Are Birth Records Public in Wyoming?
According to Wyoming FOIA laws, birth records are available to the public 100 years after the event. Before this period elapses, only uncertified copies of these records are provided to inquirers unless they satisfy the state’s eligibility requirements. These persons include:
- The registrant, provided they are at least 18 years old
- The parents or legal guardians of the record holder
- Persons with a court order
What are Birth Records in Wyoming?
Wyoming birth records are official documentation detailing births that occurred in the state. These are vital records created and provided by the Vital Statistics Services of the Wyoming Department of Health. A birth record contains identifying information about an individual as well as their parents. It also provides details about the birth itself. A typical Wyoming birth certificate contains the following information:
- Full name of the child
- Child’s gender
- Place and date of birth
- Type of birth
- Date and place of birth registration
- Birth registration number
- Parents’ names including mother’s maiden name
- Mother’s marital status
Wyoming began recording births in July 1909. There are many reasons to get a birth certificate. First, it establishes the legal identity of the individual named and can also serve to obtain a proof of citizenship. Wyoming residents need certified copies of their birth certificates to obtain passports, social security numbers, and drivers’ licenses. They may also need it to confirm their relationships to long-lost relatives, claim insurance benefits, and apply for guardianship.
Recording births is also important for the state. Birth records can help determine Wyoming population growth and other related statistical trends. This will help the state allocate its resources and guide public health policies. With regards to public health, birth records are also needed for population and epidemiological studies so medical scientists can understand emerging trends regarding maternity health, infectious diseases, and genetic conditions.
How to Find and Request Birth Records Online in Wyoming
Wyoming does not make provisions for looking up its birth records online. The state’s Vital Statistics Services does not offer access or use a third-party provider to provide access to vital records online. Just as there is no way to find Wyoming birth records online, it is also not possible to request these records on the internet. Ordering copies of a Wyoming birth record requires contacting the Vital Statistics Services of the state’s Department of Health and mailing a completed request form.
Considered open to citizens of the United States, public records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:
- The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
- The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.
While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government-sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.
How to Get Birth Records in Wyoming
The state’s Vital Statistics Services only provides copies of birth records for events that occurred in Wyoming. Birth events are first filed with registrars of the counties where they occurred before they are recorded with the Vital Statistics Services. It is possible to obtain the records of births filed and recorded in Wyoming in two ways: in person by visiting the office of the Vital Statistics Services or by sending a mail request by mail.
In-Person Request for Wyoming Birth Record
Start by downloading and printing the Request for Certified Copy of a Wyoming Vital Record form. Complete the Birth Record section of this form and bring it to:
Vital Statistics Services
2300 Capitol Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002
This office opens to the public between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday except on Wednesday when it closes at 12:00 p.m.
Bring along the total fees for the number of copies requested as well as a valid government-issued photo ID. The Wyoming Vital Statistics Services accepts expired IDs as long as they are not expired for no longer than 60 days. Acceptable IDs include:
- Driver’s License
- Passport Card
- Retired or Dependent Military ID
- State ID Card
- Tribal ID
- U.S. Concealed Weapons Permit
- Passport
- Consular Card
- State or Federal Prison Corrections ID
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, Wyoming Vital Statistics Services has discontinued walk-in requests for birth records until further notice. Those wishing to request copies of birth certificates must do so by sending mail requests.
Mail Request for Wyoming Birth Record
To submit a mail request for a certified Wyoming birth certificate, download, print, and complete the Request for Certified Copy of a Wyoming Vital Record form. Enclose a photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment for ordered copies as a money order or check. Send these to:
Vital Statistics Services
2300 Capitol Avenue
Hathaway Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7591
Note that Wyoming only issues a total of five certified copies of a birth certificate to anyone over their lifetime. Therefore, anyone requesting four or more copies or have requested up to four and still want another must include an additional form with their mail request. Such a request must be accompanied by a completed and notarized Excessive Certificates Form.
Wyoming also allows adoptive parents to request for birth certificates for their adopted children. This must be done immediately after completing the adoption process. The Vital Statistics Services only provide certificates for births occurring in Wyoming. Adoptive parents seeking a birth certificate for their adopted child must complete the Request for Birth Certificate Following Adoption form.
Send the completed form along with a certified copy of a Wyoming Report of Adoption and a certified copy of a Final Decree of Adoption to Vital Statistics Services. Note if an adoption takes place in Wyoming, the court that finalized the adoption will forward the Final Decree and Report of Adoption to Vital Statistics Services. Mail these documents and the requirement payment to:
Vital Statistics Services
Attn: Adoption Specialist
Hathaway Building
2300 Capitol Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Wyoming Vital Statistics Services accepts mail requests for birth records sent by USPS, FedEx, and UPS. Certified copies of birth certificates are returned by USPS First Class mail unless expedited mailing is requested. Anyone requesting expedited shipping must include a self-addressed pre-paid envelope for USPS Express Mail, UPS, or FedEx. When using a FedEx or UPS return envelope, it should bear the requester’s FedEx or UPS account number on the label rather than a credit card number.
