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At one time or another all of us need copies of birth, marriage, or death certificates for driver's licenses, passports, jobs, social security, family history research, or for simple proof of identify. But the requirements and fees needed to obtain copies of vital records vary from state to state and from country to country, often requiring a time-wasting exchange of correspondence before the appropriate forms can be obtained. The International Vital Records Handbook puts an end to all that, as it offers complete, up-to-date information on how and where to request vital records. It also includes copies of the application forms, where available, thus simplifying and speeding up the process by which vital records are obtained.

This new 5th edition of the International Vital Records Handbook contains the latest forms and information for each of the fifty states and also furnishes details about records that were created prior to statewide vital records registration. In addition, it identifies vital records collections, online databases, and institutions of interest to genealogy researchers. Then, in alphabetical sequence, it covers the other countries of the world, giving, where available, the current application forms and instructions, as well as the key addresses of repositories or embassies that might help you obtain copies of vital records.

If you are doing genealogy research and are not eligible to access a restricted record, you may be able to obtain an "informational copy" of the record, which will contain all of the information found on the certified copy but will have a statement stamped on it saying that the document is for informational purposes only and cannot be used to establish identity. When a state does provide an informational copy for research, it is noted in this book. A number of searchable, free databases containing vital records are now available online, and many of these too have been noted in this book, as have specific repositories containing vital records collections that are accessible by genealogists.

Comments on Previous Editions

"First [this] is a wonderful compilation of vital-records application forms. . . . Second, the group of forms for each locale is preceded by a data page which includes the correct name and address of the vital-records office, the phone number, the fees and the method of payment, and special notes on the records themselves. This volume is a must for any genealogical reference collection."--National Genealogical Society Quarterly (Sept. 1988)

"Who has not been forced to obtain, usually in a hurry, a copy of a birth certificate for passport, driver's license, job, or the like? Aiming to make that task as easy as possible, this book provides the actual application forms required for obtaining birth, marriage, or death certificates. This practical addition to reference collections is for most public libraries."--Library Journal (June 1, 1987)

"For the first time, this third edition includes all countries, forms for divorce certificates, and alternative record locations, including vital records microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. . . . it is essential for all reference desks. In both institutional and home libraries, the completely new third edition will replace the older editions."--Library Journal (Feb. 1, 1995)

"Absolutely indispensable is the only way to describe this book. . . . Mr. Kemp's book is the very best available work of its type. All public libraries should have this handbook in their reference sections."--The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (April 1991)

". . . as a published source itself this guide cannot be overlooked. . . . As an aid to the researcher, Kemp included information (for the United States and some other countries) about how to obtain records faster . . . and about which of the records are available through the Family History Library."--Kory L. Meyerink, Printed Sources (1998)

"Another book I would recommend is Thomas Jay Kemp's International Vital Records Handbook. . . . This provides addresses of vital records offices, starting dates of the records, fees, and copies of application forms."--Val D. Greenwood, The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, 3rd ed. (2000)

"One particularly good source is Thomas Kemp's International Vital Records Handbook. The starting dates of state registrations, fees, addresses, and a copy of the forms on which to order the documents are included."--Christine Rose, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy (1997)

"The work, updated in some instances by hand just before going to press, is a valuable service for public libraries and genealogical libraries to provide to their patrons, saving them many days of anxiety and time wasted. The correct form, the address and the fee are all here and can easily be photocopied. Patrons will bless you for your foresight in buying this book."--American Reference Books Annual(1995)

"This is a very convenient source and a library's failure to replace the [earlier editions] with the new International Vital Records Handbook would be as serious a mistake as a genealogist's pruning illegitimate progeny from the family tree."--Wilson Library Bulletin (June 1990)

"If you don't have a clue as to where to write, what form is needed, or how much it costs, this book is for you . . . With this valuable aid, any excuse for not writing for your family's vital records has vanished."--Federation of Genealogical Societies Forum (Spring 1996)

"Do you need to order a vital record? Here is the book for you! . . . This is a very useful publication and should be on the bookshelf of every serious genealogist."--American Family Records Association (April 1995)

"Mr Kemp has clearly tried to provide as much information as is currently available for as many countries as possible. . . . The availability of the forms, which may be photocopied for personal use, makes the International Vital Records Handbook an especially valuable resource for the genealogist, and every library, as well as many individual researchers, will want to have this latest edition on their shelves."--The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (Jan. 1995)

"In this expanded edition Mr. Kemp has included not only copies of the application forms for ordering birth, marriage, death and divorce records from each United States, Canadian, British and Irish jurisdiction, but now also the forms for the rest of the British commonwealth and information about securing information from European countries which do not have central registration of vital statistics."--The Virginia Genealogist (July-Sept. 1990)

"This book is the best one-volume guide to vital records available . . . Genealogists, biographers, local historians, and government officers will find the International Vital Records Handbook essential to their work. Local public and university libraries will want the book for patrons who need an occasional certificate for a passport or social security application."--Government Publications Review (Winter 1990)

"Anyone who needs to acquire a copy of these records for the purpose of genealogical research or for the more mundane purpose of obtaining a driver's license, passport, or social security benefits will appreciate the simple directions and time-saving forms."--RQ Sources (Fall 1990)

"If you need a birth, marriage or death form--or even think you might at some stage--there's nothing else quite like this book, now in its [fourth] edition and still going strong."--Family Tree Magazine (May 1995)