Alberta Vital Statistics maintains a record (registration) of all births that occur in Alberta and can only issue certificates/documents for events that occurred in Alberta. Birth certificates are issued using the information from the original Registration of Birth, completed at the time of birth.
All birth records are kept confidential, and therefore only certain people can order a birth certificate. To order a certificate, you must be one of the below:
- The person listed on the birth certificate
- The parent of the person who is listed on the certificate
- A guardian or trustee for the person listed on the certificate. Proof is required.
- A person with a power of attorney for the person listed in the certificate. Proof is required.
- Any person with an order from the court. Proof is required
- A person adopting a child may apply for that child�s biological birth certificate. Proof of adoption is required.
- A lawyer for the person listed in birth certificate. Proof is required.
- A person with an Alberta court order that states the person is eligible to make the application.
- Any adult next of kin of a person who is listed on the birth certificate when that person is deceased.
If you are one of the above, you may come in and order the birth certificate. You will require your valid photo ID to order the certificate along with any supplementary documentation as listed above. When you come in, you will fill out an application form and submit it to the registry agents. Once you have submitted the application, you will be asked how soon you need the certificate. You can order the certificate and have it sent to you by mail within 7-10 days, couriered to us within 2-3 business days depending on the time of day you ordered the certificate, or you can go down the Alberta government offices and pick it up yourself 2 business days later.
There are three types of certificates that you can order:
Birth Certificate with Personal Information Only
This certificate contains the persons full name, sex, place of birth, registration number, date of birth,
registration date and date issued.
**Please note, this type of certificate may not be sufficient for travel purposes for minors.
Birth Certificate with Personal Information and Parentage
This certificate contains the persons full name, sex, place of birth, registration number, date of birth, registration date, date issued, full name of parent(s), place of birth of the parent(s).
Certified copy of a Registration of Birth
This certificate is what was filled out in the hospital by the parents and the doctor. It will contain the same information as the large size certificate, and more.
