Definition of: Birth Certificate Number, State File Number or Birth Number, (Hereinafter BCN)
Most certificates issued at a state level have an 11-digit number written in the pattern XXX-XX-XXXXXX appears on nearly all birth certificates issued by U.S. States. The formula for the birth certificate number is:
a three-digit area code.
a two-digit (sometimes digit 4) registration year, which is typically the birth year.
a six-digit serial registration number that is assigned in order of filing to each birth.
In 1948, all states adopted this format, resulting in national uniformity for the BCN.
Where is the BCN located?
In most instances the BCN can be found in the top right or top left corner of the data section on each birth certificate copy that is issued in the United States of America.
Occasionally it will be listed in the data section. Look for the words Birth Certificate Number, State File Number or Birth Number.
Understanding the Birth Area Code
The first three digits of the birth certificate number are the birth area code. Finding out where the birth took place is important.
Below is a list of birth area codes by state, along with any relevant exclusions:
Troubleshooting:
I cant locate my BCN
You will want to make sure it is from Vital Statistics at the state level, not city county or capital as you will need either the State File Number, Birth Number or Certificate Number therefrom. If it is not a state issued copy it may not have the number. This is the leading issue we see in people locating the correct number.
I can locate the 3 digit code but the rest of the number is missing:
Make sure when you are looking at the certificate it is issued at the State Level. Not the City County or Capital! If it is issued from one of those locations it very quite possibly does not have
My number doesn't match this format:
Not all certificates will match this format. Sometimes you will not see the state 3 digit code. Sometimes it will have the 4 digit birth year and not the 2 digit birth year.
I am just not sure this is the right one...
If you think you have the right certificate but want to be sure you are welcome to reach out and we will take a look at it with you.
Feel free to text a picture of it to 707-797-7971. Please make sure to let us know why you are sending it so we are not confused as to why we are receiving it. A message proceeding or following the image saying something to the effect of "Will work for filing?" is just fine.
I have the wrong certificate how do I get the right one?:
Location of Issuance Matters!
You will want to make sure it is from Vital Statistics and or the Department of Public Health for the state you were born in. A state level certificate should have the correct information. Make sure you do not get it issued from the city, county or capital as it likely will not have all of the necessary information.
Do more research.
A search on https://StartPage.com for the state you were born in followed by Birth Certificate can help you visually see what you are looking for.
i.e. California Birth Certificate
Once the results appear make sure to click on images at the top and it will show you image results that you can look at.
Look at the results and see which certificates issued in which locations have the correct information.
| Birth Area Code By States | |
| State | Area Code |
| Alabama | 101 |
| Alaska | 150 |
| Arizona | 102 |
| Arkansas | 103 |
| California | 104 |
| Colorado | 105 |
| Connecticut | 106 |
| Delaware | 107 |
| D.C. | 108 |
| Florida | 109 |
| Georgia | 110 |
| Hawaii | 151 |
| Idaho | 111 |
| Illinois | 112 |
| Indiana | 113 |
| Iowa | 114 |
| Kansas | 115 |
| Kentucky | 116 |
| Louisiana - Birth certificates issued before 1988 in Louisiana may start with 119. New Orleans birth certificates started with 117 until 7/01/74 | 117 |
| Maine | 118 |
| Maryland - Baltimore birth certificates issued before the 1970s may start with 154 | 119 |
| Massachusetts - Boston does not have an area code for birth certificates | 120 |
| Michigan | 121 |
| Minnesota | 122 |
| Mississippi | 123 |
| Missouri | 124 |
| Montana | 125 |
| Nebraska | 126 |
| Nevada | 127 |
| New Hampshire | 128 |
| New Jersey | 129 |
| New Mexico | 130 |
| New York - New York city uses the birth area code 156 for its birth certificateS | 131 |
| North Carolina | 132 |
| North Dakota | 133 |
| Ohio | 134 |
| Oklahoma | 135 |
| Oregon | 136 |
| Pennsylvania uses a 7-digit number, which always ends in 0, followed by an - and the year of birth | |
| Rhode Island | 138 |
| South Carolina | 139 |
| South Dakota | 140 |
| Tennessee | 141 |
| Texas | 142 |
| Utah | 143 |
| Vermont | 144 |
| Virginia | 145 |
| Washington | 146 |
| West Virginia | 147 |
| Wisconsin | 148 |
| Wyoming | 149 |
Other Options
Naturalization
If you are naturalized then the naturalization certificate is preferable to a Birth Certificate from abroad.
It is suggested that you get an authenticated copy for use so that you do not lose your original. You are able to get an authenticated certificate here:
If you are not yet naturalized and plan to do so then you should complete your naturalization first and then do this process following.
Certificate of Birth Abroad
If you were born abroad and are not able to get a birth certificate from one of the 50 states then you can use the Certificate of Birth Abroad in place of the Birth Certificate.
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California – Get BC here. Do not use the County Clerk/Recorder* link!!
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records-Obtaining-Certified-Copies-of-Birth-Records.aspx
Which purpose Legal or Passport?
Respectfully thank you for your information and I will endeavor to obtain the proper BC
Your welcome, it is our pleasure to help in any way we can. If you need anything else please feel free to reach out.
Hello, I’m focusing on finding the missing numbers on my vital statistics certified copy (red letters or numbers)
From California,And.. and my cussip number. What advice or instructions can you provide?
Sounds good. The State File Number, Birth Number or Certificate Number number will not be in red. It will likely be in black towards the top left of the certificate for California. It can be helpful to run a search on a search engine like startpage or duckduckgo for “Birth Certificate California” to view images for certificates from the location to have a visual of what you are looking for.
California specifically is more difficult to obtain the correct certificate you need to do so from CDPH here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records-Obtaining-Certified-Copies-of-Birth-Records.aspx to locate the VS 111 mail in request form. DO NOT USE the “Electronic Submission” nor the “County Clerk/Recorder” options as they will most likely send you the wrong one.
Hello why does my file number have 10 numbers instead of 11?
Numbers are dependent on filing location. There is not standard numbering system world wide for files.
love your services, but respectfully. you can get a certified copy of your birth certificate from the county clerk recorders office in California as i did with all my numbers on it just as this page described the numbers should look and also matching the area codes. Im located in Alameda County….
Some counties do issue the right certificate for some people. The majority of the time though the necessary information is not located on county certificates. This is especially true in California.
I was wondering why my birth certificate does not have a state number on it
It is impossible to tell without seeing the specific certificate, when it was issued and from where. Most likely though it is because of the location of issuance. Was it issued from the City, County, or Capital? If so it generally will not contain the correct information. It needs to be issued from the State level, either Vital Statistics, possibly the Department of Public Health branch depending on the state. California specifically is bad about issuing the correct certificates unless you get them from CDPH.
Hello All.
I am from Connecticut, one of the few states that obtaining an authenticated Birth Certificate is not an option. I have the number from my certified copy that I got from the town clerk. It is only 10 digits not 11. Does this work for the process?
The easiest way for us to know if it will work is to be able to look at it.
You can upload documents to your portal for us to review at:
https://makefreedom.com/client-upload/
Please note that you will need to make sure you are logged into your account to access the Client Upload page.
After you upload documents please make sure text Guy in Document Compilation at 707-797-7971 to let him know so that we can review the information.