Where Can I Find Birth Records in Wyoming?
Wyoming birth records are only available from the Vital Statistics Services of the Department of Health. As a closed record state, Wyoming makes birth records confidential for 100 years. During this period, only individuals named on these records and their authorized representatives can request them. Wyoming birth records older than 100 years are available from the Wyoming State Archives located at:
2301 Central Avenue
Barrett Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7826
Call or visit this location to request archived birth records. After 100 years, anyone can request these records.
How to Get Birth Records From Hospitals in Wyoming
Wyoming hospitals do not provide birth certificates. Birth records prepared by these hospitals are sent to county registrars and the state’s Vital Statistics Services for preparing birth certificates. However, some hospitals in Wyoming provide parents with souvenir birth certificates. These are only sentimental as they hold no legal value. Parents of newborns still have to request certified copies of birth certificates from the vital records section of Wyoming Department of Health.
How Long Do Hospitals Keep Birth Records in Wyoming?
Following a birth, Wyoming hospitals may hold birth records for up to 25 years. However, since this is not a requirement per state statute, the lenght of time may be impacted by the hospital’s policy and the prevailing laws in the judicial district.
Can Anyone Get a Copy of a Birth Certificate in Wyoming?
No. Wyoming is a closed record state and only makes birth certificates issued within the last 100 years available to eligible individuals. To obtain a copy of a birth certificate in Wyoming, the requester must be any of the following:
- Registrant (owner of the record) as long as they are of legal age i.e. 18 years or older
- One of the parents named on the record
- Legal guardian of the registrant given court-ordered guardianship papers
- Attorney representing the registrant or their parent
Wyoming Vital Statistics Services may provide certified copies of a birth certificate to an underage registrant as long as they can demonstrate the need for this record. Unemancipated minors with signed affidavits may request their own birth certificates.
How Much Does a Birth Certificate Cost in Wyoming?
Wyoming charges $20 for a certified copy of a birth certificate. Each additional copy of the same record requested costs the same amount. The Vital Statistics Services charges $25 for each photocopy of an original birth certificate. A replacement birth certificate issued following a correction costs $10.
Wyoming charges $45 for the first certified copy of a birth certificate issued following an adoption. Each additional copy of a certified birth certificate for an adopted child costs $20.
Those requesting Wyoming birth certificates in person can pay the total amounts of the copies requested in cash. For mail requests, only money orders and bank-personalized checks are accepted. These checks must draw from the bank accounts of the individuals submitting the requests. When paying by money order or check, make it payable to Vital Statistics Services.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Birth Certificate in Wyoming?
When available, walk-in requests are quicker than mail requests. Those requesting their birth certificates in person at the office of the Wyoming Vital Statistics Services can expect to receive them on the same day as long as those records are available. Processing for mail requests takes longer. Generally, the Wyoming Department of Health processes mail requests within 3 business days. This is the time it takes to find the birth records requested and make the numbers of copies requested.
How it takes to get a birth certificate requested by mail depends on the delivery method selected. Requesters choosing the expedited Express Mail options will receive their birth records faster than those opting for the default USPS First Class Mail. Therefore, delivery may take up to an additional week after processing.
How to Expunge Your Birth Record in Wyoming
Expungement is a legal term that refers to the deletion of parts of a record. It usually applies to criminal records and is most often used to erase juvenile criminal records as ordered by a court. Expungement does not apply to birth records. Wyoming makes no provisions for removing information from its birth records. Therefore, it does not provide steps or a framework for expungement birth records.
How to Seal Your Birth Record in Wyoming
There is no reason to seek to seal a Wyoming birth record because the state has a closed record policy. All birth records in Wyoming are sealed by default and are only accessible by eligible individuals named or closely linked to the subjects of these records. Wyoming parents wishing to conceal information recorded in their children’s birth certificates do not have to take additional steps to keep such information from the public domain. However, the general public can access Wyoming birth records after 100 years to the day they were prepared.
Wyoming also seals adoption records by default. Therefore, adoption records that are part of birth records are not accessible to the public. These adoption records are only available to adult adoptees named in those records, their adoptive parents, and their birth parents, siblings, and grandparents.
How to Unseal Your Birth Record in Wyoming
Since Wyoming makes birth records inaccessible to the public for 100 years, these records are automatically unsealed after this period. During this period, registrants named on birth records can look up and obtain copies of their birth certificates. Therefore, there is no need to unseal these records.
However, the original birth certificates of adopted children are sealed along with their adoption records. Such identifying records are not easily accessible to adopted children. To unseal their adoption records and gain access to their original birth certificates, adult adoptees must first obtain a court order in Wyoming. A Wyoming court will then need to determine whether all parties involved consent to revealing the information contained in those sealed birth records.
What is a Wyoming Birth Index?
A Wyoming birth index is a collection of birth records of persons born within state limits. They are compiled for research, genealogical and statistical purposes. An index contains the names of the persons born, their birth date and location, and related information. This information is assembled by the state Department of Health and local health departments.
