# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Passports

How to Obtain a Copy of My Birth Certificate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You need a copy of your birth certificate if you want to, among other things, apply for a passport, obtain a driver's license or register for school. The Pennsylvania Department of Health's Division of Vital Records maintains the records of all those born in the Keystone Stated and issues copies of birth certificates to those eligible to obtain them. If you were born in Pennsylvania and live in Philadelphia, you can obtain a copy of your birth certificate by visiting the local office of the Division of Vital Records.

Valid photo identification
$10 payment

Instructions

- 1
  Download a copy of the Application for Certified Copy of Birth Records from the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. You can also obtain an application at the Division of Vital Records office in Philadelphia.
- 2
  Complete the application by providing your name, date of birth, place of birth and names of your birth parents. Write in "self" in the section that asks for your relationship to the person named on the birth certificate.
- 3
  Bring the completed application, your valid government-issued photo identification and $10 in cash or a personal check to:
  
  Division of Vital Records, Philadelphia Public Office
  
  110 North 8th St., Suite 108
  
  Philadelphia, PA 19107-2412
  
  If you arrive before 1:30 p.m., you will receive a copy of your birth certificate before you leave.