There are many ways to go about trying to find birth certificates.  It all depends on your starting point and the information you are looking for.  The good news is that it may not be as hard as it sounds and that there are people out there who can teach you how to look.

Gather As Much Information as You Can

For example, your process will be different if you know the day, month and year you were born, but not the state, and vice versa.  Or if you know everything but the year, including your parents’ names.

It goes without saying, that the more information you have, the easier it is to locate a specific record, but with perseverance, even a very limited amount of information can eventually take you where you’re going.

Expect the Unexpected

It is important to remember before starting this kind of search that you may be unprepared for what you find.  Sometimes all you’re looking for is the name your mother was using before she joined the underground, and you ultimately learn you’re three years older than you thought!  That kind of shock is hard to recover from.

When Knowing Birth Records is Imperative

However, if you are prepared to live with the knowledge, this information can be very valuable.  There may be an inheritance waiting for you as the only grandchild of a paperclip magnet inventor.  Or there may be critical medical history you or your child cannot live without.  At those times it is imperative to know how to find birth certificates.

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