The Forsyth County Register Of Deeds records births, deaths, marriages, and other vital records. This office provides copies of these records to eligible individuals. This guide details the application process, eligibility requirements, acceptable identification, and other essential information.
Who is eligible to receive a certified copy of a vital record – Birth, Death, Marriage Certificate, or DD214 Discharge?
Eligible individuals include: the individual named on the record, spouse, parent, sibling, child, stepchild, stepparent, grandparent; individuals seeking to establish legal ownership of property; Power of Attorney, Attorney, Legal Representative (proof required).
Requesting Copies
You can request records in person, by mail (US Postal Service), or online. Note that the office does not accept requests via email or fax. When requesting a copy, provide accurate and complete information, such as the full legal name and exact dates to help locate the record quickly.
Allow 10 days before requesting a copy of a newborn birth certificate, a recent death certificate, or a marriage certificate to ensure the record has been received and processed. Anyone 62 years or older is provided one free certified copy of their birth certificate. Only the person named on the certificate can receive the record.
Requesting Copies In Person
If you come to the office for a certified copy of a record, government-issued photo identification is required. Certified copies are $10.00, and non-certified copies are $0.50. Acceptable forms of payment are cash, credit and debit cards, money orders, and cashier’s checks. Personal checks, counter checks, and e-checks are not accepted.
Requesting Copies By Mail
If requesting a copy by mail, send payment in the form of a business check, bank check, or money order. Print the Application for Copy of Vital Record and include a copy of your identification. Mail requests to: Forsyth County Register of Deeds, Vital Records, 201 North Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for prompt return of your records. Do not send cash through the mail. Personal checks, counter checks, and out-of-country checks are not accepted.
Requesting Copies Online
Only Birth, Death, and Marriage records filed in Forsyth County can be requested online. To request records online from another county or state, contact the Register of Deeds office or state office where the original record was filed. Out-of-County records cannot be requested online.
When requesting a certified copy online, you must answer a series of security questions before the application is processed, mailed, or picked up. Additional transaction fees apply for the convenience of using a credit or debit card. The cost of a certified copy is $15.11 per copy. Place orders at forsythrod.permitium.com.
Acceptable Identification
Acceptable forms of ID for Certified Copies include: State Issued Driver’s License; State Issued Photo ID Card; US Military ID Card; Passport, Visa; Department of Corrections ID Card; State or US Government Issued ID.
Out-of-County Birth and Death Certificates
Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates are available at the Register of Deeds office where the original record is filed. If the birth or death occurred in another county, Out-of-County Birth and Death Certificates can be applied for in Forsyth County. Out-of-County Birth Certificates can be requested in any county in North Carolina from the Register of Deeds Office provided: the birth occurred in North Carolina; the year of birth is from 1971 to present; the individual was not Adopted.
Adoption Records
For information on Adoption birth certificates and records, contact the state office, NC Vital Records, for assistance at 919-733-3000 or 919-733-3526. This applies to Domestic and International Adoptions. These records are not issued at the local Register of Deeds offices.
Record Search Fee
Before a record search begins, it is important that you advise us if there are double last names, non-traditional spellings of any part of the name, punctuation in the name or if the name has been changed by court order. There is a search fee of $14.00 for each record search. Forsyth County birth certificates remain $10.00 per certified copy.
Delayed Birth Certificate Registration
A person born in Forsyth County, NC without a birth certificate registered on file, and over the age of one, may apply for Delayed Registration of Birth. You must first contact NC Vital Records to perform a statewide record search. The search fee is a non-refundable $24.00. If no record is found, you will receive a No Record Found letter. At that point, contact the Register of Deeds office for the next step in the process.
