If you were born in Pennsylvania there should be some record of your birth. Usually a birth certificate, unless for some reason your birth wasn’t recorded. But in this day and age that is ultra rare.
Not everyone has a copy of their birth certificate however. Birth certificates are one of those important documents that you should have in your possession and if you don’t have one, here is how to get one.
First thing you’ll want to do is to print out this application for a birth certificate.
Next gather the identification that you’ll need. You need to prove who you are to be able to get your birth certificate. These are some of the acceptable form of id:
Your drivers license, or state identification if you have it.
or
A valid government issued id such as military id, inmate id, license to carry firearms, passport or medical marijuana card.
or
A school id card with your picture.
or
If you don’t have any of those, you can bring 2 pieces of mail with your name and address on it such as bank statements, utility bills, social security statement, something from the welfare office, car insurance or registration, or mortgage or rental information.
If you have absolutely none of these, you can have a family member come with you to get your birth certificate. It has to be a spouse,parent, grandparent, sibling or child. Someone with power of attorney or a legal representative can also request your birth certificate for you.
As of this 2025, the cost for a birth certificate is $20. So be sure to plan on paying this cost with a credit/debit card or check or money order. They do not accept cash.
Finally you need to head to the vital records office. Here in the Pittsburgh area it is located at
411 Seventh Avenue, Room 360
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
They are open Monday through Friday 8 am until 4 pm but I would recommend getting there before 3 pm to give them time to process your paperwork.
Hopefully these instructions are helpful for you. Getting your birth certificate is an important step to getting your Real ID and a Passport.