statement showing your current address.

Every document must be legible. Blurry photos and cut-off edges are the most common reason for rejection. Include the front and back of each ID, even if the back looks blank.¹

If you’re ordering a record for someone else, you may also need proof of your relationship to the person named on the certificate, such as your own birth certificate or a marriage certificate linking you to the subject.

A Note on Eligibility

Passing identity verification doesn’t guarantee the agency will release the record. In most states, only the person named on the certificate, a parent or legal guardian, a spouse, an adult child or sibling, or an attorney acting as a legal representative can request a certified copy. State and federal agencies can also request records for official purposes. If you’re outside those categories, the issuing agency will reject the order regardless of how cleanly your ID clears the check.

How to Submit the Completed Documents

VitalChek accepts the completed form and ID copies three ways. The electronic upload is the fastest.

Online Upload Through My Order

Log into the My Order portal with your order number and PIN. Press the upload button and attach scanned copies or clear phone photos of your completed form and ID documents. Accepted file formats are PDF, BMP, GIF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG, with a maximum size of 10 MB per file.¹ Check that every image is sharp and that no text is cropped before you submit. Online upload gives you an immediate confirmation that VitalChek received your files.

Fax

The dedicated fax number is printed on the Identity Verification Form itself. Follow the instructions on your specific form, since fax numbers differ depending on the issuing agency.¹ Fax is a reasonable fallback when you can’t get a clear scan or photo.

Mail

If a mailing address is listed on the form, you can send the paperwork by post. This is the slowest route because transit time stacks on top of the review window. Use a trackable service so you have proof of delivery.

What Happens After You Submit

Allow two to four business days for verification once VitalChek has your documents, excluding weekends and holidays.¹ Check status anytime by logging back into the My Order portal with your order number and PIN. VitalChek reviews the form and attached ID against the digital order to confirm everything matches.

If the documents pass, the order moves to fulfillment, and the issuing government agency prints and ships your certificate. You’ll receive a confirmation. If something is wrong, a blurry ID image, a missing document, or mismatched personal details, VitalChek sends a notification explaining the problem so you can correct and resubmit. The two-to-four-day clock restarts each time you resubmit, so getting it right the first time saves real calendar days.

Fees Are Non-Refundable

VitalChek’s fees are non-refundable.³ The amount you paid at checkout covers the agency’s search of its records, not the physical certificate. You won’t get a refund if identity verification fails or if you never submit the form. In most cases, once the complete order has been placed, it cannot be cancelled.¹ Take the extra few minutes to photograph your documents clearly and double-check every field before uploading.

Why the Hold Happened

VitalChek uses LexisNexis to run electronic identity validation on most orders for birth certificates, death certificates, and other vital records. When that check falls short, the paper form is your way to prove identity manually.¹ Common reasons the automated check fails include a thin credit history, outdated public records after a recent move or name change, and an active credit freeze that blocks LexisNexis from pulling data.

If a credit freeze is the cause and you’d rather skip the paper form, you can temporarily lift the freeze through your credit bureau and then contact VitalChek about reprocessing the electronic check. Otherwise, the fastest way forward is the form already in your hands.