How to get a birth or death certificate in Berks County
Order a Berks County birth or death certificate from the state: the $20 fee, how to order online, by mail, or in person, and who is eligible.
By The Berks Beat staff · Published July 19, 2026 · Facts last verified July 19, 2026
Pennsylvania birth and death certificates are issued by the state, not by Berks County, so you order them from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records. You can order online, by mail, or in person, and each certified copy costs $20. No county office in Reading issues them.
Why it comes from the state, not the county
The Division of Vital Records is the state office that keeps and issues Pennsylvania birth and death certificates. It holds records for births and deaths that happened in the state since 1906. Berks County does not have its own vital-records office for certificates, so a Reading address on the record does not change where you order.
This trips people up because the county Recorder of Deeds, at 633 Court Street, does issue other official documents. That office handles deeds and mortgages, not birth or death certificates. If a property document is what you actually need, see our guide to getting a copy of a deed in Berks County.
Who can order
Pennsylvania limits who can get a certificate. For a birth certificate, you must be the person named on it, or that person’s spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal representative. You have to be at least 16 to apply, or 18 to order online.
For a death certificate, you must be 18 or older and be the deceased person’s spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild, hold power of attorney, represent the estate, or have a direct financial interest. Other relatives can apply if they document the relationship.
What you need before you start
Whichever way you order, have three things ready:
- A valid government-issued photo ID for the applicant.
- The details of the record: the full name on the certificate, the date of the birth or death, and the place. For a birth certificate, the parents’ names help.
- Payment. Online and in-person orders take a credit card; mail orders take a check or money order.
Option 1: Order online
Online is the only way to order without leaving home, and it runs 24 hours a day.
- Go to mycertificates.health.pa.gov, the state’s only authorized online vendor (run by VitalChek).
- Choose a birth or death certificate and fill in the record and applicant details.
- Pay the $20 certificate fee plus a $10 online service fee, and any shipping option you pick.
You must be 18 to order online. The state processes online orders in about the same time as mailed ones (see below); the service fee is what you pay for the convenience.
Option 2: Order by mail
- Download and complete the birth or death certificate application from the state Vital Records pages linked at the end of this guide.
- Include a photocopy of your valid photo ID.
- Enclose a check or money order for $20 per copy, payable to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
- Mail it to: Division of Vital Records, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103.
Mail has no extra service fee, but you wait for the application to reach New Castle and for the finished certificate to come back to you.
Option 3: Order in person
The state runs six walk-in offices. None is in Berks County; the closest is Harrisburg, about 40 miles away, at 555 Walnut Street, Forum Place, 1st floor. Philadelphia, at 110 N. 8th Street, is the other nearby office, but it takes appointments only. Offices are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and charge the same $20 per copy with no service fee.
In person is the fastest option. If you submit your request before 2:30 p.m., you may walk out with the certificate the same day.
What it costs
| How you order | Fee per copy |
|---|---|
| In person (Harrisburg or another state office) | $20 |
| By mail | $20 |
| Online | $20 + $10 service fee |
Active-duty and honorably discharged members of the U.S. Armed Forces can get the fee waived on up to 10 copies a year with the right documentation.
How long it takes
In person is same-day when you arrive before 2:30 p.m. For online and mail orders, the state’s current processing time is about two weeks for a birth certificate and about three weeks for a death certificate. Those figures are processing time only and do not count the days the certificate spends in the mail on the way to you. Processing can run longer for genealogy requests or records that need a correction.
FAQ
How much is a birth or death certificate in Berks County?
Each certified copy is $20 whether you order it in person, by mail, or online. Ordering online adds a $10 service fee. Members of the military can have the fee waived on up to 10 copies a year.
Can I get a Pennsylvania birth certificate the same day?
Yes, if you go in person to a state Vital Records office and submit your request before 2:30 p.m. The nearest office to Berks County is in Harrisburg. Online and mailed orders instead take about two to three weeks to process, plus shipping.
Does Berks County have a vital-records office?
No. Pennsylvania birth and death certificates come only from the state Division of Vital Records, not from a county office. The Berks County Recorder of Deeds handles property records like deeds and mortgages, which is a different kind of document.
Who is allowed to get someone’s death certificate?
A spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the deceased, along with an estate representative, someone holding power of attorney, or a person with a direct financial interest. Applicants must be 18 or older, and more distant relatives can qualify by documenting the relationship.
What if the birth or death happened before 1906?
The state Division of Vital Records only holds records from 1906 on. For an earlier birth or death, check with the county Register of Wills, the Berks County genealogy and historical societies, or church and cemetery records. Our guide to how Berks County government works explains which offices keep which records.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records — Vital Records, Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Public Offices, and Processing Times.
- Order online: mycertificates.health.pa.gov (VitalChek, the state’s only authorized vendor).
- Mail: Division of Vital Records, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Nearest in-person office: 555 Walnut Street, Forum Place, 1st floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101; open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Facts last verified July 19, 2026.