The process to make changes to a birth or death certificate vary depending on the type of legal change needed and how recently the record was filed. You may want to call before coming to our office and find out what documentation will be required.

Corrections and amendments to vital records are governed by Arizona statutes and administrative codes. The Office of Vital Records must work within these laws when making amendments and corrections. The governing statutes are §36-323 and §36-337, and the administrative codes are Title 9, Chapter 19, Sections 112.01 through 120.

Walk-in customers are served in the order they arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Customers who arrive after 4:00 p.m. can receive information only.

Corrections cost $23.00 which includes one certified copy of the corrected certificate. We accept cash and traveler's checks, cashier's checks, or money orders made payable to the Office of Vital Records. Traveler's checks, cashier's checks, and money orders must be for the exact amount.

Note: Effective January 1, 2007 all documents submitted to support a correction or an amendment to a birth record must be translated in English by a certified translator.

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.

The most common types of corrections include:

• Corrections to Registered Birth Records.
• Corrections to Death Certificates
• Adding a Father to a Birth Certificate
• Claim of paternity (putative father registry).
• Naming the child when the child has not been named on the birth certificate.
• Changing the name of the child when the child is already named on the birth certificate.
• One of the parent's name listed on the birth certificate is an alias.
• One of the parents has changed his or her name.

For quick reference, you can download and print our brochure.  Just click here.