The Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Office of Vital Records (OVR) is a one-stop shop for any number of personal records requests, including birth and death certificates, name amendments, and marriage and divorce records. The Office of Vital Records was created by the 1912 Acts of Assembly and on June 14, 2024, celebrated 112 years of serving Virginia. Today, more Virginians can access the Office’s services from the comfort of their own homes seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
“Thanks to the collaboration, leadership and customer focus of the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records, Virginians are provided needed documents efficiently and effectively,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “These benchmark achievements are an excellent example of state government working together to address ongoing challenges and efficiently serve eight million Virginians.”
“We are always seeking to improve how the Office of Vital Records interacts with the residents of the Commonwealth,” said Seth Austin, State Registrar and Director of VDH’s Office of Vital Records. “Our goal is to respond as quickly and as efficiently as possible when our customers need us.”
The Office of Vital Records has made the below program enhancements and, as a result, has experienced the following:
- Online applications went live in April 2022, and since then, the Office has processed more than 300,000 applications for vital records.
- An online e-amendment portal for funeral homes was unveiled in 2023. This portal helps grieving families amend death certificates quickly. Previously, such transactions took place by U.S. mail and frequently took weeks to complete. Funeral homes can now complete these amendments in a matter of days.
- The customer experience has been considerably enhanced with call center and lobby wait times being significantly reduced. The average wait time for customers to speak with an OVR call center representative has decreased from an average of 43 minutes to 30 seconds.
- Application processing times which were previously 46 days in 2021 are now three to five business days. Amendment processing times, previously an average of 55 days, are now finished in five to ten business days.
- Marriage and divorce certificates previously required 60+ days before they were available for issuance. The Office set a goal of 30 days to have these certificates available to the public; now, the public can obtain these records in 27 days.
“The staff at the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records work tirelessly to ensure that Virginians can efficiently access their vital records the moment they need it.” said Karen Shelton, MD, State Health Commissioner. “These latest benchmark achievements are symbolic of the work Virginia’s state government does to serve Virginians.”
The Office’s headquarters is located in Richmond at 2001 Maywill Street, Suite #101, Richmond, VA 23230; it is open to the public Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The vital records call center — (804) 662-6200 — is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The public may also apply for a vital record, pay for it, and receive updates on the request’s fulfillment online using this tracking tool. For more information, please visit the Office of Vital Records’ website, including frequently asked questions and other resources.
The public may also access Office of Vital Records services through their local health district offices and Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) offices. Use this Health Department locator tool to find your local health department office; please call ahead to ensure your local office offers the services you need to access. Use this DMV office locator tool to find a DMV office near you; DMV offices are open for walk-ins and appointments.