Records
Birth certificate Clark County: who can get a certified copy, and how to fix one
A birth certificate Clark County residents need, for a REAL ID, a passport, school or a
job, is a certified copy of the birth record on file with the state. If the birth happened in Clark
County, the Clark County district health office can issue the copy. So can the State Registrar of
Vital Statistics. Not just anyone can order one. Homeless people and people just out of prison get theirs
free. If the record is wrong, there is a set way to correct it. Here is what Nevada law says.
What you do now
1. Know where the birth was filed. When a baby is born in a hospital, the hospital
files the certificate within 10 days with the health officer of the district where the birth
happened (NRS 440.280(1)). The district health officer of Clark County may issue a certified copy of a
birth certificate first filed with that office (NAC 440.070(1)). The State Registrar can issue one for
any birth registered in Nevada (NRS 440.650(1)).
2. Check that you are allowed to order it. The registrar gives a certified copy only
to someone with a "direct and tangible interest" (NRS 440.650(2)). See the list below.
3. Bring what they ask for. If documents are missing from your application, the
office must tell you what's missing and what extra documents to send (NRS 440.175(4),
NRS 440.650(3)).
4. Ask for the fee waiver if it fits. If you are homeless or just out of prison,
your copy is free. See the table below.
Who can get a certified copy
"Direct and tangible interest" means one of these (NAC 440.070(2)):
You or close family. A relationship by blood or marriage, within the
second degree, to the person on the certificate. That covers you, your parents, children, spouse,
brothers and sisters, grandparents and grandchildren.
A legal relationship. For example, a guardian or a legal
representative.
A legal need. When the law, or a legal process, requires it.
If the registrar says no, the decision can be reviewed by the State Board of Health or a court
(NRS 440.650(2)).
Free copies and fees
| Situation | What the law says | Source |
|---|
| You are homeless | No fee for a certified copy of your birth certificate. You sign a statement on the State Registrar's form, under penalty of perjury, that you are homeless. It does not have to be notarized | NRS 440.175(3)(a)(1), NRS 440.700(5)(a) |
| You are in prison, or got out in the last 90 days | No fee, if you bring papers from the Department of Corrections that show it | NRS 440.175(3)(a)(2), NRS 440.700(5)(b) |
| Homeless student | The school district's homeless liaison, or a licensed social worker for a client, can get the copy free | NRS 440.700(5)(c), (d) |
| Homeless and missing documents | You get at least 30 days after the notice to send in what's missing | NRS 440.175(4), NRS 440.650(3) |
| Proof of age for school or a job | A parent, guardian or unaccompanied youth can get a free certificate showing only the date of birth | NRS 440.700(7) |
| Everyone else | The State Registrar sets the fee by regulation. Part of every birth certificate fee goes to the Children's Trust Account | NRS 440.700(1)(d), (2) |
Read 2026-11-06 off the Nevada Revised Statutes: chapter 440 revision stamped
4/15/2026 (2025); and the Nevada Administrative Code, chapter 440 revision stamped 8/26/2026.
Certified copy or short form
Certified copy. A copy certified by the State Registrar is proof, in
every court and office, of the facts it states (NRS 440.660).
Abstracted certificate. This short form shows only the birth date,
sex, race and birthplace. It is also proof of those facts (NRS 440.670(1), (3)). Some agencies want
the full certified copy, so ask before you order.
If something on it is wrong
Who can ask. A request to fix anything other than medical facts must come from the
person on the certificate, or a parent, guardian or legal representative (NAC 440.023(1)(a)). Medical
facts are the date and time of birth, the sex, and the facility. Those changes must come from whoever
certified them, usually the hospital (NAC 440.023(2), (5)(a)).
What you file. An affidavit in two parts. First, your sworn statement of what is wrong
and how to fix it. Second, other evidence that backs it up, such as a supplementary affidavit from a
different person. Signatures must be notarized, and the people signing must know the facts firsthand
(NAC 440.030(1), (2)).
Evidence about parents. Evidence used to fix a parent's information must be dated
before the child's birth (NAC 440.030(4)).
Small typos. The State Registrar may fix obvious errors on its own.
A name change is never treated as an obvious error (NAC 440.023(4)).
Legal name change. Bring a certified copy of the court order changing
your name. The State Registrar then notes the change on your birth certificate (NRS 440.305).
Adding a parent. A new certificate can be issued once paternity or
parentage is established (NRS 440.325). For an unmarried parent, the other parent's name goes on
only with a court order or a signed voluntary acknowledgment (NRS 440.280(6)).
Born in Nevada but no record at all
A record filed more than 1 year after the birth is a "delayed certificate of birth"
(NAC 440.300). To file one, you must show that you were born in Nevada and that no birth certificate was
ever filed anywhere (NAC 440.310(1)). You need at least two documents from independent sources for each
fact: who your parents are, that there was a pregnancy, that there was a live birth, and that it
happened in Nevada (NAC 440.310(2), (3)). The documents should be made within 5 years of the birth
(NAC 440.320(1)). If you can't find enough, the registrar can still decide to file it
(NAC 440.320(6)).
What not to do
Don't use someone else's birth certificate. Getting or holding one
to set up a false identity is unlawful. Holding someone else's without a lawful reason is a misdemeanor.
Holding two or more is a gross misdemeanor. Using one to help commit a felony is a category D felony
(NRS 440.765).
Don't buy a "certified copy" from a stranger. Only the people the
law allows may issue a certified birth certificate (NRS 440.175(2)(a)).
Don't give false facts for a certificate. That carries a fine of
up to $250 (NRS 440.770).
Good to know
Getting a REAL ID or replacing a license? See REAL ID in Nevada
and driver's license replacement for the other
papers you need. Changing your name after marriage? See
name change after marriage.
For the current fee, hours and how to apply, check with the district health office in Clark County or
the State Registrar of Vital Statistics. Call
211 if you need help paying for documents.