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  4. Service Areas
  5. Birth and Death Records

Contact Information

  • Jennifer McCracken, Health Director
  • Contact via email
  • Main Location:3070 11th Avenue Drive SE Hickory, NC 28602

Birth and Death Records

In North Carolina, local health departments process birth and death certificates (vital records) under NC General Statute 130A-94. In this role, Catawba County Public Health and other health departments receive and review birth and death information and ensure that it is entered correctly into the state system, which is connected to the local Register of Deeds.

Our role:

  • Review hospital or birthing facility birth and fetal death records for accuracy before release to the Register of Deeds.
  • Meet with families after a home birth and process home birth certificates.
  • Receive and process death records and verify they are correct in the state system. This helps ensure that estates are able to be settled quickly.
  • Once we have processed records, they are forwarded upstream to NC Vital Records. Copies of many records are available through the Register of Deeds.

These records, when compiled over time are "vital statistics," which are used to look at local health trends as part of the Community Health Assessment and this contributes to the selection of health priorities to address in the Community Health Improvement Plan.

Public health departments process birth records and then they are forwarded to NC Vital Records. The health department cannot provide copies of those records, but they can be obtained through the Catawba County Register of Deeds (only for births in Catawba County) or NC Vital Records.

Local health departments are able to process home birth registrations. Call (828) 695-5800 and ask for Records for more information or to schedule an appointment for home birth processing. You can also order a certificate copy from NC Vital Records.

An Affidavit of Parentage can be filed for children who do not have a father listed on their birth certificate. A copy can be obtained through NC Vital Records using this form (Spanish).

We process death certificates and then they are forwarded to the state. In North Carolina, they can be obtained from the Register of Deeds in the county where the death occurred. You can also order a certificate copy from NC Vital Records.