Policy

Corrections to vital records are governed by Arizona statutes and administrative codes. The Office of Vital Records must work within these laws when making corrections. The governing statutes are §36-301.6 and the administrative codes are Title 9, Chapter 19, Sections 114 through 118.

The state or county Vital Records shall make corrections to birth records only when required evidentiary documents are submitted or when an administrative error is made. Most counties provide Vital Records services and can correct birth records with birth years of 1997 to the present year. Please reference the county office listing regarding information on their hours of operations, address, acceptable methods of payment, etc.

Walk-in customers are served at the State Office of Vital Records in the order they arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Requests received from walk-in customers will be processed and mailed within 10 working days of receipt however, the timeframe may vary depending on the number of requests received.  Customers who arrive after 4:00 p.m. will receive information only.

For births that occurred from 1997 to the present year, and the birth occurred in a hospital, parents shall contact the hospital directly to request a review of the hospital worksheet.  A birth record may be corrected using the following evidentiary documents if the birth occurred at a hospital and it is determined the error on the birth certificate was made by the hospital:

1.     Hospital Correction Letter and Certificate of Live Birth/Hospital Worksheet

a.      The hospital shall submit to Vital Records, a correction letter and the hospital worksheet.

b.      The letter must be signed by the birth recorder or other hospital personnel.

c.      The letter shall explain the error and the correct information and the worksheet must support the request. 

d.      If the hospital work sheet is altered, the Office of Vital Records may request an additional evidentiary document to support the change to the birth record.

e.      Corrections can be made at anytime.

f.       Corrections to Birth Records 1997 to the present year can be processed by the county and state Vital Records.

g.      Corrections to Birth Records 1996 and prior years can be processed by only the state Vital Records.

h.      There is no fee charged to correct the birth record if the hospital made the error and submits the required paperwork.

2.                  Affidavit to Correct and Evidentiary Document – The Affidavit to Correct may be used to correct information on a birth record when the child was born at home, the error was not on the part of the hospital or the hospital is no longer in business.

a.      Affidavit shall be signed and notarized and state the information that currently appears on the birth record and the correction requested. 

b.      The evidentiary document shall be submitted with the Affidavit to Correct and must support the correction to the birth record.

                                                              i.      Some examples of acceptable evidentiary documents may include, but are not limited to:

1.      Hospital or doctor’s office records

2.      School registration record

3.      WIC record

4.      Tribal Census Record

5.      Health Insurance record

6.      Baptismal record

7.      Military record

8.      SSA Record

9.      Immunization records that are doctor’s office print-outs (handwritten-in-book versions are not acceptable).

10.  FAA (welfare) record

11.  Certified Court Order

Note: The state or county Vital Records shall make photocopies of the original document(s) and stamp each, “original seen”.  The original(s) may be returned to the customer.  The photocopied evidentiary document is retained with the original Affidavit to Correct.

c.      To correct the typographical errors such as transposed letters in the parent’s name or transposed numbers in the date of birth, some examples of acceptable evidentiary documents may include but are not limited to:

                                                              i.      Parent’s certified birth certificate

                                                             ii.      United States Passport 

                                                           iii.      Certified Court order

d.      Corrections to birth records 1997 to the present year can be completed by the county and state Vital Records.  Reference the Corrections Table for more detailed information concerning timeframes and requirements.

e.      Corrections to birth records 1996 and prior years must be completed only by the state office.  Reference the Corrections Table for more detailed information concerning timeframes and requirements, etc.

f.       There is a fee for the correction as indicated in the table below.

g.      You must complete and sign a birth application to receive a certified copy of the birth certificate after the correction is completed.

h.      If the request is submitted in person, the requestor must provide a valid government issued identification that contains the requestor’s signature and photo.  If the request is submitted by mail, the requestor may sign the birth application in the presence of a notary or submit a Xeroxed, legible copy of their valid, government-issued identification.

If there is an error on a marriage or divorce record, the error must be corrected by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county that registered the event.