Birth

Certain errors or information not given at the time of birth may be corrected. Names that sound alike, errors made by the hospital, or hyphens are a few that are most likely to be fixable through this process with the correct documentation.

Please call our office to discuss your circumstances.

Who can amend a birth record?

• The individual named on the certificate if 18 years or older.
• Either parents as long as they are listed on the certificated being amended.

• For a Birth Amendment, if the birth was prior to 1971, you will be required to bring a $15 money order for NCVR. If after 1971, cash or card is accepted for said fee.
• Our processing fee is $10 with cash or card accepted.
• Once all North Carolina Vital Records (NCVR) requirements has been met, we will forward the amendment to the state office for processing.
• Their processing time varies and can take up to a year. You may expedite your request for an additional $15 to NCVR.

If the father is not listed on the birth record, neither he nor his family members can get a certified copy. Call our office to see if this is as simple as an Affidavit or a Legitimation.

A surname (last name) change in most cases requires a court order; however, it can be changed when filing a Legitimation. In order to file a legitimation (among other requirements), you would need to have married after the birth of the said child and the mother, in a simple case, would not have been married before. Nonetheless, don’t hesitate to call because there are other requirements that you may meet.

First or middle names in some cases can be changed through amendments (see amendment) or legitimations, but may require a court order if NCVR requirements cannot be met.

NEW in 2026: Thanks to changes in state law from the NC General Assembly, our office can now access birth certificates for most people who were born in Catawba County and then adopted. Previously, these records were only available through the NC Office of Vital Records. The availability of these records is more restricted, but can be requested through the same methods listed in the General Information section. Please reach out to our office with any additional questions.

If you were born in any county in North Carolina from 1971 to the present, you may obtain your birth record from the Catawba County Register of Deeds office. An ID is required. The fee to obtain this record is $24 ($14 of that fee is non-refundable to NCVR).

Birth Records Request Form

To locate where you can order your records from the local or state office, click here.

DO NOT order from websites that charge excessive amounts for these records before checking with the local and state offices. Most of the time you can get the records at a better cost and within a more reasonable timeframe. Many local offices even offer direct online services.